Nolan North, NYCC 2026

Oct 12

Nine years ago, I met Nolan North at New York Comic Con.

I was just a kid, around nine years old, and I was a huge fan of Nathan Drake from Uncharted. Nolan signed my Funko Pop and wrote one of the most memorable phrases from the franchise:

“Sic Parvis Magna.”

Greatness from small beginnings.

I never imagined that nine years later, I would return to New York Comic Con — this time as a RadioAnime reporter — and have the opportunity to Chat with Nolan North myself.

And honestly, I was nervous.

Going Back to Where It Started

When I walked up to Nolan's booth, I introduced myself.

Leonard: “Hey, you probably don't remember, but I met you nine years ago.”

Nolan immediately made me laugh.

Nolan: “I don't remember what I had for breakfast.”

We laughed, and he asked if we had met at NYCC.

I told him that we had — and then I showed him something I had brought with me.

I had made a shirt using a photo from our first meeting nine years ago, when I was around nine years old. The photo showed me smiling with my Uncharted Funko Pop, with Nolan standing behind me.

Nolan looked at the shirt and immediately smiled.

Nolan: “Aw, look how much younger I was!”

Seeing his reaction made the whole moment even more special.

After that, I told him that I work for a radio show and asked if I could ask him a few questions.

He agreed, as long as we could keep it quick.

Did Nolan North Ever Imagine Uncharted Would Become This Big?

My first question was about the character who brought us together in the first place: Nathan Drake.

Nolan has played Nathan Drake for so many years, so I wanted to know whether, when he first took the role, he ever imagined Uncharted would become such a huge franchise.

His answer was immediate:

“No. You can't dream this big.”

Nolan explained that when the first game was being made, there wasn't even an Uncharted 1. It was simply Uncharted.

He never knew whether it would become successful enough for a second game.

Then there was a second game.

Then a third.

Then a fourth.

And suddenly, the franchise had become something much bigger than anyone could have expected.

Nolan even mentioned that he's heard rumors about a possible fifth game, although he made it clear that he personally doesn't know anything about one.

“I'd certainly be open to it.”

For an Uncharted fan like me, hearing Nolan say that was pretty incredible.

“You're My Idol”

Then came the moment where I completely lost my train of thought.

I was trying to ask Nolan about advice for someone my age, and I just froze.

Leonard: “And for someone that's 17 years old like me…”

I paused.

“I'm sorry. I got really nervous. You're my idol.”

Nolan immediately reassured me.

Nolan: “That's okay.”

That small moment meant a lot to me because this wasn't just another interview.

I was sitting across from someone whose work I've admired for years.

And this was the same person I had met as a kid.

The Advice Nolan Gave Me at 17

I eventually got the question out.

What advice would Nolan give to someone who is 17?

His answer turned into one of the most meaningful parts of the entire conversation.

Nolan acknowledged that being 17 and going through the teenage years can be difficult.

There will be ups and downs, and he encouraged me to ride those years out and remember that my 20s will bring a completely new set of challenges — but also plenty of great experiences.

His biggest message was simple:

“Don't give up on yourself. Always bet on yourself.”

He explained that when people tell you that you can't do something you really want to do, sometimes the best thing you can do is go after it anyway.

Nolan reflected on his own career and said that if he had listened to everyone who told him what he should or shouldn't do, he wouldn't be where he is today.

Then he gave me another piece of advice that really stood out:

“Success isn't a number in a bank account.”

To Nolan, success means finding something you genuinely enjoy doing and being fortunate enough to have someone willing to pay you to do it.

He joked that he essentially gets paid to do what he used to get in trouble for doing in school.

The voices he was told wouldn't get him anywhere?

“New York Comic Con, baby!”

Everyone laughed.

“Greatness from Small Beginnings”

During the conversation, our RadioAnime staff also reminded Nolan about the Funko Pop he had signed for me when I was a kid.

He remembered the phrase:

Sic Parvis Magna.

Nolan explained its meaning:

“Greatness from small beginnings.”

That phrase has stuck with me for years.

And now, nine years after that first meeting, I was standing there interviewing the person who originally wrote it for me.

Nolan North on the Gift of Nathan Drake

Nolan also talked about something that has become one of the most rewarding parts of playing Nathan Drake for so many years: seeing how the character continues to connect with new generations.

He talked about meeting people who were around 12 years old when they first played Uncharted, and now meeting kids around 11 years old who dress up as Nathan Drake.

For Nolan, that's one of the greatest gifts the role has given him.

“It's just the greatest gift I've ever been given.”

He also talked about how much he enjoys being able to work with people he genuinely enjoys being around, both on camera and off.

Learn From Your Mistakes — And Your Successes

Nolan had even more advice to share.

He explained that people often learn more from their mistakes because they stop and think about what went wrong and how they can avoid making the same mistake again.

But he also shared something he remembered from Matthew McConaughey that he thought was brilliant: Don't only analyze your failures.

Analyze your successes too.

If something went well, ask yourself why it worked so you can find ways to repeat that success.

For Nolan, it all comes down to self-reflection:

How can I get better?

You Don't Have to Be the Best

One of my favorite parts of the conversation came when Nolan talked about something he tells his own kids.

You don't have to be the best at something.

You just have to try to be your best.

He pointed out how often people argue about who is the greatest basketball player, quarterback or what the greatest movie of all time is.

Those questions are subjective.

But there's something much more personal you can control:

“You can always try to be your best at whatever you're doing.”

And then he gave me one final reminder:

Don't take life too seriously.

At that point, Nolan joked that he apparently had a lot more advice than he realized.

We all laughed.

The Tattoo

Then came another unexpected moment.

Nolan showed us a tattoo on his bicep:

Sic Parvis Magna.

He had finally put the phrase on his arm.

Nolan quickly joked:

“I am not recommending a tattoo.”

He explained that his 18-year-old had wanted matching tattoos for his birthday, and Nolan got to pick the design.

And, of course, he chose the phrase that has been part of his connection with Uncharted fans for so many years.

Sic Parvis Magna.

Greatness from small beginnings.

From Meeting Nolan as a Kid to Interviewing Him at 17

We ended up taking some new photos together while I was wearing the shirt, recreating the moment from nine years ago.

Nolan even joked as we got ready for the photo:

Nolan: “Let's take another one — not like we're going to prom.”

We all laughed, but getting that new photo together was one of the coolest moments of the entire NYCC experience. Nine years after our first photo, I was standing next to Nolan again — except this time I wasn't just a kid meeting Nathan Drake. I was there as a RadioAnime reporter interviewing someone I've looked up to for years.

Walking away from that interview was surreal.

Nine years ago, I was the kid standing in line to meet Nolan North and get my Uncharted Funko Pop signed.

And the person who once signed something for me with “Sic Parvis Magna” was now giving me advice about believing in myself, learning from mistakes, finding something I love and always trying to be my best.

Before we left, Nolan thanked us and joked: