Albert Nicholas takes us on adventure with Nickelodeon's 'Astronauts' and the Film 'Little Fish'
Actor Albert Nicholas doesn’t have a specific motto in life but if he had to have one, it would be “just live your life.” It might seem like an oversimplification, but in fact it’s one of the most important things to remember. There are countless moments when we find ourselves diverging from the goals we had set, whether that be in work or life, and though it’s important to keep on top of things, like paying rent, remembering what set you this path in the first place and doing what you love is crucial.
It’s no surprise then that Albert has stuck to his own guns of creative expression. Beginning 2021 with not one but three projects either running or about to go live, Albert is making gains in the industry.
“As long as I could remember it’s just what I wanted to do. I used to see a lot of theatre shows with my family when I was younger, but I always wanted to be the one on stage telling the story. At the time, I couldn’t believe people got paid to emote and entertain. Then I watched The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. That show and the actors on it just filled me with so much laughter and made me so happy. I knew that was the kind of affect I wanted to have on people.”
Fans of physiological horror might recognise the Canadian in his most recent role, the CW’s anthology series Two Horror Stories. Playing the role of Reza, Albert joined the cast on it’s second season. Describing the experience of joining the cast after the first season, Albert said
"There is some level of camaraderie and comfort level that has already been established since day one within the core cast. So there can sometimes be a feeling of being an outsider. That being said, I’ve been fortunate in my career to have worked on many welcoming sets.
I got to play Reza, the supportive boyfriend on the episode “Fix”. My character is kind of responsible for pushing the main character to rekindle his relationship with his sister. The episode touches on drug addiction by adding a demonic/religious spin on it, and I was fortunate enough to be part of a beautifully dark psychological story. If you haven’t seen the second season yet, it’s now available on Netflix and you should check it out if you’re into that skin crawling vibe.”
Previously starring in hit internationally recognised shows such as Lucifer, iZombie and The 100, Albert’s other recent ventures have witnessed him in Nickelodeon’s The Astronauts as Charlie Collins and Naps in the film Little Fish. The Astronauts’ synopsis centred on five children sneaking onto their parents rocket-ship and, as fate usually decides, the children ended up accidentally flying into space. With some of the characters embracing their new role as haphazardly recruited astronauts and others in the main group not, Albert put himself in that situation.
“I would be savagely ill prepared! That being said, I would be stoked because being in space is on my bucket list. 100% juggling between panic and elation, but after moving through all those feelings, I would figure out how to survive and then find my way to Mars...later y’all.”
The latter of his recent credits, Little Fish, also stars Jack O’Connell and Olivia Cooke. Centring on a couple who navigate their relationship amidst the spread of an invisible memory loss virus, it’s impossible not to draw parallels between the film and the real life Covid-19 pandemic. However, irl reflection aside, the film is an in-depth exploration on the intricacies of human relationships.
“Naps is the lead character’s, Jude (played by Jack O’Connell), lifelong musician friend. He’s still going strong, playing gigs around the city, and happens to bump into Jude in front of a venue he’s about to play in.
The story is what really drew me to the role and project. Although I had limited information on the project at the time of taking the job, the premise of the story sounded interesting, different, and I could tell the tone and feel of the film would resonate with me. I’m also very drawn to working on film; it’s where I envision my career to end up.”
It’s impossible to think about the entertainment industry without considering how difficult a world it can be, especially in the context of a global pandemic, Albert discussed one of the key life lessons that the industry has taught him.
“The struggle is real. I mean, sure, some people get lucky and hit big right away, but in general, this industry takes a lot of grit and patience. You also have to learn to not be so hard on yourself, and to really believe. It helps to surround yourself with like-minded people who will champion you, as one of my coaches often says. There are times you have to be your own cheerleader in this business, but in the end, if you’re friendly, professional, and authentic, then your work will speak for itself and the right people will want to collaborate with you. Everyone in this industry comes from such different and interesting walks of life; and we all have a story to tell.”
Not only making strides in his career as an actor, Albert has begun exploring other avenues in the industry, particularly, the world of writing.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a writer per se. It’s something I’m getting more into, specifically with a couple people on some independent projects. I definitely have stories percolating in my head, some based on true events, some kind of wild and out there. I guess this pandemic we’re still trying to shake off is what propelled me to take action and start writing. I’m really enjoying it, both writing itself and finding my creative process within it; but I still have much to learn and explore.
My focus is on acting, but like I said, I do have some stories I want to share with the world, so I’ll for sure keep writing in some capacity. One thing I’d love to get into eventually is directing!”
With more ventures on the horizon, it seems we’ll be seeing more from Albert in the upcoming months and years as he continues to hone his talent and expand on his career. In terms of who he ends up working with throughout this journey, Albert already has someone in mind.
“Will Smith. Besides me being such a huge fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, he leads some of my favorite movies, and in general just seems to have such an amazing outlook on life. Watching interviews and talks with him, I vibe with a lot of what he says, and feel I would learn a ton working with him, all while having a blast.”
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Meet the Author
Eleanor Forrest is a creative journalist and writer hailing from Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
A feminist through and through, she commits herself to understanding the creative process of those she she speaks to and unpicking the multifaceted reasons we do the things we do. After completing an internship at her local newspaper, she then went on to write for the likes of Billboard and Vice UK, her work can also be found in Audiofemme, The Loadout and Pocket Tactics as well as 1883 Magazine and Notion.
When she's managed to stop working for the day, Eleanor is usually playing too many video games and attempting to master the languages of French and Korean.