What do you like about your character? “That he’s very loyal to his family. There seems to be a theme with Nick that he doesn’t want to be involved in the family drama and wants to stay outside the fray, but at his core, I know he’d do anything to protect them.”
What don’t you like about your character? “Lately, it seems Nick’s being written as if he doesn’t know what he wants out of life. He’s like this wandering person who can’t seem to find his place, when my first 25 years on the show, he was very cocky and self-assured and confident. He let what people thought of him roll off of his back. He was like, ‘I’m not afraid to be me and I don’t care if I make mistakes because this is who I am.’ I don’t like that he’s now someone who questions himself because he’s never been that.”
What do you consider Nick’s strengths? “He’s got a lot of heart and is very compassionate. He makes bold decisions. I mean, he used to. He’s a protector; he really wants to save people whenever he can. He’s a good guy and I think that anyone would want to have a beer with him. I think he’s got a solid personality and sense of humor.”
What do you consider his weaknesses? “His biggest weakness is commitment. He’s had several issues with maintaining a healthy relationship and that comes from his questionable character when it comes to women. I think far and away that’s his biggest weakness. There’s also a weakness with his dad. Nick wants Victor to accept him for who he is, and at times he forgets that he also needs to be who his dad expects him to be. In his desire to be his own man and take his own path, I think that Nick sometimes forgets he needs to do what’s best for the family and help his dad out more.”
What family member is your character closest to? “That would definitely be his sister, Victoria. They’re absolute best friends and the person they each turn to when things are dicey or they need advice. I love, love, love that this relationship means so much to them, but for the first time in a long time, they’re not inseparable. They had some issues that started with Victoria’s assault on Phyllis’s hotel, and now Victoria is essentially choosing Ashland and his desires over Nick. They’re in a new place than what they’re accustomed to but the thing that Nick always counted on is knowing that they have each other’s back, no matter what. With all of the turmoil that the Newman family is, the touchstone has always been Nick and Victoria, and that no matter what, they’ll always be there for each other. Although they’re not getting along now like they usually do, they still care for each other. If there’s anybody that she would open up to, it would be Nick, but she’s not doing that, so it’s definitely a problem for the family.”
In your opinion, what was Nick’s best job? “Dark Horse. I loved that the writers wanted to take Nick into that arena. It was so fun to play and certainly not anything anyone expected Nick to do. He didn’t have to achieve Dark Horse through the means that he did, but I liked that he decided to throw his hat into the business world and take on everyone. That was actually a Nick Newman thing to do. It was impulsive, aggressive and risky, and that’s who he always was. But then they flipped the switch and took that all away.”
In Nick’s opinion, what was his best job? “The Underground [bar]. Nick was really in his element and it was a great place in town for everyone to hang out. I loved that set, and there were lots of cool things that happened there, and it was something that Nick got to do with his son, as well. Robbie [Adamson, ex-Noah] and I had a great time on that set and it was just so cool. That’s where Nick fell for Sage, which was a fun time because I loved [her portrayer] Kelly Sullivan so much. The Underground was a good place for Genoa City. All my favorite things, they take away [chuckles].”
What other profession would you like to see your character tackle? “In a soap, there are only so many professions that are available, particularly in Genoa City. Nick isn’t going to be a cop or doctor or lawyer, so there aren’t many avenues to go down. It’s about set use; they’re not going to build new sets for a bunch of trades. I still believe that Nick should be a part of Newman Enterprises because it’s great for the family drama, and it’s also a way for Nick to keep an eye on his sister, even though she doesn’t need it. Nick being involved in the family business would make his dad happy, so there would be more conflict with that. I think that there are better opportunities for mixing it up with the heavy hitters.”
What would be the fantasy job for Nick? “I wouldn’t mind if he went the exact opposite way and became a golf pro. Just let him wander around in golf clothes, talking about his tee times and having long cocktail lunches.”
