Nando Liebregts (27) from Boxtel can cross something off his bucket list again. He has Down Syndrome but is just chasing his acting dream. On Sunday evening he appeared in the musical TV program Dagboek van een Herdershond on NPO1. “It was so much fun doing it all together.”
After his roles in the films De Kameleon and Good Times Bad Times, Nando is no longer unknown as an actor. After those special milestones, he made his debut in Diary of a Shepherd Dog. The special thing is that the musical spectacle was partly recorded and partly played live on Sunday evening.
“I do my own stunts.”
That did not matter to the now seasoned actor from Boxtel. “I didn’t find it more exciting than usual because it was live.” His character Bertus was thrown into a mine to silence him, after seeing something he was not supposed to see. “I do my own stunts so got thrown down,” he says with a laugh.
Nando had to scream so that the viewer got the feeling that the mine he was thrown into by his opponent was very deep. “But in reality it was not too bad, that was of course the illusion.”
“The message of love in the story appeals to me.”
The role of Bertus was perfect for Nando. “He is a man who wants to help everyone. But he prefers to help Miete, who is played by Nandi van Beurden. My character is in love with her. I like the message of love in this story and it allows me to give everything .”
The musical Diary of a Shepherd Dog is based on the popular TV series of the same name that was on the tube between 1978 and 1980. The story revolves around chaplain Erik Odekerke who joins a religious community in a small village in Limburg. Despite his good intentions, he antagonizes many people.
“You could always count on her.”
A real star cast was brought together for the musical spectacle, including the Flemish Thomas Cammaert, Angela Schijf, William Spaaij, Nandi van Beurden and Jon van Eerd in the leading roles. “I already knew William from the Kameleon, so that felt familiar and I didn’t know Angela personally, but she was really super nice and nice. You could always contact her.” The actress and Nando are going to have a drink soon, he says proudly.
Since the broadcast, Nando’s phone has been ringing. “I’ve really had a lot of reactions, especially on social media and positive too.”
“The Passion is now on my bucket list”
Nando now has his sights set on The Passion. “That’s really on my bucket list and is also a story with a deeper meaning.” The director of Diary of a Shepherd Dog also participates in The Passion.
The actor from Boxtel hopes for a role as an apostle or the storyteller. “But I leave that to the makers of The Passion.” Judas also seems cool to play Nando. “Only that is someone who sings a lot and it doesn’t seem convenient if I start doing that a lot.”
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