Back in April & May Nestor was kind to do a Q & A for site while he was in Canada working on Ready or Not: Here I Come. I’ve compiled the entire session into one Master Post since the originals were posted as the questions were answered.
1) How has your approach to acting changed since your first role?
Thank you, Renée! First of all, thank you all for participating! I started out doing theater in college, performing in student-run plays. During the summer after my sophomore year, I managed to land my first professional role in a two character play off Broadway entitled A Silent Thunder. The only acting instruction I’d had up until then, was a basic introductory elective in college on acting. So, in my first professional job, I essentially relied on the theater director and a lot of trial and error. It wasn’t until I graduated college and moved to LA, that I was able to enroll in a Sanford Meisner school and truly commit myself to learning that technique. The basic principle of Meisner is to get you to try to “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” Meisner teachers try to get students to train their imaginations much like athletic coaches train athletes to strengthen their muscles. My approach to acting definitely changed once I’d studied Meisner at Playhouse West.
2) How do you challenge yourself as an actor after so many years in the industry?
I’ve been so blessed to have had the opportunity to work in this industry since the early 90s. Like most actors, I’ve experienced some tough years. But it’s thanks to those years that I’ve learned to never take any job for granted. I’ve also learned the value of going to work every day with the hopes of learning something new. While we are often asked to play roles that fall into similar categories, there’s always something to learn from the other cast, crew or in the approach to the material.
3) Are there any roles/genres you haven’t yet tackled but would like to?
I would love to have a crack at directing while acting in a feature film. I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to do both while working on Bates Motel. But I would love to be able to do both in a film. I’m working hard at trying to realize that with a script I cowrote entitled Three Things:)
4) If you could be remembered for one performance which one would it be – and why?
There are so many roles I’ve had the privilege of playing: Richard Alpert on Lost and Sheriff Romero on Bates Motel are two of my favorites. Still, I try to go into every role with the mindset that it could be my favorite. Perhaps one of the most valuable things I’ve learned over the years is to try not to look forward or backwards, but rather to stay present.
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!
1) You’ve done fantastic as an actor & director what else would you like to do behind the scenes?
Thank you so much. I would love to continue screenwriting and try to generate stories that say something compelling about the human condition. The films and shows that have had the most impact on me (Shawshank Redemption, The Killing Fields, Lost) are all entertaining, but also tackle great themes and are ultimately hopeful. I would love to be able to realize stories that are inspirational.
2) What was your favorite part of playing Batmanuel on The Tick.
Playing Batmanuel was an absolute treat. The costume, the sets, the world of The Tick were so rich. The cast was sensational, spearheaded by the genius Patrick Warburton. And the writing was simply extraordinary. I couldn’t wait for the next script to see where the story was going and what outrageous things Batmanuel would say. Getting to work with all of the phenomenally talented people in every department
was easily a highlight for me.
3) Are you excited to be reunited with Sarah for your new film?
It’s been great to catch up with Sarah and work with her again! I hadn’t seen her since Ringer, but it feels as if it were yesterday and we’re having so much fun working together.
4) Would you ever do a musical?
As for doing a musical, I’m not sure how well that would go unless the role demanded that I purposely sing off key, lol. But I have to say, my inability to sing did come in handy once on Kim Possible when Señor Senior Jr had to sing “Quit Playing Games With My Head”. When I got the script, I warned the writers that I was tone deaf. They seemed delighted at that, lol.
5) Are there any upcoming conventions (with Ian?) From the Ian fans 🙂
I would love to do a convention with Ian. He’s a good friend of mine and we’ve both made a number of friends through the Lost Fandom over the years:)
6) What in yourself do you identify in your characters?
There are so many different approaches to acting. I was trained to try to draw the character from within you, so that even though the character might be radically different from who you are, there’s always some element in you that you can tap into and enhance. I think knowing your character’s fears and what he/she wants and needs in a scene are generally helpful in getting you to draw the character out from within you.
7) Do you think you will ever act with Shannon again?
I would love to act with Shannon again! She’s so talented and open and it would be great to work with her again. I’m hoping she comes back to acting soon!
8) How did become so diverse from comedy to drama?
Thank you, that’s very kind. Comedy was something that I kind of fell into. When I was starting out in the early 90s, I would audition for film and a handful of TV dramas, but mostly sitcoms, as there so many of them at the time. I hadn’t trained to work in comedy per se, so I had to stumble my way into making it work for me. Sitcom is its own medium; it’s a hybrid of theater and TV. You have to be alive to the audience while also grounding the material for camera. I’ve been so lucky to get to work with a number of great comedy directors over the years.
9)What do you think of having website dedicated to your career?
Renée has done such an incredible job with the website! The incredible edits she has made over the years, the heartwarming posts and all of the detail that she has put into it is extraordinary! Add to that, I’ve been able to connect with so many people as a result of the site. I can’t thank her enough!
10) Any fun stories from your time acting at university?
When I was in college, there was only one acting elective available to us. But we had an amazing teacher in David Wheeler, who was also an incredibly talented theater director. I was completely new to acting when I took that class and stumbled my way through so much of it. It wasn’t til the end of the course, that I found myself acting on stage with another student, and for a split second I felt an emotional connection with my scene partner, where everyone else in the room seemed to disappear. I remember that moment so well, because it was after that, that I made the commitment to pursue acting professionally.