Noah LaLonde and Cole Walter share more than a face, they share a story. On Netflix’s My Life with the Walter Boys, Cole navigates the uncertain ties of adolescence, the pressures of identity, and the highs and lows of first love.

Off-screen, Noah has faced his own crossroads: a life shaped by hockey, a world defined by routine and expectation, and the moment he realized his true path lay elsewhere. Both Cole and Noah understand what it means to lose the anchor that defines you. For Cole, it’s football; for Noah, it was hockey. Both have had to confront doubt, wrestle with identity, and discover who they are when the familiar no longer fits. It’s that lived experience that Noah brings to Cole, making the character’s struggles, triumphs, and quiet victories feel immediate and real. Season two places Cole in uncharted territory, testing him in ways beyond his usual comfort zone. He must navigate complicated feelings for Jackie, the newcomer to the Walter household, whose resilience and courage challenge him to grow and reflect on his own choices. Their relationship is layered with tension, unspoken emotions, and the intensity of first love, pushing Cole to confront his vulnerabilities while striving to be someone worthy of her trust. At the same time, Cole navigates the quiet rivalry with his brother, Alex, centered around Jackie. He wants her to be happy, even if that means stepping back. But as Noah puts it, “the heart wants what the heart wants.”

This new season of My Life with the Walter Boys promises more drama, more tension, and more growth than ever before. Noah captures every nuance, every hesitation, every charged glance, every fleeting smile, raising the stakes and keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. And the story continues: Noah is already back on set, filming season three, ready to explore the next chapter of Cole’s journey.

PHOTOGRAPHY KEVIN SINCLAIR STYLING DANIELA ROMERO INTERVIEW DAVID GARGIULO

David Gargiulo __ You grew up in Detroit and transitioned from hockey to acting. What was the turning point when you decided you wanted to go all in on acting and why?

Noah LaLonde __  When I was really young in metro Detroit, like most kids, I tried a lot of things to see what stuck. Hockey was in my family, so it felt like the obvious choice. But I also played other sports, and in elementary school I started doing school plays. In middle school, I kept going, joining a theatrical choir program. I loved performing, making people laugh, and working as part of a creative group. But hockey was demanding, and at some point I had to choose. By high school, I went all in on hockey. As I got older I started to feel hockey wasn’t feeding me in the same way. I found myself spending more time watching films and TV, connecting with those stories in a way I hadn’t with anything else. That planted the seed. I was asking myself big questions for the first time: “What am I going to do with my life? Do I actually enjoy this, or am I just doing it because it’s what I’ve always done?” The hard part was finding the courage to make a change. First stepping away from hockey, then admitting to myself, “I want to be an actor.” I was in college, majoring in English and minoring in theater.  The “safe” part of me thought about going to law school, but the part of me that wanted to perform kept getting louder. Halfway through a semester, I called my dad and said, “I think I’m going to move home and pursue acting.” Detroit has a strong artistic community, places like Ferndale and Royal Oak, so I threw myself into it. I read books, watched films, studied hour-long YouTube videos from acting teachers, and worked on scene studies. It was a long process, but the core lesson was this: my life is my own. As long as I can handle the consequences, I’m free to do what I love. That decision eventually brought me to Los Angeles and to my first season of My Life with the Walter Boys. Since then, this has been my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

DG __ I gather that throughout most of your life acting was always somewhere in the picture.

NL __ Yeah, absolutely. My entire family has always been really into movies and television. My aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, everybody watches so much TV, so many films. Any time we’re all together, there’s never been a gathering without at least one movie quote, an impression, or some kind of pop culture reference.

DG __ Do you think you’re fulfilling a dream they might have had themselves?

NL __ I think many of them would have loved to try it. And that’s true for a lot of people I meet from my hometown. People have these big dreams, but life isn’t easy. There are moments where you have to choose the practical path to support your family.  So I try to give them a detailed look into my world, to share what it’s like, so they can experience a little of it through me.

DG __ They must be really happy for you.

NL __ They are. Everyone in my family is so supportive. I wouldn’t be here without their collective love and encouragement. Knowing I have them no matter what gives me the freedom to fully focus on what I’m doing. I have the greatest family in the world.

DG __ Do you consider yourself more of an introvert or an extrovert? 

NL __ Most people who know me would call me an extrovert. And I think I would too. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed I like to balance these high-frequency extrovert moments with low-frequency introvert ones. Part of that comes from the nature of this business. When you’re out in public or at events, there are cameras and people everywhere, and you don’t always get the choice to turn that social energy off. The less control you have over when you’re “on,” the more you want to have that control back. That’s probably why I value quiet, private time more now.

