STEPHEN NICHOLS

STEPHEN NICHOLS' BIOGRAPHY IS COURTESY OF LAKESIDE ASSOCIATION (click here to get info on The Lakeside Association

Special thanks to Linda for sending me this Bio

Stephen was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, at Christ's Hospital on a cold night (February 19 at 5:43 p.m.) He spent his first eight years there, mostly on Bramble Avenue. He remembers long summer nights spent playing kick-the-can and hide-and-go-seek and United Dairy Farmer's chocolate chip ice cream is, in his memory, still unsurpassed. He also learned to keep one eye on the baseball and the other on the . ground for fear of slipping on the dog-doe which seemed to be in everyone's backyard. He remembers glistening, winter wonderland nights observed by him from the back of a sled pulled by his Grandpa. Stephen and his Grandpa were great friends and he has many fond memories of their fishing trips together. On Saturday nights they always had hamburgers and french fries on N trays placed in front of their favorite TV shows. These were all of the musical variety type, including Lawrence Welk. It was there that Stephen's desire to perform was taking shape. When he watched, he became his favorite actors and musicians. His imagination ran so wild sometimes that his ice cream would melt before he could take his eyes off of the set to eat it. It was okay though---he enjoyed eating it like soup anyway. When Stephen was eight, his mother remarried and his sister Penny (who is 1 1/2 years older) and he moved to Dayton, Ohio with Mike, his new dad. They started out in a small apartment; but this was all right with Stephen since it was a block from the little league baseball park. He remembers that he became obsessed with baseball and for the next four summers, he was the world's greatest baseball player---well, he imagined he was anyway. In his first year in Dayton, Stephen's brother Zach was born. Although Stephen and his dear sister Penny were always inseparable, now the idea of being a big brother demanded all his attention. He vividly remembers that very first time he set eyes on Zachary; he looked like a very sweet little turtle. When Zach was four, the family moved into a brand new house in the suburbs. It was one of the first to go up on his street, so there was always something to do outside in the empty lots. Stephen got good grades in school. His best subjects were Art, English, and Literature. in High School, he excelled in Art and liked to sculpt. He received a scholarship to Ohio State University but didn't pursue it. Instead he came to Los Angeles to pursue something else. At the time he had no idea what he was looking for---until he found acting. Before that happened though, he was studying to be a monk for three years. He worked as a cook in a monastery and made meals for monastics. That life was wonderful and taught him everything that is important to him in life (and in acting) - concentration, self-control, and doing the work with a spirit of giving. He auditioned for the Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy and was accepted, and there he learned his craft and found his niche. From there, he went on to perform in plays, television and films. Among those were the movie CHOICES, with Demi Moore, and an award-winning performance as a psychopathic killer in PIECES OF TIME in the Los Angeles theatre. Other projects included appearances on Crazy Like a Fox, T. J. Hooker, in Death of a Salesman, and in the popular, frightening film, WITCHBOARD which is in widespread release in video stores across the country. While appearing in DELIRIOUS, he caught the eye of casting director Doris Sabbagh, of Columbia Pictures Television, a meeting which eventually led to his being cast as 'Patch.' Nichols' textured portrayal of the complex character, Steve 'Patch' Johnson, generated tremendous audience response and the original few months turned into a five year run. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal. Feeling that he had taken the character of 'Patch' to the creative limit, Nichols felt it was time for new challenges, and left DAYS OF OUR LIVES in 1990. Since then he has appeared on many television shows, including MATLOCK, L.A. LAW, MELROSE PLACE, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, DIAGNOSIS MURDER, THE NANNY, SISTERS, and in the recurring role of Tommy in SECOND CHANCES. He also portrayed Jesse James in the NBC miniseries AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS with Pierce Brosnan and Eric Idle, as well as making a cameo appearance in the movie SOAP DISH with Sally Field. In 1995 Stephen appeared in leading roles in three feature films. In HEAVEN'S TEARS, he played the romantic lead. He was a psychotic transvestite serial killer in COVER ME, and an action hero in PHOENIX, He also appeared as Dr. Matty Kane, Laverne's lover and husband on EMPTY NEST during its final and seventh television season. Stephen has never refused a job and loves to work. He needs to work and has always learned something more each time he has taken on a new project. Stephen says his greatest teachers were Stella Adler and Jack Colvin; his favorite things are performing in all mediums, children, quiet moments of meditation, and his favorite color is cobalt blue. Stephen has three children, Vanessa, Aaron and Dylan; and, lives with them and his wife Lisa in the Los Angeles area.
1 Based on an Article from Stephen Nichols Fan Club
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