Today we’d like to introduce you to Hunter Spangler.
Hi Hunter, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always been into acting since I was young and knew I wanted to be an actor so I always knew it was my next step after high school. I auditioned for the Theatre program at Clemson and got accepted and during my four years there I was in 14+ productions. I knew I wanted to keep studying so I went to Chicago in 2014 and auditioned for a bunch of premiere MFA schools and ended up being selected to be a part of the incoming class at UC – San Diego’s prestigious acting program. After three years there I had a showcase and out of that, I got an agent and manager and moved to LA in the summer of 2017 and have been a working actor since then. I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to find a wonderful artistic community in LA that always thinks of me when they’re doing projects. I’ve been in short films, an indie full-length film, danced and acted in music videos, modeled in a few projects, and am about to be a part of two shows at once at a major theatre in California.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been but I think that’s all part of the journey. Finding work as an actor is a struggle and there are so many things out of your control. On top of that, you have to find a way to financially support yourself and build an actual personal life that has nothing to do with acting/work. I’ve worked as a Lyft driver, personal trainer, barback, and at a customer support call center. They all were long hours for very low pay and it was incredible how you could work so much and still have so little to show for it. You also have to figure out ways to get to auditions that usually turn into nothing. The pandemic was another setback because not only was acting put on hold, but your support jobs also had to let you go. It was really rough for a couple of months. But luckily, I’m in the best place I’ve ever been currently. Have a good steady job, acting is picking up again, auditions are all virtual and I’m able to support my personal life as well with a partner who I’m lucky to marry in the next year.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an actor but an account manager to support myself. I work for a company that helps get students (mainly foster students, students experiencing homelessness, and special education students) to school. So I work directly with schools, districts, and government organizations to find the best transportation solution for their students. It’s incredibly rewarding and the best place I could’ve found to work while I pursue my acting career.
There is a lot that I’m proud of but the first one that comes to mind is the work and growth I had while I was in graduate school at UC-San Diego. We created some amazing art and I grew a lot as a person. I loved everything about it. My proudest moment was when my class and I did a production of Angels in America – Perestroika. We produced, directed, and acted in it all on our own and raised enough money to fly us to New York for our showcase. It was intense and exhausting but one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
It definitely feels like it’s shifting to a more social media-driven industry. You need to have more followers than credits, it seems and the actual art of learning how to act does not seem to be important at all. Movie theatres are trying to make a comeback but it feels more like most jobs people get are on a streaming service. There is more opportunity than ever which is great but the quality has definitely suffered.
Contact Info:
- Email: hunterspangler@gmail.com
- Instagram: @huntertspangler
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntertspangler
- Twitter: @hunterxspangler
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user45573356
Image Credits
Andy Wolff Manny Rotenberg Jim Carmody Robert Kazandjian Steve Bradley
