After starting his career playing Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital, Nicholas Alexander Chavez has really branched off into a successful career, beyond the confines of a daytime serial. He played Lyle Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and followed that up with the show Grotesquerie, in which he plays a murderous priest. The sky’s the limit for the young actor, who’s doing more than simply acting.
Artistic Rapport Is Key
Chavez talked to The Hollywood Reporter about his successful horror shows, both of which Ryan Murphy produced and directed. Chavez noted that while Monsters was based on the true story of the Menendez brothers, Grotesquerie was a sandbox that “really has close to no rules.” This allowed him a certain degree of freedom to be even more creative than when portraying a real-life person.
He enjoys working with Murphy regularly, noting that when directors often have the same actors and crew working with them, “They already have that artistic rapport, they have that relationship, so it’s just very easy for them to pick up, like they don’t have to go through all of those first-day icebreakers.” Working on these shows also sparked a keen interest in the technical side of filmmaking for the actor.
READ THIS: Find out what’s coming up on GH.
He Appreciates All Aspects of Production
Chavez explained that his newfound love for the technical aspects of production, including things down to what camera lenses are used, helps him understand the director’s overall vision. “The further I get along in my career and the more people that I work with,” he stated. “The better I understand that the more I know what the other creatives are envisioning, the better the end result is going to look.” He noted that understanding the nuts and bolts of production beyond acting helps make the overall product the best it can be.
Although he couldn’t reveal any details, he mentioned that he was working on a screenplay. He would also like to work on a dark comedy because he appreciates the nuance of making something simultaneously difficult to watch but also funny. Ultimately, he admitted that he would love to one day direct something, and if that happens, we’re there!
