IN CONVERSATION WITH NICK PUGLIESE

interview by FIONA FROMMELT

Nick Pugliese has reprised his fan-favourite, starring role in the highly anticipated second season of the supernatural YA mystery, ‘School Spirits, which was released this January. Additionally, his digital series ‘Barden and Sarah Start a Pandemic’ premiered at Austin Film Festival this past Fall, which earned a Jury Award nomination and won an Audience Award. Nick has gathered a strong fan base and continues to charm his audiences with the heart and wit he brings into all his roles.

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With the return of the second season of ‘School Spirits’, what initially drew you to this project and the role of Charley?

I loved the pilot script. This series isn’t just one thing, it’s not common for a YA show to touch on topics like alcoholism, grief, loss, and queerness - especially all-encompassed within a genre-bending supernatural dramedy. And I think it’s what our audience loves about it as well. Charley was immediately special. On the surface, he’s this funny gay ghost, and you might think he’s the comedic relief, the stereotypical gay best friend. But as the storyline continues,  we start to unravel the layers of his being. We learn about his backstory filled with teen angst, identity struggles, and complicated relationships. Charley is more than one thing, just as this show is also more than one thing. 

You were once described as very similar to the character you play in ‘School Spirits’. What aspects of your personality or experiences influenced your portrayal of Charley?

I take this as the highest compliment! Charley is a best friend to everyone he meets. He never leads with anger or pessimism. But he’s still got this fun sass and gives a read when called for. I think I have a similar approach to life - or death, in Charley’s case. My friends and loved ones are at the centre of everything and I try not to take things too seriously. I have a completely different upbringing from Charleys, but I can still understand what he went through. We all can. I think we’ve all struggled with our identity - whether it’s our sexuality, or something else, we all know what it feels like to question who we are. Most of us have also dealt with heartbreak to some degree. So even though the experiences may have differed between Charley and me, the reactions to these situations are rooted in similar feelings. 

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In ‘Barden and Sarah Start a Pandemic’ you co-star with Natasha Behnam. Your team managed to fundraise 53,000 dollars in one month, get approval from the SAG Union, and complete production during the historic Writers’ and Actors’ Strike in under four weeks. What was it like to work during this intense time?

Yes! I love that you brought this up. This was the most fun I’ve ever had making a project. It has been a rough time in the industry for the better part of the past five years and we had a solid five months where nobody was working at all. The cast and crew that came together to make 'Barden and Sarah' were all creatives who just wanted to make something. None of us worked on this project for any money. All of the crew and extras were volunteers. We came together every day for two weeks to simply make something that made us laugh, hoping it would make other people laugh too. It was such a reprieve from the stress of what was going on in Hollywood and served as a reminder that the work is the joy. 

You debuted as an actor in 2017. What made you want to get into acting? Was there one specific “this is it” moment, or did you always want to become an actor?

There wasn’t a ‘this is it’ moment. I’ve wanted to be a performer in some capacity ever since I can remember. Apparently, when I was three, I would walk around telling everyone I wanted to be a ‘singer man.’ 

I’m from Oakland, California and there’s this children’s park called Fairyland. It’s actually what Walt Disney drew inspiration from to create Disneyland. They have a children’s rep theatre there and they came to my elementary school, passing out flyers for auditions. I took one home and told my parents I was going to audition for it. I was eight. There was no going back after that point. 

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From ‘13 Reasons Why’ to having starred in ‘Dramarama’ and ‘School Spirits’, how do you think your acting and approach have evolved over the years?

(laughs) yes, my starring role in 13 Reasons. I had one line and it got cut! It was devastating and deeply, deeply humbling. I mean, I think I’ve gotten better?  Can I say that? Or, I definitely hope I’ve improved. But I don’t necessarily attribute that to more training or practice. It’s simply because I’ve lived more life. I’ve experienced love and heartbreak and love again. I’ve traveled and lived in multiple cities and countries. My life has expanded tremendously and I believe that this allowed me to open up more in my acting.

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What type of characters draw you in and what is the process of choosing the roles you play?

I love it when a character, similar to Charley in ‘School Spirits,’ contains multitudes. You see them make jokes, have regrets, cry,  smile, and yearn. I definitely gravitate towards queer roles. With any queer character, there is going to be a history of some sort of struggle. Somewhere, somebody mistreated them because of who they were. Somewhere in their memories, they once silenced a part of themselves and then struggled to open that part of them back up. They often code-switch depending on who they’re talking to. Queer people, statistically, start dating much later than non-queer people and that has a direct effect on their relation to love and intimacy. I feel like there are many more complexities to pull from right out of the gate.

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Talking about queer representation, how has the film industry changed since you started acting, and what would you like it to grow into?

I have seen a definite increase in queer storylines, characters, filmmakers, and actors - even within the past decade. I think the focus now is more on authentic queer representation. I would like to see more inconsequential queerness within film and television. Meaning, characters who are queer, but it’s barely spoken about. A good example is Jeff Hiller’s character, Joel, in ‘Somebody Somewhere.’ His queerness is never really discussed. He just started dating a man, who we also are never explicitly told is gay. I love that! More of that! 

How do you prepare for your roles? Are there certain rituals that you follow?

I don’t think I have any rituals or an exact process, but I do some specific things. Mainly, I try to just focus on my character. I do all of the moments before stuff so that every time I go into a scene, I know where I’m coming from. I make sure I understand the relationship between my character and whoever else is in the scene. And this is where it gets a little more unconventional - I try my best to not know the lines of the other characters, because that’s how life is. The less I know, the better. If I know where my character is coming from and I understand my relationship with them, then I can trust that I will react truthfully to whatever happens in the scene. Of course, if I have a monologue or a lot of lines, it comes down to repetition and making sure I know the words so well that I can deliver when we call action. 

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You were both an actor and writer for ‘Thank You for Being Here’, a short film about two roommates, a pregnancy test, and honesty. It was highly appraised for its storytelling. How did you make the transition from actor to writer?

Similarly to Barden and Sarah, Thank You for Being Here was born in a difficult time - COVID. At the time, there was such little work out there and I was struggling to even get an audition. I got tired of waiting around for someone to send me a script. I just wanted to act, so I got together with my friend, Danielle Kay, and my roommate and director, Elizabeth Archer, and we just started brainstorming. We had no money, but we had a bathroom and a group of friends, willing to make something without any expectations. That film is actually the reason I ended up booking ‘School Spirits!’ So, for everyone out there feeling like they’re struggling to get their foot in the door, get together with your friends and make something!

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Do you think that your acting experience impacted how you approached writing and vice versa?

One hundred percent. I had never written anything before, but I knew I understood what could make for good dialogue because of my experience with acting. Danielle and I wrote by essentially improvising scenes, writing down what worked, and then editing and fine-tuning to create a story that had a beginning, middle, and end within ten minutes. 

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What does 2025 hold for you? Are there projects that you are looking forward to this year?

I have no idea what this year has in store for me - it’s the plight of the performer. In a perfect world, we get to do a third season of ‘School Spirits’ because I love that show and everybody involved so much. I’d love to do a scary movie. I want to make more things with my friends. I’d love to develop 'Barden and Sarah Start a Pandemic' into a full television series. There are a few book adaptations I’ve had my eyes on for a while… Maybe win an Oscar? (laughs). I’m joking, kind of? I look forward to hopefully being very busy! 

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TEAM CREDITS:

talent NICK PUGLIESE
photography BEN ABARBANEL
styling DARRYL GLOVER at THE WALL GROUP
hair VANESSA LI at THE ONLY AGENCY
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial direction JANA LETONJA
interview FIONA FROMMELT