Rick Pagano

Teaches at Acting & Voice Studios

Mr. Pagano has a B.A. from Middlebury College and completed his doctoral studies in dramatic literature from Columbia University. He has taught at UCLA, NYU, Columbia University, and the National Theater Conservatory in Lodz, Poland.

As writer/director, Mr. Pagano has directed ten of his own original plays, as well as the screen version of one of them, TEN TRICKS, all in Los Angeles. Mr. Pagano’s HANGING ALICE is currently in development as a feature film with director Richard Donner (LETHAL WEAPON, THE GOONIES, MAVERICK, SUPERMAN) as Executive Producer.

His poetry has been published in “WestWord” literary journal. An excerpt of his verse play, GOOSE AMID THE REVOLT, was published in “High Performance” literary journal.

Since 1992, Mr. Pagano has worked as President and CEO of Pagano/Manwiller, Inc. He has worked with producers and directors James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, Oliver Stone, Jerry Bruckheimer, A. Kitman Ho, Cameron Crowe, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Gus van Sant, Jon Avnet, Rodrigo Garcia, Joel Silver, Mark Gordon, James Brooks and David E. Kelley.

His company has cast more than 90 feature films, including X MEN 3, HOTEL RWANDA; RUDY; DRUGSTORE COWBOY; ALIEN RESURRECTION; POINT BREAK; THE THREE MUSKETEERS; SAY ANYTHING; STARDUST, BOTTLE SHOCK, CBGB, among others.

In television, Pagano/Manwiller has won two Emmys and been nominated several other times. His television credits include “ALTERED CARBON” for NETFLIX; “THE BLACKLIST,” “24”, “PICKET FENCES”, and “CHICAGO HOPE. For the stage, Mr. Pagano has cast over 100 productions around the U.S. including the Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, Lincoln Center, and the original Tony-Award-winning Broadway production of BIG RIVER.