Ryan Nemeth On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career in TV and Film

An Interview With Guernslye Honoré

Don’t put yourself in a box. You are not one thing. You are not your job. I am not Ryan Nemeth, wrestler. I am a ton of things. And it’s nice to be able to finally realize that. I’m a performer. I’m an actor. I’m wrestler. I’m a writer. A thinker. A brother. A friend. A shark enthusiast. An artist. A comedian. A son. I’m whatever I want to be, every day. I used to be trapped in that mental state of, well, I can’t be an actor if I have this other day job… yes, you can! You can do and be anything. Be a bank teller and write novels on the weekend. It’s fine!

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ryan Nemeth.

Ryan Nemeth is an LA-based actor, writer, and comedian. Oh and he’s a pro wrestler with AEW (All Elite Wrestling). Maybe you’ve seen him on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Eric Andre Show, or I Think You Should Leave. Catch Ryan in the A24 feature film The Iron Claw (in theaters now) and touring with his brother on their Hunkamania variety show!

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. I was the middle child of three. I was always very into reading, writing, drawing- a very creative, artsy kid! Of course I would get into wrestling, and then I played rugby at Xavier University. And it was at Xavier that I first got into acting and writing and doing plays and all that. Fast forward to now and my entire life is performing! Whether it’s wrestling, acting, writing, filmmaking- it’s what I live for and I’ve been very lucky to make a living at it.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I got into acting in college because one day I saw a flyer that said “Sketch & improv comedy tryout.” And I impulsively just went. No thinking, no hesitating, I just decided to go, and I went. I had no business doing it- I had never done anything like that before ever. I loved sketch comedy growing up, of course, Kids in the Hall, Upright Citizens Brigade, SNL, The State. But I never did it. Had no idea how anyone got into it. So this flyer just seemed like a very cool thing to try! Anyway, I did the audition, and I thought I did horribly. I was confident and I got through it, but I didn’t think anything I did was good or funny or anything. But then they said I was in! I was officially a member of the theatre department’s sketch comedy / improv troupe. And I loved it! We rehearsed, wrote sketches, did a few shows, and then I took it further. I moved to Chicago during summertime and did a whole training program at iO, and learned the whole long-form improv thing with people from iO and Second City, and then took that back to college with me and started a long-form improv troupe there. We did shows once a week for the next few years. I was hooked for life! And I’ve been lucky enough to have that improv comedy background- it’s so helpful in acting and wrestling.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I can tell you a funny story from shooting The Iron Claw. I am known in wrestling to have a really, really strong tan. My coworkers and peers in wrestling always comment on it. So for The Iron Claw, which is obviously a movie set in the world of wrestling, I took my tan to another level. I mean I was TAN. So midway through shooting one of the scenes, I was ushered off set and back to make-up. They said, “Well, apparently you’re so tan that you’re messing up the cameras. We have to paint you green to neutralize it.” They had to airbrush green make-up on my skin because I was SO TAN that it was screwing up the camera lenses. I thought that was so funny. I texted some of my wrestling friends. They laughed. My tan was so intense that it was ruining the other images on the screen. (Don’t worry, we fixed it!)

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 auditioning for a Toyota commercial directed by Jeff Tremaine (Jackass, Bad Trip, etc). During the audition we had a fake little steering wheel and had to pretend we were driving. They said, “Okay, now the road is getting really bumpy.” So we pantomimed bouncing around in the truck. I guess I bounced around a little too much because I accidentally blasted my scene partner in the face. Basically I punched him in the face, and didn’t know it. I felt so bad. I ended up getting the part, and he did not. Sorry dude! I wonder what I learned from that. Well, Tremaine thought it was pretty funny, and he made Jackass, so I guess you just gotta know your audience! That’s the lesson.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

The Iron Claw is the current one of course. Obviously I’m so happy and proud to be a part of this movie. I play 1980s wrestler Gino Hernandez. It was the most fun I’ve ever had working on a film. It was the perfect storm of my background in pro wrestling and my acting career. I was elated to work on it. And I just wrote and produced the horror short Wanted Man starring my brother, which has gone a little viral. We have over 3 million views across social media. Go check it out! It’s a homage to Evil Dead and 80s style action/horror.

As a rising star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated and overcome obstacles in your career?

I think back to myself as a kid. Ryan at five years old. What would he think about this? Would he get lazy and sleep in, or slack off on tape-study, or acting class, or any of that? No! He’d be so psyched, and he’d do anything to keep this dream alive, and be so impressed with what he gets to do as a grown up. I also want to make my parents proud. That’s a huge motivator for me.

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?

