Meet John Charles Nagy | Actor & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Charles Nagy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John Charles, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My wife, Megan, and I had a baby girl back in October (we love you Litte Miss Iz!) so needless to say, our lives and priorities have totally shifted in the last 4-5 months in the best way possible. It’s insane how immediately it sets in once your baby arrives; suddenly nothing else in the world is as important as spending time with them. And sure, they basically require around the clock attention for the first few months, but even on the hardest days filled with tears and frustrations (for all three of us!) – the moment they fall asleep in your arms, start smiling at you when they wake up, or hit a big milestone in their development, you forget all about the fact that maybe you didn’t get to every casting submission that day, or fold that load of laundry.

As an actor, I am so used to spending down time building connections and taking classes when I am not working on set or in my day job, focusing on creating new opportunities to build relationships within the industry. When I don’t, I worry about falling behind in my career, or that I’m not doing enough to propel myself further. But as we were preparing for Isabel to arrive, both Megan and my theatrical agent, U-Shin Kim (UGA Talent) encouraged me to take a step back and put all of my time and attention into enjoying family time, and I am so grateful that they did. I wouldn’t have traded these last few months for anything. As Megan and I return to work, I know we both have a healthier outlook on what is most important and meaningful to us. Watching our little BabyBel Cheese smile at us from her playmat makes it so easy for us to close the laptop every day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Hmm… tell you about my art and what sets me apart… cast me and find out! I’m hard-working, focused, super “directable” and enjoy having a good time with my production teams. Seriously though, I really love having the opportunity to work. Being in a rehearsal space or on set is truly one of my favorite places to be. Whether it’s getting into the nitty gritty of a scene, interpreting my director’s notes and trying out new discoveries between takes, or cutting up and getting to know my cast and crew members, the set or stage is the perfect grownup playground for me. It’s a little strange to talk about myself in this way, but funnily enough, I recently discovered a letter of recommendation that a former director, Lande Yoosuf, put together for me, and I’ll quote her very kind words, which I believe strike to the core of who I believe I am as a professional actor:

“John was chosen amongst a pool of over one hundred candidates over the course of four months (for the role). He exhibited decorum, professionalism and charisma instantaneously. I gave him very little notes for his audition, and he nailed his performance. John also went the extra length to discuss his comprehension of the subject matter of the film. It did not take me long to decide that he was perfect for my project.

Throughout production, John was accessible, punctual and flexible with the ever-changing needs of independent film production. He was attentive on set, but perceptive enough to stay out of the way when we were shooting scenes with other characters. John often kept the crew laughing with fun jokes in-between takes, and all members of production spoke fondly of their experience in working with him.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a huge outdoors person, and as we’re so fortunate to live in a place that has beautiful weather most of the year, let’s get out and take advantage! Hell, even our moderate winter weather still makes for a great beach day. I think the best beaches are in Orange County, so let’s drive down to Table Rock or Victoria Beach in Laguna, or T-Street in San Clemente. Hiking is great pretty much all over Southern California, and you have so many choices of terrain, level of difficulty, views, etc., so lace up those trainers and fill the hydroflask. While OC may have the best beaches, LA definitely wins the best food scene. I have a running list of restaurants that I still want to hit, but a few recent favorites were Alta in West Adams, Homestead and Roo Coffee (both in Silverlake), Burgers 99 in Fairfax/Hancock Park, and Boo’s Philly Cheesesteak (as a Philly native – it’s the real deal). There are still some points of interest I have yet to visit as well, such as The Griffith Observatory and the newly opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. But even a simple drive up PCH from Santa Monica up to Malibu and through Topanga Canyon is cool too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am super grateful that both of my reps, UGA Talent and Daniel Hoff Agency, are very hands on with their clients. My theatrical agent, U-Shin Kim, is constantly going back to the well on new ways to pitch us to casting, and the whole roster is on Slack to communicate about any number of topics, and have questions or concerns addressed immediately. Daniel Hoff, who represents me for commercial and print, has been in business for over 30 years and still likes to hand select your head shots – I recently got new shots with Johny Marlow (which are amazing – thank you Johnny!) and Daniel will meet with me personally to narrow down about one hundred shots to four! Not many agents will take the time to do that, and it can be very difficult to pick the right looks that will be your calling card for the next eighteen months or so. I appreciate that my team shows that they really care about their client’s success.

Website: www.johncharlesnagy.com

Instagram: @mrjohncharlesnagy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncharlesnagy3/

Twitter: @johncharlesnagy

Image Credits
headshots by Johnny Marlow