Academy graduates are regularly working on groundbreaking stage and screen projects all over the world, and we’re thrilled to share their stories.
Nelson Lee, a 2001 graduate, landed the role of The Chancellor in the live action film version of Disney’s Mulan and will also appear in DC Comics’ new series Stargirl. He recently had reoccurring roles on the series Claws (TNT), Sneaky Pete (Amazon) and the Kyra Sedgwick drama Ten Days in The Valley (ABC).
The new ABC series The Carmichael Show will star 2004 graduate Katie Aselton in the lead role, opposite Nate Bargatze. Based on the life and comedy of Bargatze, the series follows Nate and his wife Laura who choose to move from California to Nate’s native Tennessee, where his parents still live, to raise their 6-year-old daughter. Aselton was previously a series regular on the FX hit series The League.
(L-R) Nelson Lee, Katie Aselton, Dan Remmes, Naomi Castellano
Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, an original work by 1987 graduate Dan Remmes, premiered at the La Mirada Theatre in La Mirada, CA in fall 2019 after several successful regional stops. Based on the hit film that starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret and featuring music by Neil Berg and lyrics by Nick Meglin, the production starred legendary actors Hal Linden and Cathy Rigby.
Naomi Castellano, who graduated in 2017, booked the role of Liz Mortimer in the feature film The Heart Stays, which is set for a festival run once production is completed. The drama follows two Native American sisters as they choose different paths in life and grapple with the struggles that result.
2013 graduate Daniel Grave starred in the independent short The Last Christians, which screened at the 2019 Burbank International Film Festival. Written and directed by David Lichtenauer, the film focuses on a Canadian tourist who crosses paths with German militia on a mission to defeat ISIS.
The fourth season of the Netflix hit 13 Reason Reasons Why will feature 2018 graduate Bobby Burkich in a costar role, marking his first major booking in a series. Burkich also appears in the horror film Getaway, which stars fellow Academy alumni Stef Beaton and Georgie Storm Waite.
(L-R) Daniel Graves, Bobby Burkich, Austin Rising, London Morrison
Only Human, a new Off-Broadway rock musical featuring Gary Busey, will be co-produced by 2012 graduate Austin Rising. With a book by Jess Carson, music and lyrics by Mike Squillante, the production is based on a story by Jesse Murphy and Squillante and will have its world premiere at Off Broadway’s Theatre at St. Clements.
London Morrison, who graduated in 2011, has been busy with multiple projects, including production for the feature film Loudermilk with Ron Livington, her performance as singer Angela Harris in Bad Times at the El Royale and television appearances on CW’s Arrow and the Lifetime drama Victoria Gotti: My Father's Daughter.
