Tristan Mack Wilds Says Fatherhood Changed His Drive as an Actor: "I Don't Have Time For Bullsh*t"
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Tristan Mack Wilds has fully embraced dad life. With his wife Christina Wilds, the actor-singer, 33, has two adorable daughters: Tristyn and Naima. Speaking to POPSUGAR in June, Tristan admits balancing work, marriage, and fatherhood has been "tiring," but "fun" and "fulfilling, more than anything."
"I think there's a lot of times . . . You'll hear from a bunch of different people the horror stories, you'll hear the amazing stories, but ultimately you want to leave from any experience feeling fulfilled," he says. "And being around my daughters, being around my wife, learning each other every day, learning my daughters as they're starting to grow through the world and starting to become the people that they are. It's amazing to just sit back and observe."
"It was like, if it's not about my family, if it's not about my people or anything that truly connects to me, I can't mess with it."
Tristan and Christina met at age 15 on the set of the actor's iconic HBO series "The Wire" in 2005 when he joined the show's fourth season, and they've been together on and off ever since. Before they tied the knot in a small ceremony on Dec. 17, 2020 (per E! News), the longtime couple welcomed their daughter Tristyn a year prior. Tristan then doubled up on being a girl dad when he and Christina welcomed Naima, whose arrival they announced in December 2022.
Now settled into fatherhood, Tristan tells POPSUGAR that having a family of his own has changed his drive as an actor and artist, "but in a good way." "Mainly because, pardon my French, I don't have time for bullsh*t no more," he notes. "I'm very much like to the entire team at all times, 'Is this worth it? What are we doing? How much time do we have to spend here? What are we doing this for? How do we get in and get out?' Because I want to get back home to my girls. I want to get back home to my family."
Even as Tristan continues to grow in his acting career (his credits include Apple TV+'s "Swagger" and the Chloe Bailey-led gospel comedy "Praise This"), he says, "Everything's becoming a lot more nuanced." He continues, "Because being a dad, if you want to be a good dad, you have to be present. And the main thing about being an actor for anybody, no matter who you are, what you do, it's all about being present in the moment. 'What are you doing at this moment? What does this moment feel like? Are you taking it in or are you just saying lines?'"
Though the singer hasn't made any recent trips to the recording studio, he adds that being a father has gotten him to a place where he feels "a lot more present in everything that I do artistically" — including writing new music.
That being said, Tristan says any new project he takes on these days, whether onscreen or perhaps another Broadway play (he starred in "Thoughts of a Colored Man" in the fall of 2021), "has to be something intriguing" enough for him to spend time away from his family. "It has to be something that grabs me in a way that nothing has grabbed me yet," he shares. "Even if it's something in the same vein of something that I've done before, it's like, what is different from 'this' versus 'this?'"
As a fan of profound quotes, Tristan points out that he recently posted something on his Instagram Stories that he says has "been ringing true to me." "It was like, if it's not about my family, if it's not about my people or anything that truly connects to me, I can't mess with it. I can't."
Ahead, learn more about Tristan's life as a girl dad and get to know his two daughters.
Tristyn Wilds
On Dec. 25, 2019, Tristan announced on Instagram that he was expecting his daughter Tristyn, who is adorably named after him. "Earlier this year, I was in a really dark place. Sh*t, honestly? I'd been there for a while," he wrote alongside a photo of him wearing a "father to be" pin. "I dunno, i was just letting life take me wherever she may. But I told God I needed a light. I needed a sign that I was supposed to be here, and that my presence here on earth was needed. Heard ju, God. Thank you for this."
Tristyn then made her public debut with her father and mom Christina in a May 2020 photo spread for Essence. Fast forward to April 2023, the now 3-year-old made her television debut with her parents on "The Tamron Hall Show."
Of parenting his firstborn, Tristan tells POPSUGAR, "Tristyn is so much of a... She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it." He adds, "She's one of those kids where I think we've taught her so much at such a young age. The only thing she's not doing is turning on the oven by herself. But she knows exactly what breakfast she wants. She's bringing you her Elmo pancakes, she brings you an apple — she's like, 'OK, dad, cut this up for me.' She's very, very specific."
On an average day in his household, the actor says he and his mini-me "will do some school time," including "memory cards or different things to build her imagination" like painting, etc. He also says, "We read a lot to Tristyn," which makes sense considering the tiny tot has her own children's book club named after her. It's run by her author mom and was even been recognized on Beyonc's directory of Black-owned businesses for Juneteenth in 2020.
Naima Wilds
Naima is Tristan and Christina's youngest daughter. According to Tristan's Instagram announcement in which he announced her arrival on Dec. 1, 2022, her name means "benevolent, pleasant, or tranquil." The actor's post also included the first photo of Naima, with her tiny hand holding onto her big sister's.
Only a couple of months old, Tristan says a lot of his and Christina's focus is "heavy" on their baby girl. "Because she's the one who needs the most help right now," he explains to POPSUGAR. Tristan admits that while with his oldest he "learned the most lessons," with Naima, he has to "reinforce them." "This is the time where you get a chance to see if you've learned from your mistakes, or if you're still in the place where you need to take the test again," he adds. "So I appreciate Naima for that. She keeps every single one of us on our toes, I'd say. Naima is not a game."
At seven months old, Tristan celebrated Naima's growing up with an Instagram post that shows a photo of her seemingly on set with him. It reads, "Happy 7 months to you, New-New. May you look at this photo years from now while you're on set/in your gallery/on tour/in your office making hella money and ask if we knew you were gonna be great. and me getting the chance to sound like my pops when i say with a belly laugh, 'of course. you MY child!'"