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!

Canyon News

Posted by Tommy Garrett on Jul 1, 2011 – 5:44:25 PM

HOLLYWOOD—This week’s Leading Men Gold Standard goes to Stephen Nichols, who portrays billionaire Tucker McCall on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless,” and Adam Gregory, who portrays ambitious Thomas Forrester on CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Both men showcased strong and yet tortured men this week, with Nichols doing some of the best work he’s done in decades as Tucker and Gregory able to portray remorse, guilt and betrayal like few young thespians can do in this industry.

Stephen Nichols is one of those actors you just want to watch forever. The ruggedly handsome actor puts so much into his roles, whatever he plays can be counted on for dependability. He has played hero, villain and everything in between. But this week, Nichols played a convalescing Tucker who woke up remembering that it was Abby, not Ashley, behind the wheel of the car that struck him weeks ago, the night before his wedding with Ashley.

His romantic and poignant scenes with Eileen Davidson, as Ashley, sent shivers down my spine. So determined to be a romantic, Tucker asked Ashley to marry him immediately and to start their future. Ashley, like most women, could not resist the troubled businessman. However, his joy soon turned to rage, as a weakened Tucker forced his mother Katherine out of his hospital room when she told him how she’d made difficult decisions about his company while he’s been in a coma. Tucker was furious and the scenes between Jeanne Cooper and our favorite leading man, Stephen Nichols, left me in tears. It was chilling when Tucker viciously ordered Katherine out of his hospital room and from his his life and when he was handed the discharge papers and you realized Tucker could not even understand the words he was signing off on.

How Nichols, an acting genius playing a giant of industry businessman, played the scene with real confusion in his eyes is beyond me. All I’ll say is, thank you Maria Bell for not killing off Tucker. Stephen Nichols is far more thrilling than most leading men on television today.

 Adam Gregory is such a nice young man, a good standup guy, who always tells the truth. Why is it that Thomas is the opposite of that? The role he plays is a polar opposite of himself; but it’s exciting to watch Thomas weave his lies and get what he wants. He wanted 25 percent of Forrester Creations. He got a paper saying he’d get just that, but the thing he had to do to repay grandma Stephanie was to lie about an affair that he claims happened with stepmother Brooke. Thomas’s rage and shame for setting up his stepmother, who is always supportive of him, was thrilling to watch. More thrilling were the exciting scenes played by a splendid young leading man, who proves he’s a hell of a lot more than just a handsome face, chiseled muscles, tall, dark and handsome! Alright, you get the picture. If you are not watching daytime dramas, you are missing out on great entertainment, especially “B&B” and “Y&R,” better known as soaps Bell-style.

 “Y&R” and “B&B” both air weekdays on CBS.

 Photograph is Courtesy: Stephen Nichols by John Paschal, JPI Studios

http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/Television/Leading_Men_Shocking_Emotions.php

Soap Opera Digest, June 21, 2011

Stephen Nichols

(Tucker, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS)

DAD TO:  Vanessa, 33, Aaron, 31, and Dylan, 19. [NOTE:  SOD has their ages wrong.]

WHEN I SAW MY CHILD FOR THE FIRST TIME I: “Literally yelled, ‘It’s Vanessa!’  We chose not to know the sex of the child, but had chosen names.  We were trying to create a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, but I yelled.  I broke the rules.  I had to shush myself.   All three of my children were born at home.”

I HOPE THAT ALL MY CHILDREN SAY I:  “Loved them unconditionally and they knew they could always count on me.”

ONE OF THE FUNNIEST THINGS MY CHILD SAID WAS:  “When my son, Aaron at age 5, was working on DAYS as young Patch in flashbacks, he was asked by a reporter if he was going to be an actor and he answered indignantly, ‘Not when I grow up!’”

A PROUD MEMORY OF MY CHILD THAT COMES TO MIND IS:  “The first time my daughter, Dylan, who is a singer/songwriter did a show at age 16 and connected deeply with the audience.  She took command of the stage the way a true artist does and had them under her spell for 45 minutes.”

THE BEST TRIP I TOOK WITH MY CHILDREN WAS:  “Paris, London and Sweden for a family reunion.  Italy wasn’t too shabby either.”

MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH MY CHILDREN IS:  “Travel and experience new and different cultures together.”

