Nick Ritacco discusses starring in vertical dramas in the digital age

Nick Ritacco. Photo Credit: Cameron Radice.

Actor Nick Ritacco discussed starring in vertical dramas in the digital age.

What inspires you each day as an actor?

I love story-telling. Plain and simple. I think it is the most magnificent and fascinating human behavior and art form.

I relish the opportunity to tell a story that has the power to touch someone so deeply that it just might change their life. I want to tell stories that stick with people.

Getting the opportunity to create something and tell a story alongside a team of other artists is such a gift.

How does it feel to be a part of the vertical dramas?

I am so grateful that I have been given the opportunity to work with so many talented artists over the past two years.

A lot of us were out of work during COVID and during the strikes and the Vertical industry has been a great opportunity for all of us to get back on our feet.

I am also so happy to have reached so many fans of our work in the process. Verticals are quite impactful to a lot of people and I think that is so special.

How was your experience being a part of the Vigloo family?

I have only worked on one Vigloo show but it was an absolute blast. I was in “Campus Rivals” and it was so fun feeling like I was going to work with all of my friends. 

How does it feel to be an actor in the digital age?

At times it feels really challenging and overbearing. It often feels like there is a weight hanging around my neck in the form of social media presence.

All of a sudden, we have this massive responsibility to throw ourselves out there and promote our work in a way that no one was asked to do 20 years ago.

There are certain advantages to it as well. Our work circulates quickly and it is much easier to engage with potential collaborators and fans.

I think the speed at which we operate is only going to continue to increase and my goal is to be ready to pivot when needed.

What do your plans for the future include?

I would love to start writing, acting in, and producing my own work. There are a lot of stories that I want to tell and a lot of talented people I want to work with.

I have several stories that I am passionate about currently in the works.

What is your advice for young and emerging actors?

Be yourself. YOU are your secret weapon. Don’t try to be what someone else is “looking for.” Experience as much life as you can.

Spend as much time as you can getting to know who you want to be and what you want to offer to the world.

It will set you apart from everyone else because it will be yours, truly yours.

What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)

To truly be present in your life. Moment to moment. The world does its best job to make us feel like we aren’t enough and that we need to be doing a thousand things at once.

In whatever you have decided to do in your life, wherever you have decided to do it and with whomever you have decided to do it with: be present. 

What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

I say this to just about every fan I engage with every chance I get, but you are all so special to me.

Without you, your love, and your passion for my work, I don’t get the opportunity to do what I love to do.

You are all just as much a part of this equation as I am. Knowing that the stories I get to tell touch even just a few of you is so special to me.

There are lots of ways that we can all choose to spend our time, especially on our phone.

If we aren’t calling or texting people we love, our phones tend to serve as a source of trauma, divisiveness and bad news.

So, I think it is a much more hopeful and positive inclination to, instead of doom scroll, go on a wild, silly, over-the-top romantic journey with all of us. 

To learn more about actor Nick Ritacco, follow him on Instagram and visit his website.