DG __ Season 2 of My Life with the Walter Boys brings big changes for Cole, for example no football, uncertainty about Jackie. How do these challenges shape him in season 2?

NL __ In season two, you see Cole maturing. For so long, football was his identity. When that’s taken away, he doesn’t always respond well. He can be quick to self-sabotage or let negativity creep in. And while he’s not always transparent about what he’s feeling, it still comes out in his actions. Sometimes in ways that aren’t great. As you know Jackie arrives in season one. She’s gone through what you could argue is the worst thing that can happen to someone, losing her entire family at such a young age. Yet she still gets up every day and holds it together for everyone around her. That resilience inspires him. He sees her facing her battle and winning, while he’s been letting his own challenges get the better of him. As he starts to fall for her, he realizes that if he’s going to be worthy of her, he has to fix himself too. In season two, you see a Cole Walter with more direction. He begins to build confidence in areas beyond football, which is totally new for him. He’s still adjusting but he’s growing. Even if it’s subconscious, a lot of that growth comes from the light Jackie brings into his life. He sees that light, and wants to find it for himself. 

DG __ Cole has a very specific energy: confident, guarded, but vulnerable when no one’s looking. How much of you is in him and where do you diverge?

NL __ I definitely see parts of myself in Cole. Sometimes it feels like I’m getting the chance to weave through decisions I once had to make myself. For me, it was hockey. Over time, it became my identity growing up. And when I stopped playing, it was hard. So much of what I knew about myself came from the rink. My friends were my teammates, my mentors were coaches or other players. When I took hockey out of my life, I had a lot of doubts. I wondered if people loved me for what I could do on the ice. Would they still love me if I was just Noah, the human being, and not Noah, the hockey player? That was scary. And that’s where Cole and I overlap most: this identity shift and not knowing where to go next. Over time, I’ve learned that most people love me for who I am, not because I could skate or stickhandle. But it takes time to believe that. That fear I felt back then became a perfect jumping-off point for diving into Cole Walter’s character.

DG __ We’ve seen fans very invested in “Team Cole” vs “Team Alex.” How do you personally feel about Jackie’s conflict? Do you think Cole wants her to choose him, or just be happy?

NL __ As a viewer, I’d like to say he just wants Jackie to be happy. And I think if you asked Cole, in the alternate reality of Silver Falls, Colorado, he’d tell you the same thing. But the tricky thing about falling in love is that you rarely say exactly how you feel. I think, deep down, he wants her to be happy with him. That’s what makes the whole thing so complicated through the first two seasons. It’s inevitable for him, no matter how messy it gets. There’s a moment at the end of season one, before their kiss in the garage, when they’re picking flowers. Cole tells Jackie he’s really happy for her and Alex, and that they’re great together. I think that comes from him being a good person, someone who cares about his brother, his family, and wants to do the right thing. He knows he needs to say that, and he tries to believe it. But the heart wants what the heart wants. And deep down, Cole wants Jackie to find a way to be happy with him and he wants to become the kind of person she deserves.

DG __ In a moment where traditional masculinity is making a bold return in pop culture, where do you think Cole and Alex fit into that conversation?

NL __ That’s a really interesting question. I think one of the complicated things about growing up, especially in a place like Silver Falls, is that the environment itself carries a built-in sense of traditional masculinity. Growing up on a farm or ranch is a very self-sustaining lifestyle: working with animals, tending crops, waking up early to do chores, providing for your family. Those responsibilities have historically been tied to that “masculine” identity. In that kind of environment, there can be a lot of pressure to maintain that standard. And when you start talking about your feelings or showing sensitivity, it can feel risky as you don’t want to be seen as weak, or less capable. For Cole and Alex, it’s layered even further. Alex is in the rodeo world, which carries a strong masculine energy. Cole plays football, another arena where, in real life, that culture can sometimes become toxic. Being surrounded by that can make it harder to process emotions in a healthy way. You bottle things up, and they tend to come out messily, sometimes destructively. Both of these characters are actually sensitive people. But Cole, for example, is very guarded. He’s not always great at consciously revealing his emotions; they tend to spill out before he can control how. On top of that, you’ve got the brotherly rivalry they’ve had their whole lives: never hostile or violent, but always competitive. That’s defined their relationship, and in some ways it feeds into the masculine pressure they’re both navigating. And then there’s the broader environment: high school, with all its stereotypes, especially around what a “football player” is supposed to be. What the show does really well is show how those expectations can stifle emotional expression. You see how those bottled-up feelings can come out sideways. A good example is in season one, at Dylan’s lake house, when they’re playing Truth or Dare. Everyone’s trying to one-up each other, there’s drinking, there’s competition, and it ends in disaster. It’s a perfect example of how easy it is to get swept up in your surroundings, especially in high school, when you’re still figuring out right from wrong.