THE MOST REWARDING THING ABOUT BEING A FATHER IS:  “Watching them grow and finally seeing them turn out okay.  All three of my kids are good people.  Compassionate, loving, considerate, bursting with integrity.  I’d like to take credit, but it’s just who they are.”

CBS Soaps In Depth, February 14, 2011

These days, DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Steve and Kayla may be separated by a continent (she’s in Salem, while he’s in Africa) – not to mention a network – but their portrayers, Stephen Nichols (now Tucker, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) and Mary Beth Evans (Sierra, AS THE WORLD TURNS) recently got together for breakfast with a group of loyal fans.  Soaps In Depth was on the scene and chatted with the fan favorite duo about being apart, anniversaries, empty nests and being reunited on screen!

                                                                                 ——Michael Maloney

Soaps In Depth:  It’s great that you two get together with your fans even though you’re not currently working together.

Stephen Nichols:  A week after our event, our coordinator is on us to do another one.

Mary Beth Evans:  I always wonder, “Who’s going to come?  “I also have this child who’s a sports dude, and it’s hard to make plans [because he’ll have a game].  But I’m so happy to see people who I’ve gotten to know over the years.  Some make it a road trip to come out here.  They’ve made great friends with each other.  How swell is that?

 In Depth:  It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since you started working together.

Evans:  Yes.  It’s been 25 years since Stephen and I met.  I was married 25 years in November, and I started DAYS right after that.

Nichols:  I celebrated 26 years [of marriage] in October.

Evans:  We’re the rarities out here.

In Depth:  The first anniversary gift is paper; what’s for the 25^th?

Evans: (Wryly) Oh, I don’t go by that.  For me, it’s diamonds, diamonds, diamonds.  (Nichols laughs).

In Depth:  What’s it like working apart?

Nichols:  I think of Mary Beth quite often when I’m working on another show.

Evans:  Stephen and I are lucky in that we have a connection and a trust and a super-old friendship.  We don’t hassle each other, but if we don’t think something’s working, we’ll tell each other.  We’re not “divas” – we just get the work done.  We have been lucky to be on two different shows together.  (Evans and Nichols also played Katherine and Stefan on GENERAL HOSPITAL, in the late 1990s).

In Depth:  Could there be a third time, say at Y&R?

Evans:  I don’t see me going there.  There are too many people in my age range already there.

Nichols:  They recently hired another one, too.

Evans:  Maura [West, Diane, Carly, ATWT]?  She’s not in my age range.

Nichols:  She isn’t?

Evans:  No.  She’s a lot younger than I am.  I don’t see that as a possibility.

In Depth:  They could have you as a third in a triangle with Tucker and Ashley.

Evans:  That’d be cool.  We have such a track record.  GH, depending on who was writing at the time, did well by us.

Nichols:  The challenge at Y&R is that there are so many characters that they have to serve….so many really good actors.  I love the actors whom I’m working with.  The writing is a cut above the rest.  You wait until it’s your turn for stories.

Evans:  All the shows are like that.

In Depth:  Speaking of Maura, are you in touch with her?

Evans:  Yes.  We’ve been trading tests.  She sent me one about Stephen that read.   “He’s so gooooooood”  —- lots of “O’s.”  Also, I recommended my hairstylist to her.  I was in to see him years ago.  I’m in the middle of him working on my hair, then Lindsay Lohan came in, and he walks away!  I looked in the mirror and saw him with Lindsay.  [But] I couldn’t leave.  I was so irritated.  (Wryly) Thank goodness she’s busy now.  I need my attention!

Nichols:  Maura is great.  It’s the same with Eileen Davidson (Ashley).  She throws stuff at me on set that I don’t see [coming].  It’s the same with Maura.  There’s stuff coming at you that you can react to and play off of – it’s all good acting. 

In Depth:  Mary Beth, was the picture of your character’s daughter in your CRIMINAL MINDS episode your real-life daughter, Katie?

Evans:  Yes.  It’s like a Where’s Waldo? deal.  After I got the part, producers asked me if I could bring in photos  [from my real life] with my daughter.  Katie was like, “cool!  I have a cameo.”  I brought in some pictures of her, including one when she was a year old, and we were on a carousel at Disneyland.  My character’s daughter was murdered in the episode.  I asked Katie if she was okay with [the show using the photo].  She said, “I don’t care!”  My husband, who is so practical, said, “Can you not separate television from reality?”  So I gave them the pictures.  My daughter had to sign off on them.  It was very exciting.

