Queer actor-turned-writer Nils Hognestad on cultivating community in Vancouver

I met Nils Hognestad for the first time at his home. But, like many pandemic interviews, I am also home and we are speaking through video conferences. Hognestad has dark curtains behind him and complimentary lighting. He is vibrant and happy, his mood contagious even through a laptop. 

The Vancouver-based actor has recently shifted into writing and producing his own projects, adding to a growing list of his accomplishments in the industry. His most recent project, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home is a follow-up to the cult classic Psych series, where Hognestad plays Per in the film, a new character in the franchise.

Due to a technical difficulty, I couldn’t record our conversation, but furiously typed to keep up with his journey to success.

“[A desire to be in] film has always been there,” says the 36-year-old, joking that his memory may be blurry since he began acting at age 10.

From classes to community theatre, writing plays to touring high schools, Hognestad has always felt drawn to performance.

“My family is in Norway and I have 46 first-cousins. When we’d visit family, the kids would always put on a show for the parents. The girls would tell me I can’t [be in the plays], but I’d dress up as a girl so that I could,” says Hognestad.

Later in life, he recognized a distinction between storytelling through acting, versus storytelling through writing.

“I started to see I needed to be more than a physical prop. I needed to create stories that move and entertain people. I couldn’t help feel that I wanted something more.” Hognestad says this feeling came while he was acting in the T.V. series Some Assembly Required.

“Being involved with an entire cast and crew who all knew each other made me want to create a project that brought together people who were like-minded,” says Hognestad. “I wanted to create something that I could confidently say ‘this is mine.’ [Something] that entertained, inspired, and brought together diverse people in the LGBTQ2+ rainbow. To tell stories I’ve been wanting to see since I was a closeted child needing entertainment that made me feel ‘normal.’”

The conversation strikes an emotional chord for Hognestad. Through tears, he shares that he hid his sexuality for years as an actor, despite being open in his personal life. “I felt fear and personal disgust. But as a gay person, I never sought out community. In a sense, I rejected it in my life.” He pauses before going on, while I silently marvel at his honesty and vulnerability.

“ I started working at a gay bar. I got to know all [my colleagues]. I got to know the drag queens. Everything about them. Who liked what glass, who wanted a straw, who didn’t. It all became important to me.”

It was also around this time Hognestad started paying close attention to his inner dialogue, and the pull he felt towards creating more—more for himself, more for others. “In working in bars, I saw a lot of darkness and sadness. [I recognized] other people’s stories, and the need for them to be told.” Through film and writing, Hognestad says he wants to grow and give back. “I want to tell [important] stories and serve the community, a community that has always accepted me and helped me to grow into a stronger and better person.” 

Traveling also played a role in Hognestad’s development as an artist. Back when The X Files was one of Vancouver’s sole claims to film industry fame, he set off a 10-year journey abroad.

“I remember thinking ‘I can’t make a career for myself here. I need to leave, train, get more clout, a degree.’”

In his time away, Hognestad pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ryerson University, a Classical Acting Diploma from LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), and gained more industry experience in cities across North America. When he returned to Vancouver, Hognestad realized how much the film industry had grown in his absence. 

“Everyone has a different perception of course, but I feel there’s a really strong sense of community. [Everyone] is so kind, loving and supportive,” says Hognestad, though he’s noticed little self-promotion within the community, and wonders if it’s in part due to ‘Canadian politeness.’

When it comes to projects he’s most proud of, Hognestad highlights a Danish film Min søsters børn og guldgraverne. He landed the lead role before learning to speak Danish, something required for the part. Coupled with the fact that the film was shot in Quebec, and Hognestad didn’t speak French, the experience was doubly challenging, but a huge personal accomplishment. 

“I had to change my accent and speak French with the crew,” says Hognestad, who was also working on another English-speaking project at the time. “There was a lot going on!” 

A more recent project and point of pride is Hognestad’s Cross Country Baby, the first feature he’s ever written and produced.

“It’s about an interracial gay couple who go on an illegal cross-country road trip to find their egg donor and surrogate.” He says holding the script for the first time was an unforgettable experience.

“It’s one thing to see 100 pages on screen. I think the only moment more rewarding will be opening night,” Hognestad says, his eyes watering. The project goes into filming, pandemic restrictions pending, next year.

As our interview neared the end, I asked him to share something no one else knows about him.

“Hmm. Should I reveal it?” He playfully pauses before divulging.

“When I was first training in film and T.V., I had a director tell the group that it’s always good to have a secret. It could be something really simple, like taking a bunch of Werther's Originals from a bowl,” says Hognestad, adding he constantly pushes himself to raise the stakes.

“Sometimes I’ll wear ridiculous underwear. For a Hallmark audition once, I wasn’t wearing underwear.”

As he laughs, I can’t help wondering if he’s wearing underwear as we speak. I thank Nils for the thoughts, the tears, the laughs. It’s refreshing to meet someone for the first time and instantly feel in good company. Hognestad is a person you’re going to want to keep watching and hearing from. You can do so by following him on Instagram and watching Psych 2: Lassie Come Home on NBC’s new streaming platform, peakcocktv.com.