Aside from Victoria, who is Nick’s best friend? “You don’t see guys with friends on soaps very often. For a while, I thought it was Rey, which was a very interesting dynamic because he was married to Nick’s ex-wife. I mean, Rey asked Nick to be his best man and Nick willingly did it, which is probably a little obscure. But with Rey gone now, I would say Devon is Nick’s best friend. They seem very buddy/buddy when they’re around each other. I would like to see a friendship between them developed more, but it’s funny, in every article that I read and one of us is asked who would they like to work with, everyone always says Bryton [James, Devon]. I’m getting kind of bothered that no one ever says me and I’m starting to take it personally [laughs]. Bryton is such a special man with a great attitude and I love him like a brother.”
Who is Nick’s enemy? “The only person right now that Nick considers his enemy is Adam. He has done terrible things to Nick. They’re in a good place now — sort of — but it’s always very delicate. Nick still doesn’t trust Adam as far as he can throw him. Enemy may be too strong of a word, adversaries is probably closer and I like that. I can’t stand it when they’re getting along because I think it’s more interesting when you’ve got these two brothers who don’t want to accept who the other is, and I love that. Right now, they’ve come together to protect their sister but I prefer it when they’re not on good terms. I, Joshua, just can’t completely commit to Nick accepting Adam because it’s more interesting to me when they’re looking at each other sideways. When they’re not digging each other, that’s a relationship I cherish.”
Who was the love of Nick’s life? “That’s asking me to step on a land mine. I recently started my 29th year on Y&R and Nick has been with Sharon half of those years and Phyllis for the other half, so I just can’t say one. They each represent a different kind of love. Obviously, Nick and Sharon were each other’s first love that started in a really beautiful, innocent way. They were just two kids falling for each other. They’ve been through so much and there’s no question that they will always love each other. If the powers-that-be decide that Nick and Sharon should be together, there you have it, but I cannot discount what Nick and Phyllis shared. It was an incredible relationship and completely unlike what he had with Sharon, but it’s not any less impactful. Nick and Phyllis are crazy about each other and they’ve got this electricity between them that is rare. Their relationship came out of nowhere and shocked everyone and for some reason, they get each other. But I could never say which one I prefer over the other. They are both part of my life and more importantly, a huge part of Nick’s life.”
Who is the one that got away? “That would definitely be Avery. That relationship was really trending in a great direction. Nick really wanted to be with her, and I wish they would bring Avery back to inject some energy into that part of his life. I think that relationship really worked and added an extra layer with Nick and Phyllis.”
How do you imagine Nick spends his downtime? “I’m assuming that Nick likes to work out and hit golf balls. That’s what I do a lot, so that’s what I’m going to go with. I also play a lot of beach volleyball but I don’t see Nick doing that.”
Would you be friends with Nick? “I actually like Nick. If he was a real person, he would be my homeboy.”
Me Vs. Him
Who dresses better — you or Nick? “All I wear are basketball shorts and cutoff shirts, so Nick has a better wardrobe, but I don’t like how he dresses because it’s all sweaters and pocket squares.”
Who has a better house? “My house is great. I love my house. My wife is a designer and has made it look really cool. It’s big and open and has an awesome backyard.”
Who drives a cooler car? “Well, Joshua drives a Tesla and I love that car. It’s one of my favorite things I ever purchased.”
Who’s more uptight? “Oh, Nick for sure. He’s wound pretty tight about certain things, while it takes something really special to get my heart rate up. Not much angers me.”
Who’s a better dancer? “Joshua. I like to get down, man. Before the kids came along, my wife and I used to go out and dance two nights a week. My wife is sexy and hot and I love dancing with her.”
Who’s more fun at a party? “Nick. Joshua tends to be in the corner, setting up shop at the bar. Nick would be wandering around being super-social.”
Who’s hipper? “I’m the opposite of
hip, so I’ll have to say Nick. He dresses
better and is up on current events. I only care about sports and Nick is much more well-rounded.”
Who has the shorter temper? “Nick. He used to have an extremely quick trigger. He’s matured over time but he can still get pretty heated quickly with people who attack his family.”
Who’s the better joke teller? “Me, hands down. I’m a really funny person. I laugh at myself all of the time. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that everybody says I’m funny and I think I just am. Nick is in goofy-dad mode, whereas I’m very sarcastic and I like to pick on people. If there’s something that bothers you, then I’m going to use that and enjoy it. I’m very ornery but it comes across in a very funny way.”