In Depth:  Stephen, how are you and your wife coping with the empty nest?

Nichols:  The separation was [initially] very difficult.  But my daughter said she’s having such a great time at college.  She loves all her new friends.  We’re doing great.  It’s nice to be able to run around the house naked.

In Depth:  Do you have a favorite scene from over the years?

Nichols:  One of my favorites from DAYS was when Kayla was drunk.

Evans:  Shelly Henning, who plays our daughter [Stephanie on DAYS], told me recently that she saw that, and she loved it.  I love the scene where I took the patch off [Stephen].  I love the vulnerability that Stephen brings to his scenes.

In Depth:  Steve and Kayla were recently reunited when she returned to Africa to care for him.

Evans:  yes. Steve has malaria.

Nichols:  I do?  Steve has malaria?  They’re going to kill me off.

Evans:  (Wryly.)   But you know the body won’t be found.

Canyon News

Posted by Tommy Garrett on Feb 3, 2011 – 7:03:09 PM

HOLLYWOOD—This week’s Leading Men Gold Standard goes to three tremendously talented actors who portray billionaires on two CBS soaps. Their performances have surpassed their previous work, and these three thespians test the limits of their skills on a daily basis. Stephen Nichols, who portrays Tucker McCall on “The Young and the Restless,” has been patiently waiting for his storyline to heat up. The storyline and the actor have been burning hot all week. Eric Braeden, who portrays Victor Newman, also on “Y&R,” is making his bid for an ex-wife Diane, who is now also involved with his son Nicholas. Braeden’s performance is always top notch. Don Diamont, who portrays “Dollar Bill” Spencer on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” showed us that his character is not to be toyed with. Bill’s outrage will be showcased front and center by the end of the week.

Stephen Nichols is smoldering hot right now. When the handsome star joined “Y&R,” viewers knew that they were in for a treat. Tucker immediately went after his mother Kay Chancellor’s company, then after a hostile takeover he got involved with Jill, then Ashley. During a tornado that hit Genoa City last fall, Tucker cheated on Ashley with Diane Jenkins, only to hide it from Ashley. However, all of that was just preparation for viewers, who watched in glee this week as Tucker revealed to one-time loyal employee Sofia what he has in store for her betrayal of his trust. Nichols carried himself amazingly through each scene and by the end of the week viewers were shocked by Tucker’s demands of Sofia. It’s so exciting seeing one of the best actors on TV given such great material.

Eric Braeden’s powerful Emmy-winning work is legendary on “Y&R.” Whenever Victor sets his sights on something or someone, he usually gets it. This week the powerful mogul decided that he wants to be in a romantic relationship with his ex-wife and former nemesis Diane. Victor unbeknownst to viewers is aware of Diane’s dalliance with his son Nicholas. Perhaps it’s the fact that Victor hates to lose that has made him compete with his own son? Whatever it is, it’s great to see the charming and romantic side of an actor, who can play it all. Female viewers fell in love with the actor and character he plays all over again this week.

Don Diamont is one of the most genuine and solid actors in the industry. This week as Bill Spencer celebrated his best friend Justin’s marriage to Donna Logan, we got to see the softer side of Dollar Bill. However, the soft side will be short lived. By next week, Bill finds out that deceitful Amber Moore is accusing his son Liam of getting her pregnant. When Bill’s initial shock wears off, then he will go into defensive mode. Bill’s family means everything to him, and he most likely will believe his son when he says, he did not sleep with Amber. Don Diamont’s ability to showcase rage is unforgettable. When Bill confronts Amber, it will be unforgettable. No one crosses a Spencer and gets away with it. Bill Spencer’s not going to be fooled or scammed by a tramp from Death Valley. Diamont’s intensity is palpable, and this week he was a family man and friend. That’s about to change. It’s an exciting twist to have Amber go up against a man who is capable and willing to destroy her once and for all.
Photograph Courtesy: Stephen Nichols by JPI Studios.

http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/Television/Leading_Men_Billionaires_Club.php

Canyon News

Posted by Tommy Garrett on Jan 29, 2011 – 3:19:20 PM

HOLLYWOOD—This week’s Leading Men Gold Standard goes to three talented actors who showed viewers of television that they are in charge of their destinies. The best performances include Patrick Duffy, who portrays Stephen Logan on “The Bold and the Beautiful”; Adam Gregory, who portrays Thomas Forrester on “B&B”; and Stephen Nichols, who portrays billionaire Tucker McCall on “The Young and the Restless.” All actors made excellent choices and decisions when performing on their shows this week. Patrick Duffy and Stephen Nichols are seasoned actors, who always deliver the goods, while Adam Gregory is paying his dues and becoming one of daytime’s hottest and most talented leading men.

