Meet Hunter Spangler | Actor & Account Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hunter Spangler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hunter, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
To me, it has never really been an option to do something else. I always thought to myself “Would I enjoy that career or would I enjoy playing a character that has that career?” and I’ve always chosen the latter. It’s like something was pulling me towards this and I didn’t have much of a choice. There were plenty of times where it did seem like “Ok if this doesn’t go right, this might be when to call it quits” but then it would work out. Whether it was getting the lead role in a production in high school, getting into college for acting, or getting into graduate school for acting, the path always seemed to open up to take me towards this career. I feel most at home when I’m on stage or performing. It always feels like this is where I’m supposed to be.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I went to Chicago in 2014 and auditioned for a bunch of premiere MFA programs and ended up being selected to be a part of the incoming class at UC – San Diego. The 3 years I spent there were some of the best and proudest moments of my artistic career. It was incredibly difficult and lonely at points, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything because it really helped me learn who I am and what I want to do. Out of that, I got an agent and manager and moved to LA in the summer of 2017 and have been a working (struggling lol) actor since then. I’m really proud to say that I’ve been able to find a wonderful artistic community in LA that always thinks of me when they’re doing projects. I’ve been in short films, an indie full-length film, danced and acted in music videos, modeled in a few projects, and just been a part of some wonderful things that I never even thought possible. I’ve learned that your personal life has to move along even if your artistic career may not be. You can’t put your actual life on hold while you wait for some “moment” to happen because it just won’t. I know how talented and well-trained I am as an actor but that doesn’t define me and it took me a long time to realize that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite spots in Los Angeles is downtown Culver City. Culver City has slowly become a great kept secret in LA for a little while now. It’s never too crowded, it has options for everyone and it always feels like there’s a new restaurant/bar that just opened to try out. I like too how relatively close it is to the water because being near the beach is important to me. I would definitely take a friend to check out Citizen and all the food and drinks they have to offer while showing them the great rooftop area to see some of LA. There’s a nice bookstore/cafe down the street for shopping for a new read. If we’re trying to catch a game, Rocco’s has one of the best happy hours in all of LA and their wings are great. Also, Fifty-One is a Chinese restaurant there with half-off their dumplings on Sundays. These are just a few examples but pretty much every spot around there has this kind of vibe. To finish off the night, you have to go to Seventy7. One of the best secret/lounge bars for a nightcap.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely think my parents deserve a massive shoutout for getting me to where I am. I grew up in Virginia and choosing acting as a career path is not something that was very common. I played sports for most of my life and when I finally said “I’m done with that, I want to act, that’s my career” it took them a little while at first but eventually they came around and have been nonstop supportive from the start. Whenever I’m down about this career and the just nature of the business, they’re the first ones to prop me back up and push me to believe in myself. I also always feel like they’re so proud of what I’ve accomplished already and that gives me a great sense of relief that I don’t have to hit a certain milestone to gain their approval or something.

Website: www.hunterspangler.com

Instagram: @huntertspangler

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-spangler-558b1a33

Twitter: @hunterxspangler

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntertspangler

Other: https://vimeo.com/user45573356

Image Credits
Manuel Rotenberg. Jim Carmody. Andy Wolff. Keith Kennedy. Michael Waas.