“Gold Star,” CBS Soaps In Depth, August 1, 2011
GOLD STAR
Stephen Nichols
CBS Soaps In Depth, August 1, 2011
Actors who play coma victims are forced to lie still while the real drama swirls around them. So THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS’ Stephen Nichols was probably thrilled when his character, Tucker, finally woke up. The soap vet more than made up for his “down time” when his alter ego struggled to talk for the first time in weeks, remembering Abby….Why was I…was I at the Abbot cabin?” Tucker frowns in confusion. “We went there after…the ceremony?”
Since stepping into the role, Nichols has played Tucker with the ruthless cunning of a character who’d built an empire from nothing. But his faulty memory – which Ashley exploited to protect her daughter by claiming to be the one behind the wheel – allowed him to shake up his persona by underlining Tucker’s vulnerability. Anxiety mingled with confusion when the mogul tried to sign his release forms and realized that he couldn’t make sense of it. “I can see the sentences….but I—I don’t understand what they mean. Is this normal?”
MOMMIE DEAREST
Panic can make people do strange things. For Tucker, it compelled him to marry Ashley immediately. When Katherine arrived and expressed her disapproval of their hasty wedding, it became clear that while a lot has changed with Tucker, his feelings for Katherine had not. “Life’s short, in case you hadn’t noticed,” he snapped.
Nonetheless, Katherine stayed to talk about her interim running of McCall Industries. Initially standoffish, he grudgingly conceded, “I appreciate you looking after the business. But I’m back. It’s time for me to take over.” Alas, whatever common ground they shared crumbled when The Duchess revealed she’d hired Jack to run Jabot again. “So while I was laying here, incapacitated, you undermined my judgment?!”
FUTURE SHOCK
Only after Katherine left did Tucker reveal that behind his fury was a terrible fear. “I heard her words, but I couldn’t understand what she was talking about,” he confided to Ashley. “It was my plan, and I couldn’t even understand anything about it…What if the damage is permanent? How am I supposed to function?”
Like an athlete faced with losing a limb, Tucker had the same horror over losing the acumen that made him a brilliant businessman. “They had me doing things a 2-year old would do – playing with blocks, asking me if it’s a circle or a square,” he vented to his wife. While we’re moved by his plight, we can’t help but think Tucker’s loss is our gain as Nichols masterfully uses his alter ego’s fear to expose layers to this increasingly complex character!
Stephen is the best and so glad he is back
Totally agree with the article. Stephen is one of the best actors in daytime soap, and I
hope that we are blessed to be able to enjoy him on the show for many years to come.
Stephen
We are so glad ur back ! I even agree with
Them!
Stephen Nichols is one of the best male actors in Daytime. He’s been my favorite actor for years. His portrayal of Tucker is fantastic. I’m glad he’s getting the recognition that he so richly deserves.