Biographie
Nigel was born in Atikokan, Ontario, known as the "Canoeing Capital of the World." He graduated from the renowned Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto. Since completing his acting training, he has taken on many leading roles on stage, film, and television. Nigel was part of Robin Phillips' legendary Stratford Theatre Festival Company, starring as Orlando in As You Like It, Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet, and Hardy in Journey's End. He was the first Outlaw and understudied the lead role of Proteus in Two Gentlemen of Verona. At Stratford, he also played the lead role of Bertram in All's Well That Ends Well, Maurice Duclois in Fallen Angels, and appeared in musicals including Pirates of Penzance, Hello Dolly, Irma La Douce, Anything Goes, and played Harry the Horse in Guys and Dolls.
His Shakespearean roles at other Toronto theatres included Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream for CanStage, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre By The Bay, and Petruchio in his award-winning performance of Taming of the Shrew at Bathurst Street Theatre. Other Toronto credits include Max in the long-running Mirvish production of The Sound of Music at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Genscher in Democracy at the Tarragon Theatre, Pedro in Man of La Mancha at Theatre Aquarius, Warren Ives in Cantorial, Jeff in Brigadoon at the Limelight Dinner Theatre, and most notably Gene Baker in Queen for a Day opposite beloved icon Alan Thicke.
Nigel is well known for his extensive regional theatre work, portraying Abanazer in Aladdin, Jenkins in Cash on Delivery, and Paul in Whose Under Where, all for Drayton Festival Theatre. Other notable performances include Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby at the Grand Theatre in London and Nathan in Shenandoah on Broadway at NYC's Virginia Theatre.
However, most people recognize Nigel for his extensive TV and film career. He has held principal roles in series such as Reign, Orphan Black, Blue Murder, The Raven, Hardy Boys, Top Cops, Code Name Eternity, Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, Eleventh Hour, Mayday, and the acclaimed Netflix series Suits. He has worked with CBC on Street Legal, Due South, Ambrose, and Road to Avonlea. His Alliance Film credits include remarkable roles in Celine, In a Heartbeat, Me and My Shadows, Parkland, Earth: Final Conflict, and Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy.
Nigel Hamer is best known for his recurring roles as Jeff Isaacs in Degrassi: The Next Generation and as Pronto's father in Radio Free Roscoe. His movie-of-the-week credits include featured roles in CBS, ABC, CTV, and NBC films such as The Note, All Hat, Bugs, Little Brother, Ultimate Betrayal, The Loretta Claiborne Story, Closer and Closer, And Then There Was One, Sons of the Mistletoe, and 22 Chaser. His feature film credits include JFK: The Miniseries, Interstate 60, The Mitchell Brothers Project, St. Rob, Dr. Cabbie, Ecstasy, and a strong role as Hilary Duff's father in Cadet Kelly.
Recent credits include guest-starring roles on Good Witch, Really Me, Wingin' It, portraying Dr. James Naismith in Murdoch Mysteries, Benjamin in A Royal Date for Christmas, Judge Mike Wood in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, and Viktor in SurrealEstate. Recent theatre work includes lead roles in Same Time Next Year and Plaza Suite at the Upper Canada Playhouse and Orillia Opera House. Nigel Hamer received the CARE Best Actor Award for his role as Ben Ramsey in Reservation.
