# Wyatt Nash
**Wyatt Nash** is the stage name of Matthew Wyatt Elrod, an American actor and former reality television contestant born in 1988 in [Nashville, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/nashville-tennessee). He first became known as "Matt Elrod" on the 22nd season of *[Survivor](https://www.edgepedia.org/survivor-american-tv-series)*, and after the show built an acting career that includes recurring roles as Nigel Wright on *Pretty Little Liars*, Kurt Fletcher on *Dear White People*, and [Charles Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-smith) on *Riverdale*.[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) • [2](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/wyatt-nash.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Matthew Wyatt Elrod, born in Nashville, Tennessee[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) |
| Stage name | "Wyatt" from his middle name, "Nash" for Nashville, his hometown[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) |
| *Survivor* finish | 7th of 18 on *Survivor: Redemption Island* (season 22); tribes Ometepe and Murlonio; 10 challenge wins; 36 days in the game[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) |
| Redemption Island run | Voted out early, then won ten consecutive duels to re-enter at the merge, after which he was voted out again[3](https://bracketology.tv/survivor/contestants/matt-elrod) |
| Breakthrough acting roles | Nigel Wright on *Pretty Little Liars* (2013); Christopher Dollanganger in Lifetime's *Petals on the Wind* (2014)[4](https://prettylittleliars.fandom.com/wiki/Wyatt_Nash) • [5](https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/petals-on-the-wind/cast/wyatt-nash) |
| Later recurring roles | Kurt Fletcher on *Dear White People* (16 episodes) and Charles Smith on *Riverdale* (19 episodes)[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/32710/wyatt-nash) |
| Personal life | Married musician Aubrey Swander on September 17, 2017[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) |
## Survivor: Redemption Island
Nash competed on *[Survivor: Redemption Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/survivor-redemption-island)* in 2011 under his birth name, Matt Elrod, as a pre-med student from Nashville assigned to the Ometepe tribe and later the merged Murlonio tribe.[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) • [3](https://bracketology.tv/survivor/contestants/matt-elrod) He was blindsided early by his own alliance, which voted him out after he grew close to tribemate and ally Andrea Boehlke.[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) • [3](https://bracketology.tv/survivor/contestants/matt-elrod)
**Redemption Island comeback.** Sent to the show's Redemption Island, where eliminated players duel for a chance to return, he won ten consecutive duels to re-enter the game at the merge, only to be voted out immediately again.[3](https://bracketology.tv/survivor/contestants/matt-elrod) He finished seventh of 18 contestants, recorded 10 challenge wins, received 10 votes against, and lasted 36 of the season's 39 days.[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod)
## Stage name and early career
Nash adopted "Wyatt Nash" as a stage name, combining Wyatt, his middle name, with Nash for Nashville, his hometown.[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) Before television, his professional work started with country music videos while he was in college; he has said he began auditioning for videos and modeling roles to help pay rent, then decided to pursue acting after graduating.[7](https://www.naludamagazine.com/wyatt-nash/) He earned a bachelor's degree in biology and worked as a surgery technologist in a Tennessee hospital, where visitors' suggestions led him into modeling.[5](https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/petals-on-the-wind/cast/wyatt-nash) • [8](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a13910/wyatt-nash/) After graduating and competing on *Survivor*, he moved to Los Angeles.[8](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a13910/wyatt-nash/)
## Television and film roles
Nash's first screen work after *Survivor* was a recurring role as Cameron on the [Nickelodeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nickelodeon) series *Hollywood Heights* in 2012.[4](https://prettylittleliars.fandom.com/wiki/Wyatt_Nash) Guest appearances followed in 2013, including Nigel Wright in two episodes of *Pretty Little Liars* and the credited role "Hot Naked Guy" in one episode of *Mistresses*, a credit he has described lightheartedly but said he was not trying to make stick.[4](https://prettylittleliars.fandom.com/wiki/Wyatt_Nash) • [8](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a13910/wyatt-nash/) In 2014 he played Christopher Dollanganger in Lifetime's television film *Petals on the Wind*, opposite [Ellen Burstyn](https://www.edgepedia.org/ellen-burstyn), Heather Graham, and [Rose McIver](https://www.edgepedia.org/rose-mciver).[5](https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/petals-on-the-wind/cast/wyatt-nash)
**Hallmark and other work.** He starred as Ryan Kelly in the [Hallmark Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/hallmark-channel) adaptation of Karen Kingsbury's novel *The Bridge* in 2015 and its 2016 sequel, *The Bridge Part 2*.[7](https://www.naludamagazine.com/wyatt-nash/) His guest roles include Tad in *1600 Penn* (2013), Dutch Sullivan in *Rake* (2014), Eric in *Graves* (2016), The Guardian in *Hawaii Five-0* (2018), and Young Michael Hitchcock in the *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* episode "Hitchcock & Scully" (2019).[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/32710/wyatt-nash) He also appeared as the Hot Doctor in a November 2015 episode of ABC's *[Dr. Ken](https://www.edgepedia.org/dr-ken)* and in the music video for [The Band Perry](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-band-perry)'s song "You Lie".[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod)
**Recurring roles from 2017.** From 2017 to 2019 Nash played Kurt Fletcher, editor of the campus humor magazine and son of the college president, in 16 episodes of the Netflix series *Dear White People*, and appeared as Phil in six episodes of *GLOW*.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/32710/wyatt-nash) His longest-running part is Charles Smith on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw)'s *Riverdale*, beginning with the season 3 finale in 2019 and continuing across seasons 4, 5, and 6 through 2022, for 19 episodes in total.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/32710/wyatt-nash)
## Personal life
Nash married musician Aubrey Swander on September 17, 2017.[1](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod) He describes himself as an outdoorsman who enjoys camping, hiking, and climbing; in 2016 he was spearheading a project at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles to bring a camping-like experience indoors for patients.[7](https://www.naludamagazine.com/wyatt-nash/) • [8](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a13910/wyatt-nash/)
## References
1. [Matt Elrod, Survivor Wiki (Fandom)](https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Elrod)
2. [Wyatt Nash, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/wyatt-nash.html)
3. [Matt Elrod, Survivor: Redemption Island, Bracketology](https://bracketology.tv/survivor/contestants/matt-elrod)
4. [Wyatt Nash, Pretty Little Liars Wiki (Fandom)](https://prettylittleliars.fandom.com/wiki/Wyatt_Nash)
5. [Wyatt Nash, Petals on the Wind Cast, Lifetime](https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/petals-on-the-wind/cast/wyatt-nash)
6. [Wyatt Nash, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/32710/wyatt-nash)
7. [Wyatt Nash Interview, Naluda Magazine](https://www.naludamagazine.com/wyatt-nash/)
8. [#ManCrushMonday: Wyatt Nash, Harper's Bazaar](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a13910/wyatt-nash/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Mo to Ne*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license