Every actor that enters the world of acting has aspirations of getting famous. As much as they all might love their craft, without money and fame, it seems a little redundant to do that. These actors put in a lot of hard work and effort to enter the industry, and it is only fair that they get their due.ย
Unfortunately, what’s fair doesn’t always come easy. That was also the case for Lyle Trachtenberg. Most of you may remember him for being married to a famous actress. Undoubtedly, he came to fame with his marriage to Whoopi Goldberg, but Lyle was much more than just a trophy husband.
Here, we are going to look at the life and career of Lyle Trachtenberg. So, without further ado, let’s go ahead and look behind the mirror.
Beginnings & Growing Up
Lyle Trachtenberg was born on the 1st of January 1956 in the city of angels, Los Angeles, California. Born in the La La land, the ruggedly handsome actor always had aspirations of becoming an actor.ย
His desire to become an actor was so big that he enrolled at the University of California and studied acting. After his graduation in 1980, things took a turn for the worse as Lyle struggled to find work. The actor, however, did not give up. He kept himself close to the acting world and subsequently joined IATSE.
For those of you who don’t know what IATSE is, it is a Union organization. The primary goal of IATSE is to represent technicians, artisans, and craftspersons working in the entertainment industry.ย
His passion for the welfare of union members meant that he quickly rose through the ranks. By the mid-1990s, Lyle Trachtenberg had gained a reputation for organizing disruptive activities on the sets of several movies. He was always very passionate about getting the best possible working conditions for his members.ย
What’s More?ย
Lyle’s commitment towards his members can be ascertained by an article published in Variety’s July 1995 issue. According to the article, Trachtenberg confronted them when he got wind of non-union workers being hired for a movie above the minimum budget set.ย
The incensed actor arrived on set during lunch but was denied entry. He then proceeded to stick around the set and tell workers the benefits of being in a union. By the time lunch was finished, the union had 25 new members. There was even a threat of a strike, but that was avoided when the producers came to an agreement with the Union.ย
Despite his lifelong aspirations, Lyle never found too much success as a mainstream actor. He never quite got a major role in the movies he starred in. His first role came in a 1996 actor- horror, From Dusk Till Dawn.ย
The action-packed movie had stars such as George Clooney and Juliett Lewis. Lyle was actually credited as himself in the movie. He then starred in a 1997 documentary, Full Tilt Boogie.ย
Interestingly, this documentary was based on the making of From Dusk Till Dawn. Full Tilt Boogie gave us a view behind the scenes of the filming of the movie and all that goes into it.ย
In the educational documentary, Lyle was credited as himself and was shown as an IATSE union organizer.ย
The following year, Lyle was cast in a 1998 comedy, Beach Movie. He had a minor role in the movie as well. The ruggedly handsome actor was cast as a “Husky guy” in the movie.
However, after Beach Movie, the roles for Lyle Trachtenberg dried up. However, he did not get any other acting gigs.
He was given special thanks in many other movies. Some of them were Girl Fever (2002), Keeping up with the Stiens (2006), and Hello, My Name is Dorris (2015)
Although we can never be sure, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that Lyle’s involvement with IATSE may have blackballed him a bit. Despite this, Lyle continues to work closely with the organization to this day.
Lyle Trachtenberg’s Primary Fame
Lyle Trachtenberg’s biggest reason for being famous had nothing to do with acting or his work in the union. In 1994, the actor got married to Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi had become a household name by then.ย
Her work in Ghost (1990), The Color People (1985), Sister Act (1992), and Sister Act 2: Back in The Habit (1993) made her quite famous.ย
Although we do not have any information about how they met, they got married in 1994. Through his marriage to Whoopi, Lyle became a stepfather to Alexandrea Martin.ย
Their marriage was, however, short-lived. Due to unexplained reasons at the time, the couple separated just a year later, in 1995. In an interview several years later, Whoopi explained that she had trouble feeling the love that married people are supposed to feel. As a result, none of her marriages lasted a long time.ย
What Happened After the Separation?
After his separation from Whoopi, Lyle found love again. He and Canadian-born actress Adrianna Belan. Although they are not technically married, the couple exchanged wedding vows. They are also parents to two daughters, Gabriella and Natasha.
Speaking of his net worth, the actor is worth more than $1 million and currently resides in Los Angeles, California.ย
The End
It is always very hard when you are unable to fulfill your childhood goal. Moreover, it can be very disheartening and can cause any person to feel depressed. It takes something special to find your second calling and accept your new purpose.ย
That is exactly what happened with Lyle Trachtenberg. He never found success as an actor in movies. Despite this, he found what he was meant to do and found a new way to leave his mark.
There is not just a single way you can leave a legacy. Every single member of IATSE that Lyle helped will forever remember the Union organizer and not the actor. Sure, being married to a famous actress put Lyle in the limelight, too, but that didn’t stop him from helping his fellow members.ย
We all get the option to do the easy thing and the right thing. Any ordinary person would go with the easier option. It takes a special kind of person to go ahead and do the right thing even if you lose. Where many members are glad that Lyle Trachtenberg chose to do the right thing.