Rising Star Albert Nicholas On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Guernslye Honoré
None of it is permanent — whether you’re the lead in the #1 show on television, or it’s been the biggest drought of your career. Deciding to pursue acting means you have to be okay with, and understand how to endure, intense peaks and the lowest of lows. It can be so difficult either way. I’ve had moments of absolute despair, when I thought I would never reach the other end of the tunnel. It passed. I’ve had highs when my career snowballed gig after gig. It passed. Having this understanding helps with longevity and sanity in this career. None of it is permanent.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Albert Nicholas.
For the past decade, Albert has been working in film and TV, landing roles on The CW’s “Supernatural”, Fox’s “The X-Files”, Netflix’s “Lucifer”, and Hulu’s “Shut Eye”. SInce November, Albert also appeared as Charlie Collins in Nickelodeon’s “The Astronauts”, Reza in the second season of The CW’s “Two Sentence Horror Stories, and as Naps in the feature film “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.
Albert Nicholas can currently be seen as Captain Dixit in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Trey in American Girl: Corrine Tran, both available on Netflix.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born and mainly raised in Ottawa, Canada. My father worked for Foreign Affairs, so when I was about 4 or 5, we spent a year in Brussels, Belgium. Not long enough for me to remember much (except maybe a lot of rain and the Manneken Pis) but long enough to affect my accent for a few years. I grew up with a Lebanese father and Vietnamese/French mother- so you can imagine the cultural influences, the languages, the food! My parents were also well traveled and made it a point to expose my sister and I to as many countries/cultures as they could so we would appreciate and have a better understanding of the world later in life.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
It’s hard to fully recall but I think deep down I always had the want to be an entertainer. My parents brought my sister and I to many plays and musicals when we were younger. They would say I spent my time counting the lights instead of enjoying the show; perhaps bored because I wanted to be up there so badly instead of watching! I remember doing a show in fifth grade and feeling invigorated. Unfortunately, at least in the French system, the suburb I grew up in didn’t really have much of a theatre or performing arts program. So that dream was definitely put on the back burner. Out of sight, but certainly not out of mind. It always gnawed at me. It wasn’t until I was in my second year of university that it was revisited. I was having a terrible time finding my place in my studies, I was dealing with psoriasis that pretty much took over most of my body; suffice to say it wasn’t a great time in my life. I remember my father asking me what I really wanted to do… and next thing I knew he started making calls and writing emails. He found a small theatre company who took me in, and they pretty much saved me from a downward spiral. From that point forward, it was clear to me what my goals were; I just didn’t know how to get there or where it would lead me.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Most interesting story? Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve had many interesting stories on either side of the spectrum- great and terrible. Don’t worry, I laugh about the terrible ones now. But I’ll share a serendipitous experience that still comes to mind till this day. I was a huge fan of the show Dexter! My favorite character on there was Angel Batista, played by David Zayas, and I actually had the opportunity to work with him on a Hulu show called Shut Eye in 2016. It was pretty surreal because it was the first time I got to work with someone I was a legit fan of- and he was super cool about it. What makes it even sweeter is that I got to work with Aimee Garcia, who played Jamie Batista (David Zayas’ sister on Dexter), a couple of months later… and this time I played her brother on a show called Lucifer! It was sort of a full circle moment that I still think is pretty cool!
It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Pfff… where to start! I made many mistakes. I mean, I even paid someone to be my agent at one point… and then was told several times you only pay an agent when you make money from a gig. If only I could put the facepalm emoji. I’ll tell you one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made: After I booked War of the Planet of the Apes, I had a meeting with the make-up and hair team. This was a rather huge production, so even with a small role they wanted to discuss vision and what would be needed, etc. After leaving, it was my understanding that my head would be shaved for filming. Well… in my naivety and thinking I would do them a favor, I decided to go ahead and do it myself — straight to the scalp. Boy oh boy, did that cause a commotion. It was such a misstep that I was called on set a few days earlier to see how the hair department could fix the issue. One of the producers even came into the hair and make-up trailer and just said “So you shaved your head without asking huh.” It was embarrassing. I thought I was going to get fired and that would be it for my career, blah blah blah. Guess what? It didn’t even matter in the end. I still got to shoot, the movie was still made, I’m still alive. So, not that what we do doesn’t matter, but it’s certainly not life or death! It did, however, teach me to always double check with people before signing off on something.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
In a couple of months, I’ll be putting my head down and working on producing a project. I’m keeping it pretty close to the chest so far as we’re still early into the pre-production phase. I’m real excited about it though. I think it has great potential and it’s allowing me to build a partnership with an amazing artist. I’ve thought a lot about stepping behind the camera throughout my career- this will finally give me that opportunity.
As a rising star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated and overcome obstacles in your career?
