Check out Part 2 of our Fan Q & A with Nestor and stayed tuned for the final part coming soon!
1) What character was the most fun to play? Most challenging?
Thank you, again, Renée, and to all of you participating.
Truly, any time you get to work as an actor is a blessing. Getting to play Richard Alpert on Lost was particularly special for me on so many levels. The character was introduced in a flashback to Juliet’s storyline, where he orchestrated the murder of her husband after she declined his request to travel with him to the island. It required gaining her trust after committing an atrocity: a tough challenge, no doubt. And the surprises and challenges kept coming for me as an actor, as the character was brought to the island in different time periods and seemingly didn’t age. Add to that, we were never privy to where our storylines would go, so we had to commit to what was on the page and trust in our directors. As if that weren’t enough, we got to shoot the entire series in paradise! It was easily one of the best professional experiences I’ve ever had.2) How can a fan get an autograph – do you have a fan mail address?
I’m happy to sign any autograph. You can always send photos to my manager at Thruline Entertainment
3) Who was the funniest Lost character?
Lost was full of flawed and well drawn out characters. As dark as so many of them were, they all had moments of lightness. But there were a handful that I found particularly funny: Hurley, Sawyer and Ben. Hurley had great one liners, Sawyer had hysterical nicknames for everyone, and Ben had the really cutting and funny barbs.
4) Are there any scenes you connected with or were more difficult to perform?
One of the toughest scenes I’ve had to perform is trying to resuscitate Norma on Bates Motel. Kerry Ehrin, Carlton Cuse and all the writers had spent four seasons drawing out the love/hate dynamic between Norma and Romero culminating in this last scene between them. I knew it was going to be painful to have to film that scene given how invested Romero was in Norma. It was definitely one of the toughest and most rewarding scenes I’ve had to film as an actor.
5) What is your favorite career moment?
One of my greatest career moments is booking a series regular role on the show Muscle. It marked the moment I would be able to dedicate myself exclusively to acting without having to hold another job. It was also were I would meet my wife, Shannon:)
6) Is there a person or situation that inspired your career in acting?
Watching Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront and in Last Tango in Paris, were instrumental in my wanting to study acting and in pursuing it professionally. What Brando did on screen was so free, truthful and inspiring!
7) In Pulse, were there any scenes that were significant for you?
Getting to play a Cuban-American Doctor who alternates speaking in English and Spanish while performing major surgery has been particularly special.
8) Romero’s ending was so moving – why did they give him the ending they did?
Thank you. From my understanding, Romero’s fate changed a number of times throughout the writing process in season 5. I believe, at one point , he was going to live at the end of the series. But I feel the writers were spot on in having Romero die at the hands of Norman, while he was pining over Norma’s body.
9) Do you have a ritual before filming?
I’m not sure if I would call it a ritual as much as a practice, but every day before I start shooting I meditate for about 15 minutes to try to get into as relaxed a state as I can so that I can be as emotionally available as possible.
10) Do you think you will travel to England or Australia (Melbourne) for projects?
I would love to work in Sydney or Melbourne! I’ve spent a lot of time in Sydney, as my wife and her family are from there. And while I haven’t been to Melbourne yet, I hear it’s beautiful. It would be amazing to get to shoot there, while getting to spend time with Shannon’s family and friends!