First Impressions: Noah LaLonde
The sweet and quiet Intimacy of Noah LaLonde
Starring as Cole Walter on Netflix’s popular youth series—My Life with the Walter Boys, 26-year-old Noah LaLonde is no stranger to a full house, family values and the importance of time well spent. Following his breakout role and life-altering last few years, the all-american former Michigan Resident, turned Angeleno sits down for a conversation way beneath the surface.
words by Dio Anthony
DIO ANTHONY: So I thought we'd do a general interview versus talking about character work or the specifics of your show. To start off, the series you currently star in does in fact touch on so many themes around family. I was wondering what was your own upbringing like? Do you come from a big family?
NOAH LALONDE: Definitely. I would say my immediate family was pretty, pretty tight knit. My extended family, so my cousins, my aunts and uncles are pretty big and very tight as well. It’s been one of the defining elements of my upbringing—in a positive way. I've been incredibly lucky to be very impacted by a very strong, supportive and loving family throughout my childhood and into this current stage in my life where I'm 2,500 miles away from home in Los Angeles. I still feel that support every single day. So it’s very, very easy to understand what it is to be in the Walter household. Knowing how easy and wonderful it was most times to be in mine.
ANTHONY: That’s wonderful. I’ve had a similar experience. I also have a big family and it’s informed my current phase of life. What are some things that instantly pop into your head when you think about growing up in a full house?
LALONDE: Oh, man. I honestly think one of the things that I probably miss the most from those days—which is a direct answer to your question -- is a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday morning. Getting together, we’re big sports fans, and if it’s football season— It’s very much; what are we getting for dinner? Let's hang out and laugh. Nothing too complicated—and I think that’s why it’s so special. It doesn’t have to be anything. I grew up just about a mile away from my closest cousins who became my brothers and my sister. They’re a decent amount older than me, but we were all so tight. Almost all of my big moments growing up, some combination of my cousins, my aunts, uncles, and my grandparents, were always there. I think the simple thing was just being together and making experiences out of the company.
ANTHONY: The simplicity of family, right?
LALONDE: Yeah, because you realize that's what you miss the most when you don't have it, right? I grew up in Detroit, and in Michigan, the season changes and it’s like everybody gets happier all at once. The sun comes out and you get to go outside for that first bonfire, or you get to sit outside on the patio with whatever type of snacks and drinks or whatever. It's just so simple.
“I think the simple thing was just being together and making experiences out of the company.”
ANTHONY: I’ve never been to Michigan, but because of the landscape, it feels and seems like summers in Michigan are unmatched. Can you speak to that?
LALONDE: Every question about my upbringing, I will always have a positive response. Not just because it's potentially something that everybody will read or listen to, but truly, the cycling of the seasons. I've always been a huge fan of fall. The air is the perfect right amount of crisp. You can introduce layering into your wardrobe, the bonfires, the beginning of school, football season, homecoming. One of my aunts and uncles, they had a cottage a couple hours north of where I grew up in Metro Detroit and going on the lake, being on the boat is a memory so clear to me. Again, just having more reasons to get together with people. You drift in the winter and it sucks a little bit because the roads are crazy, but I loved it because it was new and it was different. Then the snow would fall and you’d just pray you wouldn’t have school. By the time you start to get sick of that—the sun pops out. It's the opening day of football season, everybody’s downtown. Then it’s full blown summer and people are going up North. I’ve lost your question somewhere in there [laughs].
ANTHONY: I get it. There’s clearly a lot to talk about there. I didn’t expect you to touch on the fall but it makes so much sense. These are things that are personal to your life and experiences. How long have you been living in LA now?
LALONDE: I was just talking about this. I've been living in LA since September of 2021.
ANTHONY: Not so long—but I know it has a way of feeling much longer. What are some things about living in California that have surprised you? Something you’ve realized?
