Reavis Dorsey: Staying Grounded, Chasing Dreams, and Never Stopping

Reavis Dorsey stars in Duster as bodyguard Lyle.

For actor, writer, and director Reavis Dorsey, the path to the screen was not a straight one. But it was meant to be. Sitting down with Dorsey on a rainy Saturday morning in Albuquerque to talk about his new show, Duster, I remember how stories, especially personal ones, shape the characters we see on screen. Dorsey's is a tale of passion, patience, and purpose.

With acting, a seed planted when he was a child started the journey. "Man, we gotta go way back now," he said with a grin when asked when acting came into his life. Dorsey himself did not have acting on his radar growing up, in retrospect, though there were signs everywhere. High school assignments left a creative itch he never knew he had. Family movie nights were sacred times of happiness, companionship, and healing.

"I remember when my mom and stepdad were going through something, they took me and my little sister to see two movies. After that, everything was fine. It's weird, but that's how it went."

It wasn't until he was in college, studying journalism and broadcasting with a dream to be a sports broadcaster, that Dorsey ended up in the business. An experience as an extra on About Schmidt, filmed in Nebraska, familiarized him with working on set, and something stuck. "There I was, standing right by Jack Nicholson, watching everything. I realized I liked it. And from there, I just kept going."

But life has its timetable. Around the time that acting was beginning to go somewhere, Dorsey had his first child. "I had no idea what I was doing," he admitted, remembering those early years with his daughter. He decided to step back and be present, to raise her properly. "It was life to me. The balance was hard, but I had to be stable for me and my daughter." That balance between work, parenting, and pursuing his passion was misunderstood by many, but it made him stronger. "Some people didn't understand my focus. But I knew what I was doing. I was building a life, one step at a time."

These days, Dorsey does everything—an actor, writer, and director—but whatever he executes through one guiding principle: give 100%. "Writing is intricate, directing is about pulling the vision together, and acting brings it all to life. They're different, but they all matter. I want to give my best to each of them."

Reavis Dorsey

One of his more recent stints tested all of those instincts. In Duster, Dorsey played Lyle, a stoic and steadfast bodyguard to Keith David's Sax. While Lyle doesn't really say much, he brings emotional complexity to the character by drawing from his own life.

"I'm very protective of my daughter and my siblings. That's how I saw Lyle—he protects his people, no questions asked. I brought that to the role."

He also said it was a dream come true to be working with Keith David. "At first, I was like, 'That's Gargoyles!'" Dorsey laughed. "But he was just so cool, so down-to-earth. We went out to dinner with the cast and talked about life. He gave me advice, and it just felt good. He's a good guy."

Duster was filmed in New Mexico, and Dorsey had only good things to say about it. "The crew, they were amazing - just great people. No way you could be in a bad mood around them. I loved filming in Albuquerque. The locations, the vibe - it was just right."

Although he has to remain mum about some projects, Dorsey did say he is working in Phoenix now with writer and comedian Sidney Smith on new independent projects. "He's like a big brother to me. We're creating things together, which is exciting. If you're not acting, you should be creating. That's what I've learned." Of course, fans are hoping for a second season of Duster. "We're all hoping," he said with a grin.

With years of business, through personal frustrations and professional accomplishments, Dorsey has only one message for those chasing a dream: "It sounds cliché, but it's true - don't stop. No matter how hard it gets, if you love it - if you really love it - don't stop. That's the biggest lesson I've learned."

Reavis Dorsey is evidence that if you lead with compassion, get your work done, and stay committed to the vision, you don't just survive in this business. You thrive.