Patrick Duffy returned to “B&B” this week and we knew it was going to be fireworks. For an actor who is calm in his demeanor, his character is always stirring up trouble. Stephen and Pam decided to take their relationship to the next level and to make it public to their families. The Logans were solidly uncertain about the relationship. Stephen’s daughter Donna is against it the most. Stephen, however, stood his ground with his daughters Donna, Katie and Brooke, then went head-to-head and stood up to Pam’s sister Stephanie. Duffy’s solid and personable performance was even better this week.

Adam Gregory is becoming one of my favorite young performers. This week his work stood out because he portrayed a man who is falling in love with his father’s wife, but trying to keep his feelings contained. Thomas’s hormones are raging whenever he’s around Brooke, but he’s so far done the right thing and not taken the relationship to the next level. Gregory’s scenes with Susan Flannery this week, as Thomas and Stephanie discussed Brooke’s change over the past few years, was very heartfelt and fascinating to watch.

Stephen Nichols as Tucker was all over the place this week. Initially Tucker decided to back the recording label of Devon Winters and Noah Newman. Nichols played a man who wanted to help two young men break into the music industry. However, the shocking news that Cane and Sofia have been lying to Tucker and allowing a conman to swindle Tucker’s company was destined to be revealed. Although the climax came at the end of the week, the intensity in which Stephen Nichols played the revelation was exciting to say the least. Fans know that next week Tucker McCall’s going to cause heads to roll.

“Y&R” and “B&B” both air weekdays on CBS.

Kyle Lowder, who has played Rick Forrester on “The Bold and the Beautiful” for several years, was released from his contract this week. The handsome star who shot to fame on the NBC soap “Days of Our Lives” as Brady will remain on the show as Rick Forrester on “B&B.” The talented actor has been featured in our Gold Standard many times. The show’s Emmy winning executive producer and head writer called Kyle and gave him the news personally. Bell also spoke with Canyon News. “Kyle Lowder’s four-year run as Rick Forrester on ‘The Bold and The Beautiful’ has been a tremendous success. Kyle is a superb actor and a fine gentleman. Kyle will continue on with the show on a recurring basis,” said  Bradley P. Bell
Photograph Courtesy: Stephen Nichols by JPI Studios©
http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/Television/Leading_Men_Making_Decisions.php

Canyon News

Posted by Tommy Garrett on Oct 23, 2010 – 9:29:27 PM

HOLLYWOOD—This week the two leading male performances that were exceptional for viewers include Ronn Moss, who portrays Ridge Forrester on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and Stephen Nichols, who portrays Tucker McCall on “The Young and the Restless.” Both men had the opportunity to see things differently from what their characters normally deal with. Moss’s character Ridge learned his mother may be dying and also that his son may be getting into trouble. While, Nichols’s character Tucker lied to the woman he loves and had sex with one of her longtime enemies. Both men played it with no hesitation and came across as very strong and exciting heroes.

Ronn Moss has done it all on “B&B.” However, this week, the one person Ridge could always count on was lying in a hospital bed barely able to breathe. Ridge is Stephanie’s eldest and favorite child. For years, he’s wanted his mother to accept his love for Brooke, but never did he want her to be forced into it by ill health. When Ridge found out that his beloved mother and constant protector could be dying, he was crestfallen. He talked to his dad about the possibility of losing the one who is constant in their lives. It was heartbreaking to see Ridge in emotional pain, but it was very moving to see Ronn Moss play it.

Then by week’s end, Ridge was becoming concerned about his son Thomas working so closely with his wife, Brooke. Ridge knows that Brooke is constantly in a scandal because she doesn’t think before she acts, and he also was warned by his ex-wife and Thomas’s mother Taylor, to keep his eyes on the new co-workers.

