Albert Nicholas started his acting career in theatre, where he had the pleasure of performing in such shows as Barefoot in the Park, Blood Wedding, and Red Light Winter. For the past decade, the Ottawa born and raised actor has been working in film and TV. He can be seen in Nickelodeon’s “The Astronauts, the second season of The CW’s “Two Sentence Horror Stories, and as Naps in the feature film “Little Fish”. We caught up with him for a chat.
Thank you for agreeing to this interview with Occhi Magazine. Congratulations on your career to date. If you weren’t an actor what would you be and why?
I would be an astronaut. Space fascinates me. If they have volunteers to go to Mars again I would highly consider it. Don’t tell my agent.
How did you get into acting?
I was nineteen, having a really difficult time in life and struggling academically, which was unusual for me. It was actually my dad who pushed me into the theatre to have something to look forward to, knowing it was something I always wanted to do. I wonder if he thought that sixteen years later this would be my career.
Who have been your industry influences?
Will Smith for sure. I grew up watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and he had a big influence on me wanting to get into TV and film. Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, and Robert De Niro. There is just something about the way they command you on screen; they’re so captivating to watch. The Rock. He’s an absolute entertainer and there is something to be said about his mindset. He created such an empire for himself, which is really respectable.
You started your career on stage, performing in such shows as Barefoot in the Park, Blood Wedding, and Red Light Winter. Please share your experiences on stage and how it compares with film and TV?
I was very fortunate to have amazing directors who acted as mentors when I worked in theatre. I was thrown into circumstances that pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to really trust my instincts. Once I got my footing, I was lucky to do three to five shows a year. I got to experience comedies, dramas, murder mysteries, and even a horror play. I attribute all these experiences to building my confidence on stage and shaping my craft. If it weren’t for theatre I wouldn’t have the emotional range or capacity that I have now. Something is exhilarating when it comes to a live performance. There’s nothing like vibing off the audience during a show.
There are a few ways that theatre differs from film and TV. For one, theatre shows can be rehearsed for months before a performance. In film and TV, you’re usually not working with the other actors on a scene until the shoot day. Shows are also shot out of order, so you have to keep track of your characters’ emotional journey in pieces, whereas in theatre you’re living it from point A to point B. In theatre, there are no retakes. There isn’t much room for error. Productions always aim for “perfection”, but we are human after all, and the possibility of making mistakes exists. I have to say though, having to think on the spot to fix things when mistakes do happen is what I live for. I’ve found not only in theatre but also in film and TV that it’s actually in the flaws that you often find the magic.
It appears you’ve migrated to film and TV, landing roles on The CW’s “Supernatural”, Fox’s “The X-Files”, Netflix’s “Lucifer”, and Hulu’s “Shut Eye”. Please share your experiences working onset of some of the most popular shows.
Looking back I’m lucky to have Supernatural as my first on-screen credit. Considering it was my first gig, I was really nervous, but getting onto a set that had been running for 11 seasons at the time made my experience so easy going. Everyone was welcoming and awesome to work with.
The X-Files kind of speaks for itself. It was cool to be a part of such a phenomenon of a show. I got to play a detective at a crime scene, which was dope because I thought I would have to wait until I was much older to play one.
Shut Eye and Lucifer happened only a couple of months apart, and both are quite memorable. On Shut Eye, I ended up having two stunt performers, which was a first for me. One was there for a physical portion of the scene, while the other was a diving expert, there to play out the part of me drowning in a vat of oil. He could hold his breath underwater for an extended period of time. As an actor, I enjoy playing out as much of a stunt as I’m able to, but suffice to say that stunt performers almost always make you look better. I say almost because you know…Tom Cruise. As for Lucifer, it was the first time I got to play a role where I’m portraying to be related to another actor in the same scene. In this case, I was playing Aimee Garcia’s brother. Honestly, it was so easy to get along with her, I felt like we dropped right into our respective roles of big sister and little brother.
You’ve recently completed work on Nickelodeon’s “The Astronauts”. Please tell us more about the series, your role, and what viewers can expect?
The Astronauts is about a group of kids that accidentally get sent up into space, which ultimately sets them up for a wicked adventure as they try to find their way back home to Earth. Meanwhile, their parents desperately try to regain control of the situation back down at the Mission Control Centre. I play Charlie Collins, the flight activities officer who’s relaying information all while making sure the spaceship’s vitals stay afloat.
The visuals on this show are stunning and cinematic. From inside the spaceship, to mission control, to visual effects… I think viewers will really appreciate it all. I would also say that this series is more on the drama side than Nickelodeon watchers may be used to. That being said, it has a bit of everything: some silliness and laughs, some tears, and dynamic storytelling. It’s a show that both kids and parents will enjoy. As I said earlier, I love space; so getting to work on this series was awesome.
You played the role of Reza in the second season of The CW’s “Two Sentence Horror Stories. What can we expect from season two? Are there any surprises you can share?
Every episode comes with a surprise, but unfortunately, none that I can share. It’s an anthology series and I got the pleasure to be in an episode I think was beautifully executed, and will send shivers down your spine. One great thing about this series, which is what I think gets a lot of people drawn to it, is that they try to tell stories that are not typical. They try to break barriers by showcasing people who aren’t always leads on TV, and whose voices aren’t always heard.
This February sees the release of “Little Fish”, which follows a couple fighting to hold their relationship together as a memory loss virus spreads and threatens to erase the history of their love and courtship. The film is released in select theaters, on digital platforms, and Cable VOD. Please tell us a little more about the film, and what attracted you to the role of ‘Naps’.
Honestly, you summed up the film pretty well. It’s a really relevant concept and I think people will be drawn to it based solely on the fact that we are living through a pandemic ourselves. It’s definitely going to pull on heartstrings, and as this current pandemic has done, it will probably make you question what is important to you in life.
In this specific case, it was less about what attracted me to the role and more what attracted me to the project. The tone and feel of the film really resonated with me, and I just wanted to play a part in telling this beautifully tragic story. There is something about working on film that is so satisfying and collaborative. A cool fact about my character’s name is that it’s a shortened version of one of my middle names. Director Chad Hartigan, Jack O’Connell, and I had fun coming up with it on the spot.
What has been your biggest challenge as an actor and how do you overcome it?
I’m super hypercritical of myself and a big part of my journey has been to learn to let that go; trust my instincts, trust my craft, and just have fun. Once all of that kind of came together is when I subsequently started seeing success.
Who would you love to collaborate with and why?
There are a lot of artists I would love to collaborate with but in the end, the dream would be to create with my friends. Look at Adam Sandler and the empire he has created. That’s what I want to do.
Can you share any information on other projects in the pipeline?
Unfortunately, I can’t disclose any information on what I just worked on but stay tuned. ☺
Where can our readers find out more about you and your projects?
The best place to keep in touch is on Instagram @albert.nicholas
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