A fresh face on the Hollywood scene, Nathaniel Potvin is an actor to watch. Following his performances in a variety of kid television series, Nathaniel has his eyes set on his next big move. Candid Magazine recently spoke with this young gentleman about how he balances acting life while trying to be a normal teenager and we discuss the ‘underdog' on-screen romance of his on Netflix, which you should definitely be rooting for.
At what point in your childhood did you receive the ‘acting bug' to seriously pursue this industry?
It was when I was eleven years old. I was a dancer before I was an actor and I remember there was a class at my studio, an acting class. So I tried it and I loved it.
How do you approach roles these days?
When I approach choosing roles, it’s not that difficult. I get the audition, I read the script, and if it’s something that really resonates with me and I know I will love working on it every day, I do the audition and then hopefully I get the job.
You play ‘Ryan' on the new Netflix series Alexa & Katie which just got renewed by Netflix for a second season. Can you tell our readers about the show and how Ryan is involved?
So, the show is about two girls and one of them has cancer. The other is her best friend and she shaves her head in sympathy of her friend with cancer. It’s about their lives in high school, going through normal girl stuff, as well as mature things as well. My character comes in at episode five.
He’s kind of a theatre geek. He is the lead in the play at school which is Romeo & Juliet. Katie becomes ‘Juliet', so they play opposite each other. It’s really awkward because he really likes her but she doesn’t really think of him like that. But changes and things happen, where people end up rooting for them.
You have worked on a lot of kid shows so far. Do you feel these types of shows push your acting abilities or do shows like these make you strive for joining more ‘mature' projects?
I feel like every job I have taken is a great stepping stone to where I want to end up, which is eventually in more mature roles and more decorated films. I have a lot of fun on these shows and of course, I want to become more of a serious actor. All the jobs I have taken have prepared me for those.
Now let’s talk about your style. What is one of your favourite looks to wear on days when you’re not on-set?
I usually like to wear a white T-shirt with Levis jeans. Some Nike shoes, a Sean Witherspoon hat, and it will either be a windbreaker or a jacket with corduroy lining.
You’re only eighteen years old. Do you feel like you’ve been able to have adolescence, or has grown up in the acting world made you grow up much faster than most?
I feel like when you grow up in the acting world, you have to grow up faster than most for sure because it’s so much more serious and stakes are a little bit higher than high school. So, you have to be in school and you have to act and you have to be around all these adults who expect you to know things on the spot. You have to really know how to multi-task, but you also have to leave room for being a regular kid too.
What actor or actress in the industry are you really wanting to work with most?
I am itching to work with Donald Glover. He is super important. He is a huge idol of mine when it comes to acting. I would love to work with him and pick his brain. He is amazing at what he does.
What advice do you have for other teens trying to break into acting?
You can’t let the industry discourage you. There are going to be people who say you can’t do it or people that will want to tear you down. If it’s really your dream, you will keep going. Just keep going.