On Monday, windows blew out of the building, storm winds knocked out power and two illicit lovers were caught just moments after having mad sex with each other. That all happened in one scene, as the tornado hit Genoa City, but Tornado Diane hit billionaire Tucker with a major seduction. Immediately after making love to Diane, he told her to forget it ever happened, then Tucker had to contend with his girlfriend’s meddling daughter, Abby, who caught on to more than meets the eyes of most observers. Then Tucker had to lie to Ashley when she decided to confront him and Diane about her daughter’s suspicions.

Stephen Nichols hasn’t had this much to do since joining “Y&R.” However, Maria Bell is pulling out all stops to make sure Tucker is a man we won’t soon forget. Stephen Nichols’s performance was unforgettable. Looks like we need more bad weather in Genoa City. Just think, winter has yet to arrive.

“Y&R” and “B&B” both air weekdays on CBS.

Photograph Courtesy: Stephen Nichols by JPI Studios©

http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/Television/Leading_Men_Toying_With_Danger.php

Soap Opera Digest, October 5, 2010

By Devin Owens

Daytime Vets Eileen Davidson and Stephen Nichols Talk About Work And Play On YOUNG AND RESTLESS

Soap Opera Digest:  What was your reaction when you first learned that Ashley and Tucker would become involved?

Eileen Davidson:  I was thrilled.  I love Stephen as a person and as an actor.

Stephen Nichols:  My first reaction was, “God, can’t they do any better than that?!”

Davidson:  Thanks [chuckles].

Nichols:  I love Eileen!  We worked briefly on SANTA BARBARA, but we didn’t really get to know each other because it was such a quick little thing.

Davidson:  We did one scene together where he was the monk and my character [Kelly] went to him for advice on Cruz.

Nichols:  I was Skyler Gates.  You can’t get a soapier name than that [laughs].  The day before I was starting on Y&R, I got a call from Eileen welcoming me to the show.  From that moment on, I’ve had a very soft spot for her, so I was very excited about working with her.

Digest:  Was there any behind-the-scenes campaigning from either of you for your characters to be put together?

Davidson:  No.  I think it was already in the works.

Nichols:  The first or second week after I started, Eileen came up to me and said, “I hear we’re going to work together.”  And I said, “That’s fantastic.”  I was brand-new and hearing all kinds of stuff, like they’re putting me with Jess [Walton, Jill] and Melody [Thomas Scott, Nikki], so may head was spinning.  I started watching the show to see what was going on and every time I saw a scene with Eileen, I was blown away.  She’s so committed and believable and I thought, “Oh, God, now I have to live up to this?!”

Davidson[scoffing]:  Oh, right.

Nichols:  I was impressed seeing her work and since we started working together, I am even more impressed.  It’s been very, very sweet.  She’s so good to me.

Digest:  What did you think of Ashley and Tucker’s first love scene?  That was quite a hot, sexy montage.

Davidson:  It wasn’t necessarily written quite that in depth and they decided to get a little creative with it.

Nichols: The day we were doing those scenes, they liked what they saw and expanded on it.  They did more with it in the editing room.

Davidson:  It makes you happy when you’re inspiring people.

Digest:  What do you like about Tucker and Ashley’s relationship so far?

Davidson:  I like the fact that Ashley is very vulnerable with Tucker.  She’s strong when she has to be in the office, but I think she’s also in a place in her life where she can let her guard down and not fall apart.

Nichols:  I like the fact that Ashley is able to challenge Tucker.  She is his equal in business most of the time.  She has a way of charming and seducing, while at the same time making a valid point.  I like that Tucker gives Ashley her due when she is right, and he always tells her how beautiful she is.  Not that she doesn’t know it.

Digest:  How would you describe your working relationship?

Davidson:  Easygoing.  We’ve both been doing this for a long time and we work off of each other so well that we can kind of trust that.

Nichols:  We’ve gotten to that place where we trust each other enough.  We’ll always run the lines, even if it’s a little scene, but we both trust that we know it’s going to work out because we’re prepared.

Digest:  Do you ever argue or debate?

Nichols:  We have, a bit.  And it’s healthy.  If you don’t say what’s on your mind, then you’re harboring whatever it is bothering you and it keeps you from being in the moment.  We’ll tell each other if something is not working.  You have to.

Davidson:  We give each other perspective.  We have our own background and baggage that can give a different view that the other person needs to see.

Digest:  Do you make each other laugh, like kid around between scenes?

Davidson: Oh, sure.  There are lots of things that make us laugh.

Nichols:  Personally, humor on the set loosens me up.

