Nick Nerangis ’04 is a working actor under the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA. He is currently the lead male actor in “Spent,” a full-length film noir that premiered in Los Angeles in October. Some of Nerangis’ previous credits include several productions at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, “House of Cards,” “The West Wing” and many more. One of the most rewarding experiences Nerangis has had in his field is being awarded the Best Actor Award at the World Music and Independent Film Festival.
Nerangis was first enrolled at Shenandoah in 1985, however, due to a busy day job, and new acting opportunities, he had to suspend his studies. “ When I decided that my desired career path was to pursue performing full time upon selling my business interest, the obvious move was to return to Shenandoah.” Nerangis re-entered as a freshman in 2000 at the age of 59, and was accepted by both the students and faculty with open arms. To this day, Nerangis uses Hal Herman’s quote “ Why are you telling us that?” to prepare his character work.
Nerangis’ advice to current students is: “Never stop learning. Your dream to give others thrills, happiness and a temporary passport to a world of make believe requires your full effort and persistence. You will succeed in a very competitive field only if you set your goals and pursue them with every fiber of your being. It took me 67 years to be offered my first leading film role. Now I’m looking at commitments two plus years in the future. Those commitments came to me because I continually studied my art and worked very hard to become someone that directors desire to work with. I wish you the same joy.”