Nolan Harmon has always been ambitious. Nolan has done everything from acting and modeling to fashion design, filmmaking, and producing. As a child, he loved watching movies with his dad. Nolan reminisced about the many times he’s been in the movie theater, breaking down scenes and analyzing them, which he later found uncommon for kids his age.
In college, he wanted to take up a career in sports and eventually enrolled and got into his dream school Ohio State University. And as many people have experienced, he felt it was not the right fit. He needed to let his personality shine through and give way to his more creative side – something he couldn’t do with a career in sports.
He’s also always had a passion for fashion and even dabbled in design for a time, designing a few shirts for his line. He recalls that he has always wanted to be the best dressed growing up. Now, he’s added filmmaking and producing to his ever-growing list of creative pursuits. We sat down with Nolan to discuss his talents and what drives him to create.
In recent years, Nolan has shifted his focus to behind-the-scenes work. He told us that he’s always been driven by a need to express himself. “I’ve never been the type of person who can just sit still,” he said.
He’s always had filmmaking in the back of his mind, which kept getting pushed back. He eventually decided to act on it and took up acting classes at OHU. He has trained under Ralph Scott and Chad J. Willet from Broadway2LA and Richard Mason from Colombus.
We asked Nolan what motivates him to keep pushing himself creatively. “I’m motivated by my ambition to impact people’s lives,” he said. “I love finding new ways to express myself and telling stories that haven’t been told before.
There’s nothing more exhilarating than bringing something new into the world.” His previous short film, directed by Austin Black, titled “NOAH” features Nolan in a riveting monologue, encompassing the emotions felt after losing a loved one.
Now, Nolan’s working on a personal project, a short film called “Lifetime of Sin,” which he started shooting last October 29th. The film stars himself alongside actress MacKayla Reilley. The film is about a young woman coming face to face with her choices in that relationship, followed by a descent into crime.
Nolan’s character is an ambitious guy, mirroring himself in real life, wanting to be the top guy in the cartel. With a focus on contrasting wants, Nolan wants the audience to finish watching the film wanting more.
When asked where the idea came from, Nolan shares, “I woke up in the middle of the night and started writing on my phone’s notes app. He will be teaming up with another notable director Michelle Dali who worked on short films. She will co-direct with Nolan, steering the film in a more artistic direction. With a release date sometime later this 2022, Nolan is also eyeing to submit his project to film festivals.
Nolan shares his advice for people wanting to start in the industry. He says, “Go out there and do it. Worry about the rest later.” He expresses that a lot of the time, people usually sit on ideas and never take action on them, “Stop creating excuses for yourself,” he said.
In the meantime, Nolan has learned to enjoy the process and live in the moment. He is grateful for how far he’s come. Nolan recently finished the second leg of a stage play called “Through Their Eyes.” He’s working on a few upcoming films, D’Evil and Undoing.
His drive to express himself is evident in everything he does, and it’s clear that he loves nothing more than finding new ways to tell stories through his art. We can’t wait to see what this multi-talented creator comes up next!
Connect with Nolan Harmon on Instagram: https://instagram.com/showtime_harmon_13