# Tristin Mays

Tristin Mays (born June 10, 1990) is an American actress. Mays portrayed Riley Davis in the reboot of the MacGyver series on CBS who works as a covert operative for the Phoenix Foundation.

## Early life and education

Mays' parents, Viveca and Michael Mays, worked as an artist and in the military, respectively. She grew up in New York City until 2003 when her family moved to Moreno Valley, California, where she graduated from Vista del Lago High School. Her older brother Jeryn is also an actor.

## Career

While best known for her role as Riley Davis on the 2016 TV series MacGyver, Mays has played in television series including as Shaina in the Nickelodeon series Gullah Gullah Island and as Robin Dixon, the daughter of Marcus Dixon, Carl Lumbly's character in Alias.
Her other television credits include Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Everybody Hates Chris, True Jackson, VP, Zeke and Luther, Big Time Rush, Victorious and The Vampire Diaries.
As a seven-year-old in 1997, she joined the cast of Gullah Gullah Island, replacing Shaina M. Freeman as Shaina. That same year, she was cast as Nala in The Lion King on Broadway. She subsequently played Fan in Dickens' A Christmas Carol. In 2009, she was a series regular in the web series Private based on the novels of the same name. In 2011, she starred in the internet sitcom FAIL with fellow Gullah Gullah Island co-star Vanessa Baden. She also appeared in the TV show Impractical Jokers season 8 episode 5.

## Filmography

Film roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Hot Dog Water | Julia | Short film |
| 2012 | Thunderstruck | Isabela Sanchez | |
| 2012 | She is Not My Sister | Megan | |
| 2013 | House Party: Tonight's the Night | Autumn Rose | Direct-to-video film |
| 2015 | The Wedding Ringer | Cute bridesmaid | |
| 2020 | The Christmas Sitters | Nora | Direct-to-TV film |
Television roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Harambee! | Angel | Television film |
| 1997 | Gullah Gullah Island | Shaina | Series regular |
| 2001–2004 | Alias | Robin Dixon | 3 episodes |
| 2006 | Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide | Bernice | Episode: "Substitute Teachers and the New Kid" |
| 2008 | Everybody Hates Chris | Jenise Huckstable | Episode: "Everybody Hates Homecoming" |
| 2009 | Private | Taylor Bell | Web series; series regular |
| 2010 | True Jackson, VP | Hailey | Episode: "My Boss Ate My Homework" |
| 2010–2011 | Zeke and Luther | Monica Lopez | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Big Time Rush | Stephanie King | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Kelly Brook's Cameltoe Shows | Herself | Funny or Die skit |
| 2011 | Victorious | Sherry | Episode: "Prom Wrecker" |
| 2011 | FAIL | Alicia | Web series; series regular |
| 2011 | Kickin' It | Vanessa / M.C. | Episode: "All the Wrong Moves" |
| 2012 | The Newsroom | Karaoke Girl | Episode: "The 112th Congress" |
| 2015–2016 | The Vampire Diaries | Sarah Nelson/Salvatore | Recurring role (season 6), Guest (season 8) 7 episodes |
| 2015 | Supergirl | Maxwell Lord's Assistant | Episode: "Childish Things" |
| 2015 | Night of the Wild | Rosalyn | Television film |
| 2016–2018 | T@gged | Brie | |
| 2016–2021 | MacGyver | Riley Davis | Main role |
| 2017 | Switched at Birth | Ally | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Impractical Jokers | Herself | Season 8 Episode 5: "Full Mental Jacket" |