Nick McLoughlin Joins the Film Thriller 'Project Wednesday'

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Acclaimed actor Nick McLoughlin has joined the cast of the upcoming film thriller “Project Wednesday” from veteran filmmaker Donavan Clark (“Beyond Merritt”).

“I’m very excited about being a part of this engaging new film from the amazing Donavan Clark,” said the New Zealand native. “The big appeal of the movie was the international element. I've always had a massive interest in perusing knowledge about Russian culture and how one culture has experienced so much hardship over the centuries. So being a part of something that allowed me to dive into that culture more was really fascinating.”

The film tells the story of a woman whose memory has been wiped clean is interrogated by lethal terrorists, so a young man must now try to save her by taking on a fierce terrorist boss with a mysterious past who vows to learn all she knows.

In the film’s leading role, McLoughlin plays a tough marine who's been dishonorably discharged and is now given an ultimatum to redeem himself and get his life back by taking on a dangerous secret mission from the government.

“He's a rough character who isn't at all like me in nature, he's cold, afraid and deadly. Not the characteristics I'd or others would use to describe myself,” McLoughlin said. “But I think that's why I do what I do. I like to allow myself to take on a persona and express it in a way that serves the truth.”

The film, which is currently in the film festival circuit, proved to be a challenging experience for the actor.

“One of the toughest sections for filming was the Jail scene where I get hauled off by a couple gulag henchmen,” he recalled. “We shot that in a lot here in North Hollywood, but we had to recreate the dirt on the cell floor, (which was entirely made of concrete) we were trying to play with angles to capture this very visceral coiled moment that William is having and as I'm being dragged my knees are on that concrete floor taking a bit of beating. It was tough but I feel there's so much caution in our world for ‘dangers’ and I feel like a little sacrifice, to an extent, can give you a closer connection to the story.”

The film has also earned a number of awards at film festivals, including earning Best Director, Best Thriller and Best Cinematography at the Florence International Film Festival in Florence, Italy. It also took top honors at the Milan Gold Awards for Directing and Best Film.

McLoughlin comes to the film after having starred in the film comedy “The Viscount’s Heir,” from writer Veronica Crowe and the upcoming television series “Roomies,” from producers Nevada Grey and Lisa Altman. He is also set to star in “The First Mindhunter,” on Apple TV. This captivating true-crime series centers on the life's work of Dr. Al Carlisle, a clinical psychologist who personally evaluated such notorious killers as Ted Bundy, Arthur Gary Bishop, the Hi-Fi Killers and Manny Cortez.

His other recent work includes the film drama “Comfort” directed by two-time Academy Award Nominee, Stephane Ceretti, the award winning comedy “A Stephen Corwin Rockumentary.”