DG __ If you could give Cole one piece of advice as Noah what would it be?

NL __ Think about your words and your actions after they’ve happened. You can’t change something once it’s done. But if you look back at something you said or did and realize the outcome wasn’t what you wanted, maybe it hurt someone, caused conflict, or just didn’t feel right, take responsibility for it. Understand that you don’t have to be that mistake. You can grow from it. That’s really what life is: experiencing what’s in front of us in the moment, and then deciding how we respond afterward. Our response often defines us far more than the action itself. If you can take responsibility for your words and actions, you can start growing at a rate most high school students don’t. I wouldn’t expect Cole to figure that out right away. We’ve got more story to tell [laughs], and I’m sure there’ll be plenty more situations like that for him. But the point is: keep learning, keep growing, and accept that mistakes are part of it. The minute you stop growing, that’s when something really defines you.

DG __ Wise words. Now that you’re filming season three, how does it feel to be back on the show? And do you have any behind-the-scenes moments that you want to share?

NL __ I can’t talk about season three at all. What I can say is that I share the same excitement as anyone reading this. When those first scripts land I’m just as eager to dive in as the fans are to watch. I’m left on the edge of my seat, wondering what’s going to happen to

these people whose lives I’ve become so invested in. So yes, I was totally riveted by the first season's three scripts. That’s all I’ll say on that. As far as how it feels to be back, it feels as good as anything has ever felt. Calgary [ed where the show is filmed] is incredible. I love this city, the people, and I love the team we have here. The cast, the crew. It truly feels like a family. In my life, I’ve always been part of a team. I grew up playing hockey, and one of my fears after leaving that world was that I wouldn’t find that same camaraderie anywhere else. But I’ve found it here, 100 percent. And we all appreciate the fans so much. They’re the reason we get to keep making this show. It’s exciting knowing that in just 15 days, the world will get to see what we did in season two. We put so much into it. Even here in Calgary, when we’ve done events, people’s excitement has been palpable, and that means the world to us. It’s just such a joy to be back, telling a story that’s bigger than any one of us. I’m grateful, I’m excited, and I can’t wait to keep the story going.

DG __ Do you and the other cast members have a go-to activity between takes? Maybe a tradition from season two?

NL __ We love finding good food. We film in a few different Canadian towns, like High River, and it’s full of these adorable little cafés, bakeries, and ice cream shops. On days when the whole “family” is together, it feels like we’re on a little hometown adventure. Ashby and I scout out a new bakery in whatever town we’re shooting in, bring something back to set, and auction it off just for fun. It’s always about sharing, cups of coffee, cups of tea, sparkling water. We have our “craft services chats” in the morning, swapping stories and laughing together. Honestly, there’s no place like this set.

DG __ Do you have a creative outlet beyond acting?

NL __ I listen to a lot of music. I love using music to get inspired. Especially when we’re working, it’s such an emotionally powerful tool. Curating a playlist is such a great way to sink into a character, figuring out what kind of music would move them, and seeing where that overlaps with, or differs from, me as Noah. It’s fascinating how strongly it can influence my mood at any given moment. I’d love to write music someday, but right now, it’s all Walter Boys.

DG __ How do you want to challenge yourself in the next phase of your career and life?

NL __ I want to continue being as present as I can, focusing on controlling the things I can control, enjoying the people and moments right in front of me, because ultimately that’s all we really have. I live such a fantastic life with so many great things in front of me, and I always want to keep growing in my ability to sit with those things and feel grateful for them. On the career side, I’m trying to learn everything I can about film and TV. I love writing, and I’m always learning about directing. I’d love to start making my own projects, maybe begin with a short film and eventually work my way up to bigger things. I love everything about being on a set and working with a crew, so for now I’m just being a sponge, absorbing as much as I can, so one day I can put it all together myself.

Photographer Kevin Sinclair, Stylist Daniela Romero (The Wall Group), Interviewer David Gargiulo, Groomer Jenna Nelson  (The Wall Group), Photo assistant Kendra Frankle, Stylist Assistant Dakota Wallace, Talent Noah LaLonde (Viewpoint LA)

© 2025 Published by Vestal.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Vestal. Please direct any questions to: contact@vestalmag.com