There's something about Nayte, Michelle's First Impression Rose recipient. He's tall — with two full inches on previous Bachelor Nation Tallest Man™️ Thomas Jacobs — charming, and seems to get along well with our newest Bachelorette lead. But, as a promo for the rest of the season teased, he might also be too good to be true. Is Nayte an actor who is here for the wrong reasons? Or are Bachelorette producers tricking us?
Is Nate An Actor?
Rumors of Nayte's actor status started after the release of this trailer for Michelle's season in early October. In the clip, Clayton (who we all know does not end up with Michelle and becomes the next Bachelor), appears to be confronting Nayte, saying, "You're an actor, and you've come on a reality TV show," to which Nayte responds, "What are you talking about?" And after doing some Googling, I have to echo Nayte's question. What, indeed, are you talking about Clayton?
It's definitely possible that Nayte has some lifelong dreams of being an actor and that he's only in The Bachelorette for the fame. But, the more I watch the clip, the more I think it's likely that he's complaining about another guy with Clayton. Plus, literally nothing in his background suggests that this is remotely the case. According to his LinkedIn, Nayte has a very legit job as a Senior Account Executive at Indeed.com. His Instagram shows no sign that he's ever tried to be an actor (unlike last season's Greg Grippo, who had pics of himself outside his New York City acting school) — he doesn't even have modeling photos — and he moved to Austin, Texas, two years ago. What aspiring actor would move to Austin, Texas to jumpstart his career?
Then there's the fact that Nayte didn't even want to apply to be on The Bachelorette. (At least, according to him.) He was supposedly recommended by a friend and then convinced to apply by producers. "I got reached out to again, and so I filled out an application. I was like, 'What's the worst that could happen?' And then fast-forward, they were like, 'Yup, we want you here,' and I was like, 'Yeah, I don't think I want to come though,'" he said during an appearance on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast. After looking Michelle up and talking it over with his mom and friends, Nayte decided to give it a shot. And, yes, his reluctance could be all just a narrative he's cooked up for himself to seem like he's not there for the wrong reasons, but he could also be telling the truth.
"Actor" Is The New "Here For The Wrong Reasons"
Putting Nayte's potential Hollywood dreams aside, it's interesting that being an actor is suddenly the new "here for the wrong reasons." Katie's evisceration of Greg during her After The Final Rose specifically accusing him of using her for "dare I say the acting practice," pretty much made "actor" and "bad" synonymous in Bachelor Nation. But, is it really? I fully believe Greg was not sincere with Katie during their time together, but was that because he was a wannabe actor or because he was just not a great guy?
Obviously when aspiring actors go on a dating show known for churning out Instagram celebs like nobody's business, it's going to be a little suspect. And it's definitely going to become a red flag if it's not something you disclose on the show (which Greg did not do), but why doesn't being an aspiring model (like 70% of Bach contestants) get the same reaction? Being a wannabe model is actually way more of a red flag in Bachelor Nation.
I'll leave you with this: how many successful actors have come out of the Bachelor franchise? (Tyler Cameron's SNL cameo doesn't count.) And how many Bach alums have turned reality TV fame into lucrative "influencer" careers on Instagram that, in many cases, lead to them being models of some sort or another?
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin