Fred Nelson, actor who portrays King Henry VIII at the Maryland Renaissance Festival

Five Things I Have To Have Now

September 2, 2007

Fred Nelson is beginning his sixth season portraying King Henry VIII in the imaginary village of Revel Grove at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. The festival runs weekends through Oct. 21 in Crownsville.

Outside of Revel Grove, Nelson has acted in several other venues, most recently in the title role of The Nerd at Baltimore's Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre. He is a Glen Burnie-based video editor and voiceover announcer for several national TV networks and corporate clients. His PBS documentary 9 to 5 No Longer airs nationally this fall.

Daughters Teara and Tamsen attend college at Christopher Newport University, and his cockatiels Felix and Oscar attend their birdcage and hold court loudly several times a day.

1. A personal fashion consultant

"The Maryland Renaissance Festival's Cindy Andersen does incredible work designing my costumes out on the streets of Revel Grove. I need someone like that at home, where I have precisely zero fashion sense."

2. An iPhone

"What bandwagon? To be honest, my Mac stuff is usually up-to-date. The only reason I'm behind the curve on this one is I haven't had the time to go and buy one."

3. A trip to Guam (and the time to take it)

"You probably wouldn't think it to look at me, but I was raised there. I have scores of close friends on Guam that I haven't seen for over a decade - it's high time."

4. Every Star Trek series on DVD

"That way I can give my DVR a break."

5. A pillow

"We've just wrapped weeks of rehearsal and now I'm performing in 90-degree heat, wearing what can best be described as a couch. I need all the sleep I can get."

[LIZ ATWOOD]