Windsor’s Rhys Wyn Trenhaile joins cast of ABC’s Designated Survivor

Windsor’s real estate market might not be the stuff of U.S. presidential political thrillers, but local Realtor and actor Rhys Wyn Trenhaile

 says he has the same approach to both.

“It’s the same fervor I put to pretty much everything in my life,” said Trenhaile, who debuts Wednesday night as part of the cast of the new ABC television series Designated Survivor

Trenhaile said confidentiality agreements prevent him from revealing anything about his character or how he figures into the show’s plot, but he described the role as a recurring one.

“It’s my biggest role to date, for sure,” Trenhaile said. “It obviously opens up more doors. Hopefully my friends and family will get to see me in more stuff like this, through the years.”

Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Designated Survivor tells the story of a low level cabinet member who is suddenly thrust into the position of U.S. president after the elected president and all senior cabinet members are killed in an explosion at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

The show premiered in September to critical acclaim.

For Trenhaile, the role is his highest profile opportunity since he stumbled into acting about five years ago.

It all began when he accompanied a friend to an acting class in Royal Oak, Mich. His friend didn’t go back for another class — but Trenhaile did.

Since then, the six-foot-three-inch Trenhaile has landed small parts in a variety of films and television shows, and worked alongside such award-winning talents as James Caan and Graham Greene.

But just because he’s getting more work as an actor doesn’t mean Trenhaile is giving up on the real estate business. He emphasized that he’s still passionate about selling real estate, and he’s confident about his team of colleagues in Windsor.

“I spent 15 years building up a real estate team in the Windsor area. We’re currently up to 11 real estate agents at Manor Realty. I still love the business, and I’m still very much dedicated to it and various other interests in Windsor.”

Episode 5 of Designated Survivor — “The Mission” — airs Wednesday 10 p.m.  on ABC or CTV (Channel 13 on Cogeco). Find out more about Rhys Wyn Trenhaile at www.rhystrenhaile.com.

dchen@postmedia.com