LALONDE: I think there's much to pull from. For me, there was a lot of change happening in my life at the time when I moved here. Being away from everything I just mentioned. I didn't really know anybody when I came here. And I didn't have very much money when I came here. It was a lot of wake up, go to work, try to work out, get into class, do auditions. It was very regimented. I try to have a good routine and stick to it, but I didn't even have a choice back then. It's pretty expensive to live out here, so you don't really have the disposable income. All those things in place, and you start to miss your friends and you start to miss home. It can be a dangerous combination if you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, or if you can’t enjoy the process. There were definitely days where—I’d think of this picturesque, amazing upbringing and family and think—I’m going to abandon all of that and chase a dream? Ultimately I shifted my mindset into that I didn't have to do any of this— I get to do this. I’m lucky to pursue a career and life in the arts. This is my choice. These are all choices. And if I really didn't like it bad enough I could just stop. But I never wanted to, and I never did.
ANTHONY: I love that you mention how hard and expensive it can be. To live in LA is one thing, and to thrive in LA is another.
LALONDE: I agree. Also, I don't credit this whole thing as I willed my way through it. I got a lot of help along the way, and a lot of things have rolled my way. I've been lucky. Super, super lucky.
ANTHONY: Is there a piece of advice that you've been given that you feel like is particularly meaningful or that has helped you in some way?
LALONDE: I don't know if this counts as advice, but I always have these quotes that I write down, and I put 'em on sticky notes and I just put 'em on the wall and I look at 'em sometimes. I have one in front of me.
ANTHONY: Really? Wow. What does it say?
LALONDE: I think it's a Latin phrase that translates to— the art of dying is the art of living. That one and many other ones that I'm staring at right now encapsulate a similar idea that this is it, we're doing this right now. We’re living our only life. To sit and think about what we should do. To not sit and wonder when it's going to happen, you kind of have to go out and make it happen. You gotta enjoy the shit. Pardon my French. You gotta enjoy all of it. Because if you don’t change, it’s not going to change. I got another one right next to me, it says, the longer you wait for the future you want, the less time you have to spend in it.
ANTHONY: I’m so glad you mentioned the sticky notes—this is very inspiring and says so much about the person you are.
“This is my choice. These are all choices.”
LALONDE: Thank you. I think it's all in the same vein of taking control and acknowledging that we all have choices. I love being around my family, but the pain that I could potentially feel years down the line thinking—what if I would’ve tried that thing? What if I would’ve just taken control and went after these amazing experiences. The pain of missing out, versus going after it. The tribulation that comes from going after that thing. Those long nights where you don’t want to do it—the difficulty in that is probably not as difficult as feeling the regret of not trying.
ANTHONY: Pretty amazing. I was going to ask you about quotes—and to find out that they’re a part of your everyday is such a gift to this interview and experience.
LALONDE: I have a little colorful pack of sticky notes and I have note cards. It’s my own little daily expression of wisdom and knowledge. I can meditate on one for a minute and just engulf myself in it for a sec. I do it with everything too. I just write. I think there's something I really enjoy about a nice pen or pencil or marker against the right surface and just writing it down and bringing that to life. I have another note about how 25 ounces of black coffee yields about 284 milligrams of caffeine. I'm not sure how that one got there. That's just a fact.
ANTHONY: What’s your favorite time of the day and why?
LALONDE: Oh, man. This changes for me, but I think the wee hours of the morning. I love the peace and serenity of that time. When the sun has only just come up or if it's barely even up. Even when it’s dark in the morning. It’s like your day is perfectly in line with the sun and the world. I always feel more in touch with my whole process when I can watch the sun come up and I can watch it go down.
ANTHONY: It’s a pretty great time of the day—and inspiring time. Fresh.
LALONDE: They’re all good. But something about seeing a five on the little hand of the clock. Some people would call me a sicko for that, but I like it.
ANTHONY: So you wake up around five on the daily?
LALONDE: Okay. So let me clarify. I have woken up around five.There have been these cycles of my life where I will wake up—months at a time. Right now, I think I’m pretty standard. Between eight to nine-thirty. If something goes wrong the night before, gimme 10 o'clock. [laugh]. I'm not too strict about it. But that’s why I like that time—because I don’t always get it. It can be difficult to do, but it’s so worth it when it happens.
Photography by Jesse Volk Words by Dio Anthony Styling by Kelsea Chapel Hair by Erica Adams Makeup by Carol park
This interview has been edited and condensed.