A University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) acting graduate is heading back to high school after landing a role on BBC drama Waterloo Road.
Nathan Wood, who left UCLan in 2020, said landing his first TV role “still feels unreal” and it was only when he walked onto set that he finally believed it was happening.
“It was exciting but terrifying” said the 25-year-old who grew up in Salford and Bury. “I was around some really experienced actors such as Jason Manford, Neil Fitzmaurice and Adam Thomas. It felt daunting at first but everyone was so welcoming and I soon got into the swing of things.”
"I was around some really experienced actors such as Jason Manford, Neil Fitzmaurice and Adam Thomas. It felt daunting at first but everyone was so welcoming and I soon got into the swing of things."
— UCLan acting graduate Nathan Wood
Nathan will play new character Boz Osbourne in the next series of the high-school based drama. Due to be aired over the summer, Jason Manford will also make his Waterloo Road debut as headteacher Steve Savage.
“I can’t say too much about Boz at this stage but he’s the kind of person I grew up with and I felt very comfortable playing him” Nathan said. “Waterloo Road is a brilliant gritty and down to earth series and I can’t wait to see the next instalment, although it will be strange to see myself on screen.”
Nathan graduated from UCLan with BA(Hons) Acting degree in the middle of the pandemic when creative industries ground to a halt. Despite having to finish his course online, Nathan says his time in Preston was “the best three years of my life” and gave him the perfect grounding for the acting industry.
"Waterloo Road is a brilliant gritty and down to earth series and I can’t wait to see the next instalment, although it will be strange to see myself on screen."
— UCLan acting graduate Nathan Wood
“My big take home is that it taught me how to professionally present myself as an actor, not just when in character, but more generally in what is a very competitive environment.
“I also benefitted from the great industry connections the course has and learned so much about show reels, self-tape auditions and generally how the business works.”
"My big take home [from the course] is that it taught me how to professionally present myself as an actor, not just when in character, but more generally in what is a very competitive environment"
— UCLan acting graduate Nathan Wood
Nathan, who is managed by talent agency Scott Cole Management, is hoping that his breakthrough role on Waterloo Road will open the door to more tv acting roles in the future.
He added: “I feel like this is where it all starts. To be successful in this industry you need to be driven and stay motivated even through the hard times. Graduating from an acting degree in the middle of a pandemic was tough but I remained focused and now it’s paid off.”
