Trinity Whiteside On Family, Starring on ‘Sistas’ and Never Being Discouraged

Trinity Whiteside originally entered the universe of Tyler Perry’s Sistas for six episodes. In season one, Danni (Mignon Von), one of the four sistas, lassoes herself a cowboy named Preston, played by Whiteside, who urges her to “let her walls down.” Coming back for more in season two, their new on-screen romance has everyone engulfed by the North Carolina native’s performance. The audience is looking to know more about Whiteside and how his guest appearance landed him a continuous role on the BET’s hit show. 

Tyler Perry Studios was the first to construct a whole series during a global pandemic. A space they call “Camp Quarantine” was established looking to keep everyone within the studio COVID-free. Whiteside reflected on the testing procedure that went on during set takes, he said, “…we take two tests prior to traveling to Tyler Perry Studios, and then we take one when we arrive.” Whiteside continued, “We quarantine for up to about 24 hours, waiting on those results. And once they get back, we are able to travel about the studio grounds.” No one is allowed in the so-called ‘bubble’ except for the talent and the crew. And so far, the experiment has been successful with no positive cases detected.

Whiteside was born in Asheville, NC. He was named after his father’s favorite old western movie character in They Call Me Trinity. In his childhood years, the actor displayed an array of intellectual and artistic gifts – he scored in the top eight percentile on California Achievement Test and was considered advanced in mediums of illustration. Although Whiteside reflected many various academic talents early in life, during playtime, when it was just “make-believe,” Whiteside dived deep into those roles.   

It was the gentle push from his wife, Nikkia, that put him on the path of acting, first appearing on BET’s The Game. After that role, Whiteside flourished and exercised all different parts of his acting chops. Other appearances he made include The CW’s The Originals, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Lila and Eve, Masterminds, Barbershop 3, and The Fate of The Furious, which earned Whiteside his first screen credit.

Whiteside reflected on the deep conversation he had with his wife that aligned him with his destiny, “I was actually in the dental program. And I came home one day after being in class and I was just like— you know… I only do this to have a career. It’s not something I want to do, this is not something I see myself doing day after day, year after year. And we just had the conversation and she asked what I wanted to do, what would make me happy, what I see myself doing, and I told her I want to pursue a career in acting.”

On-screen, one can see how devoted Whiteside is to his character, but he pursues his role of being a father to his three children with all the passion living in his heart. He mentioned his concern for his kids, before finally taking the first step toward his purpose. Whiteside shared, “if I was to pursue a career in acting, I didn’t want to do that at the detriment of their mental health. In their early developmental years, I didn’t want them to go ‘where’s my dad’, ‘I want my dad’. I wanted them to be old enough to understand that if dad is gone, it is his job, he will be back.”

With season 3 of Sistas now underway and Whiteside as a series regular, it is hard to imagine him not playing Preston. The actor unveiled that he originally auditioned for The Oval, a different Tyler Perry series, but did not get the role. Whiteside recalled that after that audition he texted Perry and thanked him “for the opportunity.” He was disappointed, he said, but never discouraged. Shortly after, Perry reached out and offered him to audition for the role of Preston.

“I had those times when I didn’t get the role and wasn’t chosen, and I always told myself, “It’s okay to be disappointed, as long as you’re not discouraged.”

It seems that when Whiteside entered into the realm of Sistas, he was able to hold his ground effortlessly. Whiteside was surrounded by female powerhouses, and yet he captured the heart of the viewers, creating an opportunity to become a series regular.

Whiteside reflected on his foundation, crediting the Black women that shaped him to be the person he is today. Whiteside stated, “There are things at times that I draw inspiration from – what I’ve experienced at home, and with my father’s side of the family, all those being strong African American women that I grew up around, who were an intricate part in my upbringing. I do draw on those inspirations and from those experiences.”

One can catch Trinity Whiteside on Tyler Perry’s Sistas every Wednesday on BET.