When I was planning my short film Heel I wanted Maggie Levin to direct it. I wanted the story to be told from the perspective of a woman, and Maggie is a filmmaker I respect so much, and I knew she had the perfect artistic vision and vibe for it. Together we decided to make a concerted effort to build a cast and crew that was, how do I put it, mostly not people who looked like me. And it was very easy to do that. And the process and the final product turned out incredible. Specifically, that was a pledge we made to everybody while crowdfunding it- our cast and crew would be 80% women, people of color, and diverse backgrounds. I am so proud of this film. It ended up screening and winning awards in like over 20 festivals in 5 different countries. Thank you to everybody who helped make it, and who saw it! It’s on YouTube, go check it out. It’s important to get input and perspective from people from diverse backgrounds. It informs the art. It attracts a wider audience.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?

1 . Don’t be embarrassed. Watching Paddington 2 was a really special experience. It’s a movie that makes you feel things. It’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. If I didn’t watch it because it’s not manly enough, or adult enough, or a movie about a teddy bear is for kids, or whatever reason, I’d miss out on an amazing film. Don’t be embarrassed! Put on Paddington 2!

2 . Write more letters. One of my favorite things to do is send post cards to friends from whatever city I’m traveling to or working in. I think it’s a fun, cheap, easy way to keep in touch with people you care about. It’s more meaningful than a text or an email.

3 . Don’t be a teenager that’s so fixated on a high school girlfriend that you lose track of what you want out of life. I think back to myself at 16 or 17 and it makes me cringe. What am I doing, being sad about a girl I’ll never talk to or think about ever again for the rest of my life? Insane. But, you don’t know that at that age. Your brain is still squishy. I feel like I didn’t really grow up until years and years later. But that’s another lesson to learn, which is:

4 . It’s not too late! For whatever you want to do. You can literally change your life path at age 50. Who cares. Just make sure you’re responsible about it. I was determined to be an illustrator until I was halfway through college. I changed everything. Dr. Alison Russell was the Chair of the English Department at Xavier while I was there. She told me when people ask her what career path an English degree leads to, she says “You can even be a pro wrestler, and an actor. Look at Ryan.” I love that!

5 . Don’t put yourself in a box. You are not one thing. You are not your job. I am not Ryan Nemeth, wrestler. I am a ton of things. And it’s nice to be able to finally realize that. I’m a performer. I’m an actor. I’m wrestler. I’m a writer. A thinker. A brother. A friend. A shark enthusiast. An artist. A comedian. A son. I’m whatever I want to be, every day. I used to be trapped in that mental state of, well, I can’t be an actor if I have this other day job… yes, you can! You can do and be anything. Be a bank teller and write novels on the weekend. It’s fine!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I think it’s important to sleep in sometimes. To go to the beach. Play with your dog. Read. Just chill out. I personally get a lot of mileage out of just “zoning out.” If I give myself time to just go to the beach, and not do anything- just sit and stare- that’s so good for my brain. It’s nice to give the whole thinking thing a rest. And it’s during those moments, really, that I think of my best ideas. You just gotta let yourself sit there and daydream sometimes!

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. :-)

Every human- every group of people- have value. They deserve food, water, somewhere to live, and the right to exist. That’s it. Extrapolate that out as far as you can. No one group of humans should have power and domain over someone else’s right to exist.

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 have to give credit to my girlfriend Anna Lore. She is a massively successful actor, and it’s been so amazing having her sort of mentor me through it. For auditions, for advice, for how to behave and exist on set, all that stuff. I mean she’s been doing it for a living for over a decade. It’s incredible to have her as a resource.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I used to say it as a joke: “The heart wants what it wants.” But it’s so true! You can try to deny it or ignore it, but there is always something inside you that you can feel directing you. Pointing you toward something. You gotta listen to it. I mean, you just have to! It’s hard sometimes. I was living in Chicago after college, working at a gym, and dating my then-girlfriend Molly. I wanted so badly to pick up and leave and start training to be a pro wrestler. I kept putting it off, thinking, oh, that’s too hard, moving is hard, Molly is here, maybe there’s a wrestling school here I can go to, maybe I can wait a year, etc. Whatever. Excuses. All of it. I went to her place one day and said, “Hey we have to talk.” And she just looks at me and goes, “Let me guess. You’re gonna leave Chicago and go become a pro wrestler with your brother.” I was stunned. I said, “Okay, we don’t have to talk.” She could tell. Everybody could! What was I waiting for? What are YOU waiting for! Whatever your dream or goal is, there is a path to it. It probably isn’t an easy one, but it exists. Figure out the steps and go do it.

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. :-)

Anyone living or dead: Charles Dickens. Chris Farley.

Anyone living: Steve Martin. I think he is such an incredible talent. He took an off-kilter, sort of strange stand-up comedy routine, and converted that into an amazing decades long career in acting, writing, music, and otherwise. He’s an icon. I would love to meet him, have a chat, and, you know, well… work with him in absolutely any respect.

How can our readers follow you online?

I am @ryrynemnem in most places- Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, whatever else. Come check out the stuff I make!

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.