I wish someone had told me how important it is to learn how to set boundaries for myself. I grew up with the impression that if I didn’t say yes to everything, I was going to crash and burn in this industry. Now, at 21, I am beginning to understand what it looks like to set healthy boundaries while involved in projects and how important that is to my well-being on set.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Beck Nolan.
Beck Nolan is an American actor. Currently Chicago-based, Beck has had the opportunity to act in various projects ranging from feature films to heightened-text plays. Beck has had the pleasure to study under Chicago’s most distinguished artists in his time at The Theatre School at DePaul University in the BFA Acting program.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thanks for having me! I grew up just outside the city of Chicago in a small suburb called Riverside with my parents and sister! I grew up doing some sports but spent a good portion of my childhood as a competitive gymnast.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
From a very young age, I remember loving the performance aspect of gymnastics and I had an infatuation with technology and computers. My sister was in theatre in middle school, so I signed up to do tech for the shows. When I was in 7th grade, I was running lights and doing sound cues for a production of Little Shop of Horrors and ended up falling in love with it. I had been a singer growing up, so I auditioned for Les Miserables, the next show that my middle school put on, and I got cast! I just kept going from there.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
College auditions proved to be one of the most surprisingly interesting and challenging experiences I’ve had so far. When I was auditioning, I was doing long hours of performing for lots of different college programs. During that time, stressful as it was, I met many people who I’m still close with to this day and discovered a lot about myself as an actor.
It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I was in a production of Big Fish a while back, and one night I completely flubbed the lyrics to a song. I replaced whatever words were there with a bunch of nonsensical noises, and could immediately tell that the audience had caught onto this mistake. This taught me that no matter how comfortable I might feel with the material in a project, the rehearsal process never really ends and I can’t get cocky!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Right now I am playing one of the lead characters in a comedy pilot called Resignation that’s shooting here in Chicago. I can’t go into much more detail than that right now, but I’m excited to share more as soon as I can!
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
My advice would be to welcome failure with open arms and use those experiences as a teaching tool. Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned throughout my career have been born out of failure.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I think diversity is really important in film because it can positively alter the lives and mindsets of so many people. Seeing someone in a film that represents you has the potential to make them feel seen and heard, which matters because that can motivate many to go out and chase their dreams! I also think it’s important because when people from different backgrounds come together to create film and TV, it can offer fresh and exciting perspectives to both the viewer and the creative team, which is something that is really unique to this kind of media. We have the opportunity to change people’s minds and encourage growth, and I think the best way to do that is to create diversity in this industry.
What are your things I wish someone told me when I first started and why? Please share a story or example for each.
I wish someone had told me how important it is to learn how to set boundaries for myself. I grew up with the impression that if I didn’t say yes to everything, I was going to crash and burn in this industry. Now, at 21, I am beginning to understand what it looks like to set healthy boundaries while involved in projects and how important that is to my well-being on set.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Honestly, I’m still learning. Burnout is very real and very frustrating. What has helped me the most is finding ways to take care of myself at any opportunity I have. I’ve also found that finding things outside of acting that I’m interested in has helped me a lot; for me it was music!
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
One of the biggest problems facing our country today is mass shootings. I believe that we have to look to regulation and gun control in solving this issue. I will to continue being involved in supporting reform, and I hope others will too.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I don’t know where I would be without my family. My mom, dad, and sister have supported me so much over the years. Having them around has been such a blessing.
Can you please give us your favorite Life Lesson Quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing all the time. I think when I remind myself of that, it helps me stay open and calm.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would love to pick Jeremy Strong’s brain over lunch! He’s a brilliant actor and I think I could learn a lot from him.
How can our readers follow you online?
Instagram: @becknolan
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Rising Star Beck Nolan On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.