| Yanic Truesdale | |
| Birth Date: | 17 March 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1991–present |
Yanic Truesdale (born March 17, 1970) is a Canadian-American actor best known for his portrayal of Michel Gerard in the television series Gilmore Girls, a role that prompted Daily Variety to name him one of "10 Actors to Watch".[1]
Born and raised in Montreal, Truesdale launched his acting career at just 17 years old when he joined the National Theatre School of Canada. Upon graduation at 19, he began a robust acting career across Canada.[2]
One of his first big breaks was a starring role in He Shoots, He Scores a popular Canadian series about hockey.[3] He went on to work for six years on a series entitled , and in 1998 was nominated for his first Gemini Award (the Canadian Emmys) for Best Acting - Comedy Series or Special for his performance in the sitcom . The series was a critical hit throughout Canada, with Truesdale portraying the only Black child in a white family. Truesdale then starred in , which landed him his second Gemini nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy.[4]
Truesdale moved to New York City and studied at the renowned Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.[5] Truesdale’s very first audition in Los Angeles was for Gilmore Girls, a character he portrayed for 158 episodes starring opposite of Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, and Melissa McCarthy as the opinionated, sarcastic, and good-hearted concierge of the Independent Inn, Michel Gerard. The role garnered Truesdale critical acclaim, landing him on the Variety 10 Actors to Watch list opposite Ryan Gosling and Jennifer Garner.[6]
Additional recent credits for Truesdale include appearing in the award nominated film My Salinger Year opposite Sigourney Weaver and Margaret Qualley, which opened the Berlin Film Festival, Curb Your Enthusiasm for HBO (where he played Lin-Manuel Miranda’s agent), and is a part of the ongoing murder mystery franchise Fallen Angels Murder Club for Lifetime opposite Toni Braxton.
In 2022 Truesdale performed in Netflix’s upcoming comedy series God’s Favorite Idiot opposite Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone. God’s Favorite Idiot follows a mid-level tech support employee who finds love with a co-worker at exactly the same time that he becomes the unwitting messenger of God.[7]
In addition to acting, Truesdale is an entrepreneur. He has owned the indoor cycling studio Spin Energie in Montreal for nearly a decade.[8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Joseph Brousseau | TV movie | ||
| 1992 | Prince Lazure | Michel | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Philippe Tessier |
| ||
| 1996 | Arsenio | 2 episodes | ||
| 1997 | Un gars, une fille | Le guide / Le serveur | ||
| 1999 | The Sentinel | Patrolman | ||
| 2003 | See Jane Date | Noah | TV movie | |
| 2006 | Yanic | |||
| 2000–2007 | Gilmore Girls | Michel Gerard | Main cast | |
| 2008 | Réjean (le comptable) | 2 episodes | ||
| 2012 | Yan Patrick | 5 episodes **Gemini Award Nomination – Best Supporting Actor: Comedy | ||
| 2014 | Mohawk Girls | Sex Shop Clerk | ||
| 2015 | The Fixer | FBI Agent Kincaid | TV mini-series | |
| 2014–2015 | Patrick | 2 episodes | ||
| 2016 | Michel Gerard | Mini-series | ||
| 2016 | Sing It! | Beau Hemsworth | Web Series; Episode: "Let's be Real!" | |
| 2017 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Aaron | ||
| 2017 | The Catch | The Cleaner | ||
| 2020 | Christmas Catch | Ken | ||
| 2020 | Love by accident | Officer Paul | ||
| 2020 | My Salinger Year | Max | Supporting | |
| 2020 | Les mecs | Étienne Lebeau | Series Regular **2023 Gemini Award Nomination - Best Actor Comedy | |
| 2022 | God’s Favorite Idiot | Chamuel | Series Regular | |
| 2024 | Etoile | Raphael | Series Regular |