Nick Ritacco Talks About His Acting Journey, Vertical Drama Roles, and What's Next
Nov 07, 2025
Teig Sadhana | Source: Instagram/sadhat8
Teig Sadhana: From Australia to New York, Finding His Voice in Vertical Dramas
What do you get when a classically trained stage actor jumps into fast-paced, phone-sized dramas? For Teig Sadhana, the answer is a breakout career.
Teig Sadhana is from Australia, who trained at one of the most prestigious acting schools in New York. After years of theatre work in Canberra and Melbourne, he transitioned into vertical dramas, short-form series made for mobile platforms like TikTok and ReelShort.
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The 29-year-old actor's first on-screen role came within weeks of graduating, and he's quickly become one of the most familiar faces in the format.
Formative Years in a Cross-Continental Home
In a May 2025 Vertical Drama Love interview, Sadhana said he grew up in a "big gay family," explaining, "I've got four mothers and several dads and dad figures around the place."
He spent his early childhood in Islington, London, before moving to Australia when his family relocated, led by his biological mother, who is an Australian citizen.
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After a brief return to the UK to sell their home, the family settled permanently in Canberra, the capital city of Australia.
Although Sadhana initially found the slower pace difficult after living in London, he eventually came to appreciate Canberra's strong sense of community, its focus on family life, and its calm, peaceful environment.
Getting Into Theatre School During a Time of Disruption
One of Sadhana's earliest memories of acting comes from a childhood holiday or after-school drama program, where he took part in a play based on "The Magic School Bus." As the youngest in the group, he played the dog.
In one scene, the characters were asleep around a campfire, and he got so focused on pretending to breathe like a dog that he missed his cue. Another child had to nudge him to wake him up. Even with the mistake, it became one of his first memorable experiences on stage.
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After high school, he appeared in several local theatre productions. A surprise audition tape led to his acceptance into the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York. "I locked myself away in their little computer studio and filmed an audition for the school and sent it off and never really thought about it," he recalled.
His time at Stella Adler was shaped by intense training and unexpected challenges. When COVID-19 hit, he returned to Australia and finished his first year of acting school online, overnight, from quarantine.
Still, he described the experience as "great" for his craft and acting because he couldn't escape it. This led him to perform in several stage productions, including "Othello," "A Lie of the Mind," and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
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Finding Momentum in Vertical Dramas
After graduating in April 2024, Sadhana began searching for work. "I remember that seeing a job on Backstage called 'Glory of Revenge,' uh, and not really knowing what it was, but it paid really well," he said. A few weeks later, the director called: someone had dropped out, and Sadhana was asked to be on set in Pennsylvania in two days.
He started working in vertical drama that June. "I think it was a very good introduction to verticals for me. It's the sort of vertical that I think works best as well," he stated.
Dramatic poolside sequence in production, with Teig Sadhana carrying a co-star, as posted on February 18, 2025 | Source: Instagram/sadhat8
Since then, he has starred in multiple vertical shows, including "Hurt Me, Love Me," "Come Back for You," and "Code of the Heiress." His performances have gained wide attention on platforms like TikTok and ReelShort.
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He was recently awarded Rising Star at the Vertical Drama Awards, and Sadhana expressed gratitude for the recognition. "This is a massive landmark in this industry, this space that we're developing. Having an award ceremony like this that gained this much attention all over the world is huge," he explained.
Teig Sadhana on the monitor during a scene setup, as posted on February 18, 2025 | Source: Instagram/sadhat8
How Teig Sadhana Sees the Future of Vertical Storytelling
Sadhana sees vertical filmmaking as a format with untapped potential. "It's still a camera. It's still film-based narrative. You're just turning it on its side," he shared. Although telenovela-style storytelling helped popularize it, he views that as a starting point rather than the destination.
Teig Sadhana filming an evening restaurant scene with multiple cast members, as posted on February 18, 2025 | Source: Instagram/sadhat8
With access to talented crews and strong scripts, Sadhana believes vertical dramas can move beyond simple plot twists and develop more grounded, character-driven stories.
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He remains optimistic that the next stage of growth will raise both the creative quality and industry recognition of the medium. “That is the way in. It is not the final capstone on vertical filmmaking," he said.
