Wyatt Nash
Wyatt Nash first jumped into our screens in Survivor, using his quick wit and strong determination to stay in the game. Now he applies that same mentality to the world of television, making his biggest splash yet with Petals on the Wind, the sequel to the highly controversial Flowers in the Attic. This time he's back with a more normal romance starring alongside Katie Findlay in the movie adaptation of The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury which premieres Sunday. We catch up with Wyatt before the premiere to talk Tennessee, getting in the recording booth, and his favorite books.
The film is based in a small town in Tennessee but you're from Nashville. What's it like doing a movie that's essentially set in your backyard?
It was pretty bizarre, haha! Here I am in scenes talking about festivals I went to growing up. I also talked about civil war history of the area after having visited every battle site on field trips. I really enjoyed bringing authenticity to those scenes [by] having experienced them in person.
Your first time recording was for this film. How was that experience? Any plans to do it again?
The recording process was a blast and unlike anything I had experienced before. I started out thinking I was awesome... then awful... then thinking I should never sing again. Finally landing somewhere in the area of being okay with it and really enjoying the artistic journey. I definitely plan on recording again, but right now I’m continuing to work on my singing and enjoying learning guitar.
Nashville has a huge music scene. Did anything from your past help you get into the zone?
I was constantly listening to country and folk music on and off set. It definitely set the tone in my mind of bringing Ryan’s passion to life.
If you were to pursue music in any genre, which would it be? Would you be rocking out on stage with a guitar or singing deep music like Adele?
Truth be told, as a kid I used to day dream singing on stage to huge audiences, but now I think I would fall into more of a folk, singer/songwriter genre.
A big part of the film is, in a way, discovering what you want your destiny to be. You used to want to be a doctor. What drew you to acting?
I think the complexity of the human experience is what I found most attractive. I began leaning more toward the psychology side of medicine or maybe even counseling before moving towards acting. I was always fascinated with stories and what made people tick. Acting is definitely a medium I can focus on that and explore it everyday.
What was one of the best days you had on set?
I enjoyed all the days I had to perform on stage. I found it incredibly nerve wracking, but as I became more comfortable it was definitely a highlight.
Any hints on what we can look forward to seeing you tackle next?
Your guess is as good as mine. Right now I’m going out on auditions and looking for the best next role I can sink my teeth into.
The Bridge is the name of the bookstore that Ryan and Molly frequent. What are a few of your favorite books and why are you drawn to them?
I love science fiction, it is so outside of our reality! I love getting caught up in different worlds and with characters that have entirely different cultures and POV about our world, other worlds, other dimensions, time travel, etc.
I’m very big into series. Still waiting on Patrick Rothfuss to release his last book of the Kingkiller Chronicle. C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy is an all time favorite. Right now, I’m in the middle of Seven Eves by Neal Stephenson. Kurt Vonnegut is another one of my top authors.
If you had to open up your own business, what would you sell?
I love traveling and the outdoors. I would open up a company that led adventures into nature. I think it’s great to be active so I would include canyoneering, whitewater rafting, off road motorcycling, and camping etc. People love experiences and so I would like to give them outdoor experiences they never dreamed of so they could remember them for the rest of their lives.
