We Speak Actors
Actor and wrestler Ryan Nemeth on appearing alongside Zac Efron in ‘The Iron Claw’
Ryan Nemeth – actor, writer, comedian and pro-wrestler – is a truly multi-faceted Hollywood talent. He plays the iconic 1980s wrestler Gino Hernandez in the much-anticipated A24 film ‘The Iron Claw’, and has appeared on TV shows including ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, ‘The Eric Andre Show’, and ‘I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson’. Ryan, known in the wrestling world as ‘Hollywood Hunk Ryan Nemeth’, currently wrestles exclusively on AEW (All Elite Wrestling)TV programming, but his contract is up in early spring 2024 and he says he’s “open-minded and excited” about what the future holds. He is repped by BAC Talent and Brevard Talent Group.
Tell us about your role in the upcoming wrestling film ‘The Iron Claw’?
“It was an absolute dream! The script brought me to tears every time I read it. I’ve wrestled Kevin Von Erich’s sons in the past, and they’re great, so to be cast in this prolific film about the Von Erich family was very meaningful for me. I studied Gino Hernandez matches for months, every move and mannerism; I just wanted to nail it. After one of the longest in-ring days on set, Sean Durkin (the writer and director) pulled me aside and said, ‘Ryan, you seriously brought Gino to this film’. I was speechless. It was one of those moments you just feel like you’re in the right place in life. I worked about three weeks on the film, and loved every minute of it. The cast is amazing. It was a thrill to do so much in-ring stuff with Harris Dickinson and Zac Efron, who both took to it really naturally. They really put in the work! Harris has a really great dropkick in the film as well.”
What’s your wrestling persona?
“I’ve been wrestling for about 10 years. I worked in WWE NXT for three years, then on independents, and in 2021 I signed with AEW. I perform as ‘Hollywood Hunk Ryan Nemeth’ – I’m a cocky, pretty-boy villain with a dash of Ken from ‘Barbie’. A himbo you love to hate!”
Tell us about how you got started in the film industry?
“When I moved to LA I started auditioning, networking, and helping out on other people’s projects. I got lots of reps on stuff like ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’and some bigger things like ‘Pee-wee’s Big Holiday’. I also started writing: things like ‘WWE Swerved’ for Jeff Tremaine, and smaller projects that I could act in myself. I was also lucky early on to book a few national commercials, like a very fun Venmo campaign where I’m riding miniature horses, and an Xfinity spot alongside Amy Poehler. Look up the Venmo one, it’s very funny.”
Other than ‘The Iron Claw’, which film projects are you most proud to be a part of?
“I wrote and starred in a short film called ‘Heel’ that I’m so proud of. It was the first time I collaborated with filmmaker Maggie Levin, which was really great. It was screened and won awards at over 20 festivals around the world. I am eternally grateful to everyone who worked on it. I had two screenplays optioned last year – I’m always working on something! I had a really fun part in Ethan Nestor’s new movie ‘I Have to Do This’; playing his best friend Justin, in this hyper-stylized, insane, absurd world. I’ve started to do some voice acting as well, which is a whole new challenge.”
Featured photo credit: Brandon Cohen
We Speak Actors
Robert Besta appears opposite Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in new Netflix film ‘Back In Action’
‘Back In Action’, dropping tomorrow on Netflix, is a fast-moving action comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a middle-aged couple with children who are pulled back into being spies after their secret identities are exposed. Among the star-studded cast (the film also features Glenn Close and Andrew Scott), German actor Robert Besta plays an Eastern European oligarch who possesses some highly sensitive data that the couple want to get their hands on…
Robert, who was born in Poland and grew up in Germany, is an actor and musician known for the films ‘Treasure’, starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry; ‘And Tomorrow the Entire World’, directed by Julia von Heinz; and ‘Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin’, directed by Todd Komarnicki.
Robert is also renowned for playing villains in the German TV shows ‘Die Fallers’ and ‘Tatort’, and he brings this skill for evil to his new Netflix role.
“I was happy to slip into the role of the dodgy businessman!” he said. He added that the Hollywood stars in the film were remarkably relaxed:
“It was an incredible and wonderful experience to be in front of the camera in such a big production. Working with Cameron and Jamie was super-relaxed and enjoyable.”
“Both greeted me warmly before the shoot and I chatted to Cameron about everything, so we had already got to know each other beforehand and were able to ease into the scenes. In addition, Jamie always kept everyone in a good mood between the takes and entertained everyone with little jokes and dance interludes!”
Robert speaks German, Polish, English and French and used all his languages in the film, with an Eastern European accent layered on top. Filming took place in London, UK and Atlanta, Georgia, and Robert did a lot of preparation for his role: “I prepared as I would for any other shoot: understanding the world in which the role is set, creating a role biography that I can connect with as much as possible, finding out what the goal of every scene is. It takes a lot of preparation to be able to let go of everything on set and be completely with your partner and in the moment.”
He said it was fascinating to see how everything in the film was planned down to the smallest detail, and yet the actors were still given the opportunity to improvise. He explained:
“For example, we invented a completely new scene on set with my film daughter, that wasn’t even in the script.”
“Seth, the director, instructed her to act out a scene with me: he called out lines, she acted them out and everyone was really enthusiastic about it.”
Robert’s acting career began in theatre – after studying at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, he became a regular actor at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe. He said: “I didn’t know Karlsruhe until then and had no intention of staying – well, I still live there. In fact, it’s the longest time I’ve ever been in one place in my life.”
After appearing on the red carpet for the premiere of ‘Back In Action’, Robert’s year continues in a similarly high-octane vein, as he prepares to tour with his indie band MICOR as well as work on more exciting TV and film projects.
‘Back In Action’ premieres on Netflix on Friday 17 January.
Featured photo credit: Netflix/John Wilson
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