Nick Pugliese is an emerging actor who has previously captivated audiences in Dramarama, a teen indie comedy, and the short film Thank You for Being Here. Nick is best known for his role in the cult hit SCHOOL SPIRITS (Netflix/Paramount+). The show is about to wrap its well-reviewed second season, and we got to pick his brain about its most recent outing, as well as some of his biggest film and television influences.

Without spoiling anything, what can fans expect from the story this season on SCHOOL SPIRITS? What is one development your character experiences that you're most excited about?

This season is much larger than the first season. It feels like we did the entire first season just so we could make this second one. This is the real show. It’s much darker and scarier, while still keeping a lot of the humor that the first season had. It’s the characters you have gotten to know, but in much higher-stakes situations. We know that Maddie’s character is not dead and that a ghost has taken her body - but what does that really mean? And how are all the other ghosts involved? The entire first season, we were asking the question, “Who killed Maddie?” And it turned out that we were asking the wrong question the entire time. This season we follow the characters as they try to find the answers to the right questions.

As far as Charley, we get to see him blossom a lot. The entire first season, we watch him struggle with getting over Emilio, his high school boyfriend. Now, we get introduced to another ghost character named Yuri who piques Charley’s interest. He’ll have to grow up a lot and search internally in order to be able to open up and be in a place to receive everything Yuri wants to give. It was really great to explore this new level of Charley and Miles Elliot, the actor who plays Yuri, is the most generous and hilarious scene partner someone can ask for. I’m excited for fans to have this new budding romance to root for.

What is your favorite behind the scenes moment from this season?

There is a scene in episode eight right before the end that involves every single character on the show - living and dead. The green room the night we shot that scene was the most crowded it’s ever been. There were probably about twenty four actors in there and we were all hanging out, talking, listening to music, and playing games. None of us went back to our trailers and we all took lunch together in the green room just enjoying the chaos of being together and making this show at two in the morning when we’re all delirious and haven’t slept in weeks. We were all there, having a good time, cherishing each other.

Of all the episodes from last season, which is your favorite and why?

I loved episode four of season one. It’s when we get to learn about Charley’s backstory. In a lot of films and TV shows, the gay character will often either be the comedic relief or have some horrendously devastating backstory. Up until the fourth episode, Charley presents as the former. He’s always cracking jokes and smiling. But then, we get to learn about his past and it is this sad, painful story. For me, this made so much sense. It's why some of the funniest people we know are the ones who have endured the most hardships. They don’t want anyone to feel how they’ve felt or to experience what they’ve had to. I so appreciate getting to play a character that can be all of these things. We get to see Charley be the funny gay best friend and we also get to see him be the sad, emotional, character who just wants love. We get to explore that much more deeply in these next eight episodes. The viewers who resonated with Charley’s story are going to enjoy his arc this season.

What is the first film or television series you remember watching in your life? Why do you think it had such an impact on you?

As I started to answer this, a flood of memories washed over me – all about different films and TV series. The first that came to mind is Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise. When I was young and sick – I’m talking, like, five – and I’d stay home from school, my Dad would put on the Alien movies for me to watch. Five! Looking back, that feels insane? [Laughter] But those films have always meant so much to my Dad and therefore mean a lot to me. The first film I remember watching where I noticed the acting was Juno. I remember being amazed by how authentic all of the acting felt. The characters would stutter or stumble over their words and it felt how people actually talk. It was the first time I realized that acting could feel real. That film left a huge impression on how I perform as an actor and what I try to look for in characters.

If you could join the cast of any classic film or TV show, which would you join and why?

Easy. Golden Girls. There’s a gay character in his twenties in the pilot who we never see again. First of all, huge that they had a gay character on a major network show in the eighties! But if I could join any cast, I’d make sure that character was brought back and that’s who I would play.

Outside of SCHOOL SPIRITS, what other projects do you have in the pipeline? 

I just made a web series with some of my friends called Barden and Sarah Start A Pandemic. It’s crazy and silly and the most fun I’ve ever had making something and I’d love to be able to develop it into a full television series. So if you’re an exec somewhere reading this, hit me up!

I’ve said this before, but I’d love to make classic genre films and put a queer lens on them. Let’s get a blockbuster heist film where the robbers are all queer! Let’s have queer superheroes! I’d love to be in a horror film at some point, a holiday romcom, a quiet indie drama. I ultimately just want to make things with friends and things that excite and challenge me.

I hope to do a lot while I’m here.

Make sure to follow Nick Pugliese on Instagram. SCHOOL SPIRITS is now streaming.