My name is Tate Coston and I’m an actor. I grew up most of my life in Kennesaw, Georgia, not acting, but rather pursuing the love of basketball and tennis. Somewhere along the way (when I realized I wasn’t going to be in the NBA) my passion transitioned to the arts, specifically film and theater. However, It would be dishonest of me to leave out the fact that my career in the arts began with joining a class in high school because of a crush on a theater girl. I did not realize at the time what kind of impact that would have on my life.

During my senior year of high school, I did a few plays, all supporting roles, but I loved it. I went on to study at Emory University, getting my bachelors in Fine Arts, and it kicked my butt. My time in college is where I cultivated my love for the arts, as well as my obsession with acting. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do but I knew I wanted to be involved in the film industry. I was willing to work any job on set, however something about acting was always reeling me in.

Shortly after I graduated, my mom (Stephanie Coston) pointed out a background call for Stranger Things, filming in Atlanta and suggested I apply. I thought “what the heck?”, and I applied right away. A few days later I got hired as background, I was elated; I had never been on a real set before. They called me in for a COVID test prior to shooting and before I worked a single day of background, I was asked if I would be able to work as the Steve Harrington photo double for the duration of season 4. I didn’t know what a photo double was but it sounded better than background, so I said yes. This led to more photo double, as well as stand-in, opportunities around Atlanta, including on the aptly named show, “Atlanta”.

For this job, I was the stand-in for the lead of the episode, Aaron, played by an actor named Tyriq Withers. Tyriq was very friendly to me and by the end of filming the episode he asked if I would be interested in joining the acting classes he takes in town, Acts of Freedom. I audited and shortly after, I joined this class coached by Malik J. Ali. Over the last year, Malik has shown me the power in acting freely, and enjoying every moment of the process. At the end of this 8 week class, there is a showcase in which we are able to perform to anyone who is interested in attending. Unbeknownst to me, there were representatives from Forward The Agency at the show.

Following the showcase, Forward The Agency gave me an audition and signed me in August of 2022. Now, I am auditioning at home, honing my craft at Acts of Freedom, and learning how to make the world a better place with love and encouragement. It has been a funky road to say the least but definitely a road I am learning to appreciate more and more every day. I’m proud to say that I am going to do the thing I truly love for the rest of my life.