Nick Ritacco | Pirates, Shakespeare, and Vertical Fame: The Vertical Buzz S2E7

Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Nick Ritacco, a Chicago-born actor, athlete, baseball fan, and one of the standout leading men in the vertical drama space. Nick shares how a high school injury led him from baseball into theater, how New York and Shakespeare shaped his foundation as an actor, and how early TV roles on Homeland and Law & Order: SVU helped push him toward Los Angeles. From there, Buzz and Nick get into his rise in verticals, the role that changed everything, what it takes to keep working in this fast-moving format, and why the vertical community has become so meaningful to him. They also break down Kiss of the Pirate King, Nick’s pirate vertical with Emma Reinagel, including the behind-the-scenes reality of shooting on a real ship, sword fights, costumes, and why genre experimentation is pushing the space forward. Plus: Chicago sports, theater roots, hidden food spots, AI concerns, fan connection, and the future of vertical entertainment. In this episode, you will learn: • How Nick Ritacco went from baseball dreams to theater • Why Chicago, New York, and Shakespeare shaped his acting foundation • How Homeland, Law & Order: SVU, and Lifetime led him toward LA • How Nick found verticals before the space had a clear name • Why Fated to My Forbidden Vampire changed his life • What makes vertical acting different from traditional film and TV • How Kiss of the Pirate King was made on a real ship • Why vertical fans and community matter so much • How Nick thinks about AI, rules, and protecting actors • Why vertical storytelling is still just getting started Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Vertical Buzz 01:00 Meet Nick Ritacco 02:57 Chicago Sports Rivalries 04:29 From Baseball to Theater 09:35 New York and Shakespeare 12:02 First TV Breaks and LA Move 17:06 Finding Vertical Stardom 25:27 Quiet Air Purifier Pitch 26:17 Role That Changed Everything 27:43 Tropes Getting Better 28:52 Pirate Vertical Behind Scenes 32:08 Hooking Viewers and Fan Favorites 36:29 Trailer Reaction and Rapid Fire 42:35 Chicago Theater Roots 45:46 Hidden Chicago Eats 46:20 Thanksgiving at Marios 47:01 Favorite Chicago Movies 48:53 New York Summer Stories 52:55 Vertical Acting Mindset 55:03 AI Fears and Rules 01:02:00 Vertical Community Wrap Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers) AEIRO Air Purifiers help identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create a cleaner indoor environment for homes and professional spaces. Featured in this episode: AEIRO AC150, powerful enough to clean rooms 300+ sq ft, quiet enough for production, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration. Website: AEIRO.co Rapid Fire Sponsor: VertiCast VertiCast is a casting app built for the speed of vertical storytelling. Actors can create profiles, upload clips, showcase social links, and make it easier for casting directors and producers to discover them quickly. Website: VertiCastApp.com Instagram: @verticastapp Guest: Nick Ritacco Nick is a Chicago-born actor, athlete, and avid baseball fan. After realizing he probably would not become the starting shortstop for the White Sox, Nick moved to New York City, where he earned his BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and trained at the Stella Adler Studio for Acting. He performed in numerous theatrical productions, helped launch a Shakespearean theater company, and later moved into television with a recurring role on Showtime’s Homeland and a co-star role on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU. After moving to Los Angeles with his tabby cat Cora, Nick has worked in Lifetime Movie Network projects and has become one of the most recognizable actors in vertical dramas, with more than 40 verticals and counting. Instagram: @nick.ritacco Host: Buzz Leer Instagram: @buzz_leer A Glendale Podcast Studio Production Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano Instagram: @anakarinacano Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley Public Relations and Media: Robb Leer Leer Communications, Inc. Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family. Host, Buzz Leer