Davidson:  We had to speak Japanese and get naked together, so we’re always trying for the comfort factor.

Nichols:  There was a day that we had to laugh in the scene, so Eileen said, “Tell me a joke before we start.”  I told her a joke and the punch line just sort of fell dead and she said, “That’s not funny.”  And that cracked us up.

Digest:  What did you both think about the scenes when Tucker threw a patio chair through a window and they had sex?

Davidson:  I love doing that kind of stuff.  I really like the old-fashioned dramatic, romantic man-conquers-woman/woman-conquers-man scenes.  I think it’s fun.  He was throwing the chair to get her attention, not to hurt her.

Nichols:  It was about passion.  Tucker knew he had to do something to shake her up.  It wasn’t violent, it was passionate.  For Tucker to go to those lengths means that she’s really gotten to him.

Digest:  Would you like for you characters to get married?

Nichols:  Sometimes that’s the death for a couple.

Davidson:  I wouldn’t mind it.  I think it would be interesting.  If a great story involves them being married, then I’m all for it.  I think their wedding would be great.  They’d both be in power suits. 

Nichols:  Tucker is a billionaire, so it would have to be something really lavish.

Davidson:  I want to go on location again to Paris.  Let’s do that.

Nichols:  Oh yeah, let’s do that!  I haven’t been there in a while.  That would be fine.

Digest:  Who on the canvas do you think could be thrown in for a viable love triangle?

Davidson:  I think Phyllis would be interesting.

Nichols:  We need a younger man to go after Tucker’s woman, like maybe Cane.

Davidson:  That could be interesting.

Nichols:  I just like good writing.  I don’t care what the story is just as long as it’s interesting.

Digest:  Do you ever have lunch together on work days?

Davidson:  Not yet.

Nichols:  She stays in her dressing room and makes phone calls. 

Davidson:  Or I’m running out to get manicures.

Nichols:  I have pretty good cuticles, so I don’t have to go.

Davidson:  Oh, you should come for the hell of it.

Nichols:  I will.  Invite me.

Davidson:  Okay, I will.  You’re going to be sorry.

Digest:  Have you met each other’s spouses?

Davidson:  Yes. [His wife]Lisa is a doll.  When we went to the Emmys, she drove us all around Vegas.

Nichols:  I haven’t met [her husband] Vinnie [Van Patten, ex-Christian], but I hear about him all the time because Eileen talks about him ad nauseum.  He seems like a really sweet guy and I’m sure I’ll meet him someday.

Digest:  Eileen, do you think Vinnie will like Stephen?

Davidson:  Absolutely.  What’s not to like?

Digest:  What is something that you can tell me about your co-star that would surprise our readers?

Davidson: Stephen is very good with his hands.

Digest:  Um, what?

Davidson:  I don’t mean in the soap opera sense.  He does a lot of outdoor work.  He’s always wounded from putting up a new deck or pulling up roots.

Nichols:  Eileen became an avid surfer in her 30s.  That would scare the hell out of me.

Canyon News

Posted by Tommy Garrett on Aug 29, 2010 – 9:34:42 PM

HOLLYWOOD—Stephen Nichols won over millions of female viewers during the 1980s on “Days of Our Lives” as the masculine half of the Patch and Kayla love story on that soap. In the ’90s, Nichols blew every critic’s imagination in the role of Cassadine patriarch Stefan on “General Hospital.” Now going into the 21st century, Stephen has reinvented another part of himself and inhabits Genoa City as the town’s newest and most handsome billionaire on CBS’s number-one daytime drama “The Young and the Restless.”

Always winning over his leading ladies, Beverly Hills socialite and movie, stage and television star Constance Towers, who portrays his evil mother Helena Cassadine on “GH,” tells Canyon News, “Stephen is one of the greatest actors I’ve ever worked with. From Tony Geary to John Wayne and William Holden, not to mention Yul Brynner, Stephen has an intensity and charisma that is unique and individual to him. I miss working with him so much, but I try to watch him as often as I can over at ‘Y&R’ when time permits. He’s handsome, extremely talented and powerful as an actor, and I did some of my best work opposite him because Stephen is so talented it demanded perfection to keep up with him and his enormous talent as a leading man.”

 Meet the actor who portrays Tucker McCall on “The Young and the Restless.”

Q-Fans love you as Tucker. Your character this time around on “Y&R” is much different than any you’ve ever played in the past. What do you like about this character the most?

