A Conversation with Thomas Nicholas

I spoke with Thomas Nicholas about his role in Adverse, available on Digital, On Demand and DVD on March 9th by Lionsgate.

We also discuss method acting and his music career.

Yanis: Tell me about Adverse. Why should people check it out?

Thomas: Adverse is a slow burning film driven by flawed characters similar to films like Taxi Driver, You Were Never Really Here and Drive.

The story is filled with a lot of tension and just as Joe Leydon from Variety referenced our homage to Oldboy near the end of the film — the pay-off is worth the wait.

Y: You worked with your son, Nolan River, on this film. What was that like? What has it been like seeing his success?

T: There was a great moment in Adverse between my son and myself that audiences won’t get to see. Despite it ending up on the cutting room floor, Nolan and I still had the chance to experience pretending that we didn’t know one another.

He has a natural talent and great instincts as a young actor. The fact that he has two films in theaters this year, Adverse with Lionsgate and M. Night Shyamalan’s Old with Universal, I’d say that he’s surpassing me. I’m proud of him and rooting for him every step of the way.

Y: Tell me about the “magic if” you discussed with Nolan.

T: At the core, “if” is a powerful word. It is the doorway to the imagination. There are two ways to use the “magic if” depending on the age of the actor.

I studied and developed my initial acting techniques with Kevin McDermott from the age of 7 to 17. Since my son is 9, I’ve got him focused on the first idea of the “magic if” being what would you do if this was happening to you?

Pretend is easy for kids and he latches onto that concept. In the next few years, I hope to share with him the many foundations that go into building a character and how the script only answers so many questions about those details.

It’s important to fill in the gaps with the backstory that will support the journey of the character. It’s the actor’s decision as to why or how a character has a certain unexplained trait or history. The “magic if” can be applied there to effect the layers of your character’s persona.

Y: Your song Luminary comes out on the same day as Adverse. What an exciting time this is for you. What is Luminary all about? Who is talking in the song, and to whom are they speaking to? Why are they saying it?

T: I initially didn’t plan for them to drop on the same day. I’ve been running my Patreon full force since lockdown, with 44 consecutive weekly live streaming concerts.

I’ve been releasing a new song every 6 weeks. Luminary is a song that I have written to affirm those that inspire. It’s my intention to cheer for the people that are shining a light in the darkness of this world.

We all know people in our lives that are a positive force and this song is for the ones that make life better.

Y: You’re a method actor. Explain to me why you use the Stanislavski method.

T: You’ve just opened a can of worms. Prepare for a long winded answer. The Stanislavski method is the foundation of the technique that Kevin McDermott taught me as his student.

He was able to help me alter and develop it over the years to make it my own unique version. To find the specific way that those character preparations worked for me.

When I was 17, Kevin implored me to find new acting mentors, insisting that he had already taught me everything that he knew.

I read Uta Hagen’s books and even had the chance to see her speak at an event. In my early twenties, I tried other techniques.

I was taking classes with more of a focus on Meisner. I tried it but I found that it didn’t really work as well for me.

In preparation for Adverse, Brian A. Metcalf had been trained with the Stanislavski method by Frantz Turner at Ivana Chubbuck’s school and Anna Steers with Meisner techniques.

He also was trained by Shari Shaw which was more in line with her own approach that was a hybrid of both. It was Brian’s suggestion to utilize both, which is what I did for the first time in preparing and playing the character of Ethan. Adverse was the first time that I employed a combo of both substitution and repetition.

Plus, Brian had me focusing on the props in the scene that gave me something similar to practical aesthetics. I did learn a lot from him but in hindsight, I should have asked William H. Macy even more questions about his approach back in 2002 when we worked on Stealing Sinatra together.

Y: Many actors use method acting as an excuse to be a jerk. Many actors don’t rely on it and still get great performances. Is the juice worth the squeeze?

T: I’ve heard the stories about Daniel Day-Lewis staying in a wheelchair during My Left Foot for almost the entirety of the film shoot. He’s an amazing actor and commitment off screen got him an Academy Award.

I have always taken the approach of doing the prep work and then being able to turn on all the switches in the moments leading up to the life in front of the camera. I learned a lot from watching Mickey Rourke do this with ease. Every part of him was committed in an instant.

His transition from Mickey to Kaden was seamless and complete. I aim to do the same. I don’t personally feel the need to stay in character off-camera. However, I would do it if my performance would greatly benefit from that kind of focus.

Y: You’ve put your son Nolan in acting classes because they can give him a leg up in the world. How?

T: I’ve always believed that you need to know the rules in order to break them. Also, I wanted to give my son the chance to spread his wings in the craft of acting without the feeling that dad was watching his every move. To give him some freedom in his creativity.

Y: How have you been handling COVID as a dad? Any tips for the other parents?

T: We have been playing things super safe. I’ve basically only been to the grocery store once a week for a year. Outside of traveling to the Dominican Republic for Nolan to film Old. Once we were there it was an even safer bubble with 3 COVID tests per week.

I think the most important thing is to follow the guidelines of safety in your city and state. I think it’s also okay to play it even safer depending on your comfort level. The most important thing is to not judge people for playing it too safe and vice versa.

Y: What’s next for you and Nolan. Where can we follow you on social media?

T: I’m looking at some projects that might give Nolan and I the chance to work together again. I’m developing more features and a couple TV series ideas with Brian A. Metcalf. I’ll keep you posted over all social media platforms as @TINband

I am also working on a music project for children with my son and daughter. They are both singing on it. I’ve even co-written a couple of songs with my 4-year old daughter Zoë Dylan. Our first animation is being created and the project is called @TheRobotKid.