Staying motivated can be extremely difficult, especially with the number of obstacles an artist (or simply: a human) must face in their career and life. It’s never ending. I don’t think you ever get to a stage where obstacles just miraculously stop. That’s something you have to find a way to make peace with. In fact, I would say that obstacles can sometimes even have a positive impact in your career. What’s preventing you from moving forward in one direction may be helping you avoid a disaster, or pointing you in another direction that turns out to be more beneficial. The main thing is to try to not focus on these obstacles as permanent barriers. It’s great to be aware of them and know they exist; now what are some possibilities or work-arounds? How do you prove these obstacles wrong? How do you use them as fuel to motivate you instead of shutting you down? Everyone is different and you just have to find your own way(s) to overcome the head game that roadblocks present. For me, it’s often debriefing with friends and family. Having a community, both in the realm of my work, and one completely outside. The latter is super important to me, not only because it provides a completely different perspective, but because it helps ground me back to reality. Also, if you’re really in a rut, I cannot implore enough to avoid social media. Comparing yourself to others is soul crushing. Instead, look outwards to your inner circle and find motivation within them and their excitement.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I’d like to believe that diversity in entertainment is starting to make sense for most viewers. Many stories greatly benefit from involving people with different cultural upbringings. And although some stories don’t necessarily require it — and yes, the best individual for the job should get it — some stories can’t properly unfold without it. In the end, it’s all about balance. The hope would be that having more diverse representation and being exposed to it more frequently would increase that sense of understanding and acceptance amongst each other. Also, whether we like to admit it or not, there’s an undertone of “Am I enough” coursing through all our veins. I truly believe that having a visual medium that represents you instills that sense of acceptance within oneself, even if at a small scale.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . None of it is permanent — whether you’re the lead in the #1 show on television, or it’s been the biggest drought of your career. Deciding to pursue acting means you have to be okay with, and understand how to endure, intense peaks and the lowest of lows. It can be so difficult either way. I’ve had moments of absolute despair, when I thought I would never reach the other end of the tunnel. It passed. I’ve had highs when my career snowballed gig after gig. It passed. Having this understanding helps with longevity and sanity in this career. None of it is permanent.
2 . It’s your career: you can say no. Just because there are a lot of things out of your control doesn’t mean you don’t have any. I think a lot of people in this industry can feel quite powerless- so it’s important to take ownership of the things you can control. Voice your opinion, believe wholeheartedly in what you want to do and accomplish, get involved in your own career, and remember, you can say no. Actors are sometimes conditioned to take anything and everything that comes their way. After all, we want to work, and life is getting expensive! Saying ‘no’ is usually coupled with major FOMO… but does it outweigh saying ‘yes’ and having buyer’s remorse? This is for you to decide for yourself; just know you have a choice.
3 . Don’t stop living your life in fear of missing out. Too often I put my life on pause because of the fear of missing out on a possible audition that could maybe change my life, if I were to book it. Read that sentence over again. “Possible”, “maybe”, “if” — uncertainties. Yet what was certain is that I missed out on life in the process. Ironic, isn’t it? Hopefully, with self-tapes, this is something people experience far less. Funny enough, once I started freeing myself from this burden, more work came my way.
4 . Always keep learning- and I don’t just mean keep taking acting classes. Sure, being in a scene study or audition class has many benefits. However, some roles will demand much more of you, and acting will come second. People don’t like to hear that but it’s true. Acting isn’t always the #1 thing that gets you hired. A friend of mine recently lost out on a role, presumably because there was a lack of fight and gun training. I say presumably because that was discussed, but there is also so much politics that goes behind being hired so who really knows. That being said, why give them another reason to look elsewhere? Learn a martial art. Go out to the range and practice shooting guns. Learn a different language. Pick up another instrument. Ask yourself what you want to do in your career: Is it action? Comedy? Musicals? Prepare yourself. It’s never a bad idea: you never know which role is right around the corner.
5 . Don’t just focus on one avenue. If you want to be an actor, great! But keep directing, producing, and writing in the back of your mind. Make plans and set goals to have that as part of your career. I really believe this is where longevity is created. It took me a while to clue into this because I was so tunnel visioned on my want to be an actor. Looking back, I had so much time to create and bring stories in my head to fruition. Not everyone has the luxury of working back to back to back as a performer. In fact, we can argue there’s way more down time and waiting around. Why not keep creative during those breaks? Besides, some of the most prolific actors today are creating their own work and hiring themselves.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I wouldn’t say I’m a person of enormous influence. However, I do believe that every person in life has the power to bring forth positivity or negativity. Life is short. We don’t have as much time as we think. I want to be a person, at the very least, that releases positive energy into the world while I can.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are a few people I’m grateful towards for helping me along the way and supporting me when I needed it the most. I wouldn’t be able to single out one person without feeling the need to mention the others. For that reason, I’ll leave it at that. The real ones know who they are and that I have a special place for them in my heart.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I heard Denzel Washington say this but I believe he was quoting Les Brown:
“Imagine you’re on your deathbed and standing around your bed are the ghosts representing your unfulfilled potential. The ghosts of the ideas you never acted on. The ghosts of the talents you didn’t use. And they’re standing around your bed angry, disappointed, upset.”
“We came to you because you could have brought us to life,” they say. “And now we go to the grave together. So, I ask you today: how many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes?”
Sometimes, figuring out the next step in life is scary. It can be hard to take action, and I’ve been a culprit of deciding to settle for the status quo. But I certainly do not want to face these ghosts when my time comes. So even in my worst times, when I’m paralyzed by indecisiveness, I think the path of least resistance is best… I try to remember that settling, to avoid discomfort and heartbreak, isn’t worth regretting and questioning what could have been, later in life.
Another quote that’s always resonated with me is: “If you’re absent during my struggle, don’t expect to be present during my success.” However, I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a life lesson. More so the reality that only your true supporters will be there through thick and thin…
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
This may be an unpopular answer right now but: Will Smith. Despite all the stuff going on around him the last few years, I still grew up watching him on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and that show was a huge catalyst to me wanting to become an actor.
How can our readers follow you online?
Best place is on Instagram @albert.nicholas !
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
