In 1995, Nick went to prison for the attempted murder of Matt Clark. Didn’t Y&R go all-out with building the prison set? “Oh yeah, this was back in the heyday when the shows really tried to create environments big, and you felt it. When Nick went to prison, they built a prison cell with bunks where I slept with [cellmate] Shark. There was also a big, incredible laundry room, a common area and a visiting area. So, for that stage alone, they built four sets to make the prison atmosphere seem big and palpable for the audience. It was honestly my third favorite storyline.”
Wasn’t it also a two-story set? “I believe that was the laundry room because people could look down on the people doing laundry, which was Nick’s job. That was one of the many times when Shark attacked Nick. We joked around and called it ‘Pretty Boy Prison’ because most of the prisoners were extremely good-looking and really in-shape men. [The set designers/decorators] made it look as dingy-looking as possible. They really took the time to make it as authentic as possible. Those sets were depressing but also spectacular at the same time because the show really invested in creating that world to show Nick’s depression and struggle with it. It was awesome.”
What was your reaction when you first saw the prison set, knowing this would be your soap home for a long while? “It was show-stopping. I had never seen anything like it at that point, because Nick’s life revolved around being in the coffeehouse, Newman Enterprises and in a living room, so to see this set was pretty incredible.”
At that time, you worked closely with actor David “Shark” Fralick, who played Larry “The Wartman” Warton. “Y&R did an incredible job of hiring Shark, who was about as intimidating an actor as I’ve ever been around. He was a tough guy and he certainly helped make everything uncomfortable. The show allowed him to create this menacing, terrorizing character who enjoyed making Nick’s life miserable. In between scenes, Shark and I would have a great time and he’s such a goofball, but, man, he completely immersed himself in creating an atmosphere that was truly terrifying for this younger dude who went to prison for the wrong reason.”
What did your prison wear look like? “In jail, you’re in jumpsuits, and in prison, you were in these kind of khaki pants with a beige collared shirt and when you weren’t wearing the shirt you were in one of those white tank tops. For me, it was as awesome experience. I loved, loved, loved going to prison and it was also the very first time that [then-Executive Producer] Ed Scott let me grow facial hair. I fought him on that forever and he was like, ‘No! Nick’s clean-cut!’ When I went to prison, I was like, ‘Bro, he’s not going to shave in prison,’ and Ed was like, ‘Okay, I agree with you.’ I don’t know if I’ve shaved since, unless it was for a wedding.”
Did you know ahead of time how long Nick would be behind bars? “No, but that’s when we took a long time telling stories. And I didn’t want to know, so I didn’t ask. I feel knowing anything about the future could color your performance and I didn’t want that. I just knew [Nick] was gonna be in prison for a while and it was a blast. I got to work with The Shark every day and he made me laugh uncontrollably. Sharon Case [Sharon], Eric Braeden [Victor] and Heather Tom [ex-Victoria] would come and visit me and those were really good scenes.”
Did you ever get tired of working on the same set? “No, I personally didn’t want it to end. I was getting to do something I never got to do before. It was material I could sink my teeth into because [Nick] was filled with despair and sadness. I also had to play being terrified of The Wartman. Nick would put up a brave front for his family when they’d visit, but he was really intimidated by this man, so I never wanted the audience to think, ‘Oh, he’s gonna be fine, he’s got this.’ This guy was a really vicious dude and I wanted this level of fear surrounding Nick at all times.”
Did you did ever feel strange that you weren’t working with your usual scene partners? “No, because I got those scenes in when [Nick’s] family members as well as Sharon would visit him. The bulk of my scenes were with Shark and the rest of the other inmates and I was very happy with that.”
When Shark attacked Nick, Victor arrived and gave quite the beat-down. “I was counting down the days [until] that would happen. I would joke, ‘How many more days until Eric comes in and saves my ass?’ It predictably happened and it worked. I really wanted to see those two tangle. There was a camera in the washer or the dryer when Victor jammed Shark’s head in there. It was an awesome shot!”
On a scale of one to 10, how uncomfortable was your mattress? “A 10. It was a piece of cardboard as far as thickness, but I never wanted to feel comfortable.”
In 2001, Nick was behind bars again, this time after Matt Clark staged his death to look like Nick murdered him. “The character of Matt Clark, man, was an incredible foil for Nick. It was a really cool journey to go on as an actor. Eddie Cibrian [the original Matt] is still one of my very best friends and Rick Hearst [who succeeded Cibrian] is one of the best actors I’ve ever seen in my life. I mean, he was friggin’ awesome. What a tremendously talented human that dude is.”
Would you be up for doing another prison drama for Nick? “Absolutely. Like anybody on the show, we just want movement, we want things to do, we want to mix it up and share the stage with talented people. You want to tell different stories, you want your character to win, to lose, to suffer, to be happy and to be heartbroken. I want it all.”
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