Drew Ray Tanner (born 1992) is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Fangs Fogarty on Riverdale.
Early life
editTanner was born in Victoria, British Columbia.[1] When he was two years old, his father left, and his mother decided to move to Aldergrove, in Fraser Valley, British Columbia, where Tanner was raised.[1][2] His mother is a teacher and he has an older brother.[3] Tanner's grandfather would often do magic tricks and involve Tanner when he was child, which inspired him to join the entertainment industry.[3] In eighth and ninth grade, Tanner participated in a local improv group.[1] He attended Aldergrove Community Secondary School and later transferred to W. J. Mouat Secondary School.[1][4] He also played football.[1][3] Tanner received the role of John Proctor in a production of The Crucible at his school.[1] During his teenage years, Tanner also formed a rap group with a friend.[5] Following his high school graduation, Tanner turned down football scholarships and began working at a local tire retread plant so that he could support himself and travel to Vancouver for auditions.[1][6]
Career
editIn 2015, Tanner auditioned for the roles of Jughead Jones and Reggie Mantle in Riverdale, but did not receive either role.[3] In 2016, Tanner's friends invited him to visit Rocko's Diner in Mission, British Columbia, which is famous for its milkshakes and was used as the filming location for diner scenes in Riverdale.[3] When they arrived, there was a line of fans around the corner and Tanner made it his goal to have a role on Riverdale.[3] When season two of the show began casting, Tanner auditioned for the role of Sweet Pea.[3] While auditioning, he noted they were also casting for the role of Fangs Fogarty, so Tanner went in and auditioned for Fangs's character as well.[3] Tanner joined the cast of Riverdale as Fangs Fogarty, the love interest of Kevin Keller, during season two, which began airing in 2017.[1][7] Originally, Tanner was only supposed to appear in a couple episodes, but he was brought back several times until season four, when he his character had a role in a major story arc.[1] After three years in a recurring role, Tanner was promoted to be a series regular for season five of the show, which aired in 2021.[8][7]
Tanner and his Riverdale co-star Vanessa Morgan bonded on set over their love of music and formed a group, These Girls These Boys.[5] They released their first single, Sleep When I'm Dead, in May 2020.[5][9]
In 2019, Tanner appeared in the Netflix film Work It as the romantic interest of one of the main characters.[10][11] The role required Tanner to engage in improvisational acting.[7] To prepare for the role, he lost nineteen pounds in twenty-one days through an intensive diet and training program.[10]
Personal life
editTanner is biracial.[7] Tanner lived with his co-star Charles Melton during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Mom's Day Away | Richie | ||
| 2014 | Zapped | Shirtless Guy | ||
| 2015 | All of My Heart | Rusty | ||
| 2015 | Liar, Liar, Vampire | Band Singer | ||
| 2015 | Once Upon a Holiday | Concierge | ||
| 2016 | Dater's Handbook | Phil | ||
| 2016 | Date With Love | Colin Hartling | ||
| 2016 | Home | Mirrored Goggles | ||
| 2017 | The Birthday Wish | Kian | ||
| 2017 | Power Rangers | Young Lover #2 | [1][3] | |
| 2017 | Like Cats and Dogs | Tyler | ||
| 2017 | All for Love | P.J. Salazar | ||
| 2017 | All of My Heart: Inn Love | Rusty | ||
| 2018 | Secret Millionaire | Parking Attendant | as "Drew Tanner" | |
| 2020 | Work It | Charlie | ||
| 2024 | Boot Camp | Axel Chandler | [8][10] | |
| 2024 | Sidelined: QB and Me | Nathan Bryan |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Haunting Hour: The Series | Michael | as "Drew Tanner" | |
| 2012 | Fairly Legal | Elevator Person #4 | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | Arrow | Rookie | 1 episode | [1] |
| 2013 | Motive | Tyson | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | iZombie | Sam | [1] | |
| 2016 | Supernatural | Cliff | 1 episode | [1] |
| 2017 | Supergirl | Student | 1 episode | [1] |
| 2017 | Somewhere Between | Jesse Reed / Jessie Reed | Recurring role | [13] |
| 2017–2023 | Riverdale | Fangs Fogarty | Recurring (Seasons 2–4) Main (Season 5-7) |
[1] |
| 2018 | You Me Her | Alex | 2 episodes | [13] |
| 2019 | The Order | Todd | 1 episode | |
| 2020 | 50 States of Fright | David Freeman | [14] | |
| 2020 | Legends of Tomorrow | Dion/Dionysus | [8] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o UYTDEWILLIGEN, RYAN (October 2, 2020). "Aldergrove actor Drew Ray Tanner gets promoted to series regular on Riverdale". Aldergrove Star. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Ip, Stephanie (May 11, 2018). "Riverdale: B.C.'s Jordan Connor and Drew Ray Tanner vote yearbook titles". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Loewen, Emily (October 9, 2018). "Riverdale's Drew Ray Tanner On Acting, Following Your Heart And Enjoying The Ride". Terroir Mag. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Ip, Stephanie (May 23, 2018). "B.C.'s Riverdale stars Jordan Connor and Drew Ray Tanner spill on the Southside Serpents". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b c Valentine, Claire (May 15, 2020). "DREW RAY TANNER AND VANESSA MORGAN OF 'RIVERDALE' STARTED A BAND". Nylon. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Karmel, Laurenne (May 16, 2018). "Jordan Connor and Drew Ray Tanner talk Riverdale and #Swangs (VIDEO)". Daily Hive. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d Fowler, Nikki (January 15, 2021). "DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE COVER: Drew Ray Tanner on the New Season of 'Riverdale,' the Time Jump, His Music, Dream Role, Identity, Isolation, and More". Glitter. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b c Piester, Laura (September 30, 2020). "Riverdale Promotes Drew Ray Tanner to Series Regular For Season 5". E! News. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Uy, Megan (July 3, 2020). "Vanessa Morgan and Drew Ray Tanner Have Officially Won Our 'TikTok Challenge Challenge'". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b c Williams, Brett (July 3, 2019). "How a Riverdale Star Got Shredded for His Next Movie in Just 21 Days". Men's Health. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (July 2, 2019). "Jordan Fisher, Drew Ray Tanner, Michelle Buteau Join Sabrina Carpenter In Netflix Dance Comedy 'Work It'". Deadline. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Howard, Madeline (July 29, 2020). "Charles Melton Told Us All About How He Found His New "Soul Mate" and, Um, BRB, Crying". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ a b Zafar, Mishal Ali (January 16, 2019). "Here's What You Should Know About Fangs On 'Riverdale'". Romper. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ Noronha, Remus (April 22, 2020). "'50 States of Fright' Review: Sam Raimi's gory horror anthology is optimized to give you a quick scare". Meaww. Retrieved 4 May 2021.