A-“I love the fact that Tucker is a regular guy with a mind-boggling amount of money. In Tucker’s eyes, he can do and say just about anything with impunity. That kind of thinking will probably get him into a lot of trouble, and does he love trouble. I like that he enjoys pushing the limits in business.”

Q-Being a part of “Y&R” is a dream for most actors. Have you gotten acquainted with and comfortable with your role and working on the show?

A-“I agree. Working at ‘Y&R’ is a dream. I have gotten comfortable in the role and in no small part that is due to the enormous generosity of the Bells [Maria and Bill, Jr.], Paul [Rauch], the writers, my fellow cast members and the crew. I am amazed each day by the level of talent on that stage both in front of and behind the camera.”

Q-I personally think Jess Walton and Eileen Davidson are two of television’s most professional and solid actresses. How much fun and how exciting is it to work with these two ladies?

A-Tommy, working with those two ladies is a blessing. They are so good. Being across from either one of them inspires me to be better always. They both have a spontaneity and an ease that that makes acting with them so fun. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Q-Also, Jeanne Cooper and you have so much chemistry. Is it very hard to pretend at times your character Tucker dislikes his mother Katherine? Or do you think Tucker has more respect for his mom (Katherine Chancellor) than he often shows?

A-“Jeanne Cooper has always been one of the most respected actors in our industry. From day one I could see why. She is, sweet, funny and always prepared and we had chemistry from the very first scene we did together. I can’t explain that but I can tell you she has intense focus and talent and the joy with which she does the work is inspiring. It is contagious.  “Family and Katherine in particular means more to Tucker than he is willing to admit and his feelings for Katherine are sneaking up on him.”

Q-Stephen, “Y&R” for you is kismet in my opinion. You were half of one of the biggest super couples (Patch and Kayla on Days), you played opposite one of my best friends and client Constance Towers (Helena on General Hospital) and now you have come full circle to a very grown up role and very powerful force on this show as a self-made billionaire. Do you use everything you’ve learned previously to create this role or do you consider yourself still on the growing path?

A-“I hope I will never stop growing. I keep moving, and I always remember how grateful I am to be working. I am sure that I have learned something along the way both in life and through playing those previous roles that informs what I am doing now. I agree that this is the role I was born to play at this moment in my life. I’m very happy to be doing it. Thanks, Maria!”

Q-How are you and your family?

A-“We are all doing well. We are currently sending our youngest daughter off to college.”

“The Young and the Restless” airs weekdays on CBS. The soap remains the number-one rated drama since 1989. The show’s talented head writer and executive producer is Bel Air resident Maria Arena Bell.

Photograph is Courtesy: JPI Studios© West Hollywood for CBS/Sony and “Y&R” Productions

http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/On_the_Industry_1168/Daytime_s_Supreme_Leading_Man_Stephen_Nichols_Interview.php

Stephen Nichols (Tucker, Y&R)

CBS Soaps In Depth, June 21, 2010 

Y&R’s Stephen Nichols (Tucker) can be proud of his long career in entertainment.  Yet if you ask the showbiz vet about what’s most important in his life, he’ll point to his three children, Vanessa, 32, Aaron, 29, and Dylan, 18.

“Being a father defines who I am,” he says simply.  “Whenever I had had trouble getting motivated, I only need to think of Vanessa, Aaron and Dylan. My children are my source of inspiration and the very meaning of my existence.”

Throughout the years, Nichols has been treated to both traditional and nontraditional Father’s Day memories, “We always get together, but quite often, the kids will get up early and prepare breakfast and serve it to me in bed,” he recounts with a smile.  “Most recently, my daughter, Vanessa, was married in May of 2008,” he says.  “A couple of weeks later, on Father’s Day, she presented me with a very special gift.  When I opened it, I began to sob uncontrollably.  It was her wedding veil in a display box surrounding a beautiful poem she had written for me!”

Other memorable moments include a Father’s Day in 1996.  “I get a call from the hospital, ‘Your son, Aaron, is here with a badly broken leg [from a] skateboarding accident’ – happy Father’s Day!”  he recalls with a laugh.  Perhaps a better recollection was last year.  “We had a high-school graduation for my daughter, Dylan,” shares the proud dad, who was more than happy to share his special day with his youngest.  “I can’t imagine my life without my kids!”