Prior to acting, Nankervis was a primary school teacher at Wesley College, Glen Waverley, and Kingswood College, Box Hill. After six years of teaching he decided to quit to pursue his passion for acting. He got a job as a waiter in 1985 at a famous Melbourne theatre restaurant, The Last Laugh. It is famous for discovering comedians and performers such as Lynda Gibson, Jane Turner, Peter Moon, Richard Stubbs and many more. [2]