Nolan Evans doesn’t live in New York or L.A. He’s never had industry connections or a fast-track pass. What he did have was Backstage—and a whole lot of drive.
“I live in a small town, Decatur, Illinois,” he said. “There are virtually no acting opportunities in plain sight.”
So when he started acting seriously at 15, Evans had to find his own way forward. He leaned on local theater, dove into voiceover, and started building credits through Backstage. He wrapped high school with a resume full of credits, an internship at media production company Suite 704, and a talent agent in his corner
“I decided I was going to blow them away”
Evans first connected with The Rock Talent Agency through a weeklong intensive at Acting Studio Chicago, where he met several agencies during the final showcase. He followed up by sending in auditions to each one.
The feedback from The Rock Talent Agency? They weren’t signing new talent until the new year.
So he set a goal to prove he could book real work on his own.
“I decided I was going to blow them away with the amount of work I could book in that three-month period.”
He got right to it, taking a voiceover class and landing a mix of roles across formats—booking theater, animation, audiobook narration, and even a digital ad for a youth basketball team—thanks in large part to Backstage.
“I believe that’s what made the people at The Rock take me seriously as an actor and all around model and content creator.”
No big city? No problem.
Voiceover work helped Evans build early momentum, especially since he could do it all remotely.
“Since most voice acting is remote, then that was a big source of training,” he said. “I keep getting to work with legit companies and I couldn’t suggest Backstage to upcoming actors anymore than I do.”
Thanks to the platform and his own drive, he’s booked voiceover work for the Illinois Department of Human Services, San Diego Football Club, The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative of California, and Suite 704, the entity that helped him get his career started.
He's also modeled for national brands, created user-generated content, and appeared in the major streaming series ”Dark Matter” on Apple TV. From commercial spots to indie projects, Evans has steadily built a body of work that spans formats and audiences.
Make your own head start
Evans says getting an agent came when he least expected it—because he was already focused on building his own momentum.
“For me, representation came at a time when I wasn’t really thinking about representation because I had my own thing going,” he said. “I believe actors should have a start in building themselves before they join an agency.”
He also learned that being a working actor means staying on top of the business side—especially when it comes to materials, deadlines, and logistics.
“The industry runs super duper fast,” he said, noting that agents expect actors to move quickly too—whether it’s submitting headshots, showing up prepared, or staying organized behind the scenes.
And even without proximity or privilege, he made it happen.
“My location made me very hungry and driven to find something,” he said. He’s proof that you don’t need perfect circumstances to make real progress. You just need persistence, a plan, and a place to start.
And Evans has no plans to slow down. With a growing resume and a rep in his corner, he is ready for what’s next—on his own terms.
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