INTERVIEW: Nick Tarabay says the second season of 'The Expanse' is going to make fans "laugh, cry and be mad"
From a gladiator in ancient Rome to a CIA black ops agent tracking down people with special powers, Nick Tarabay has had the opportunity to play a vast pool of characters, but this is not it for the actor! Nick is ready to come back for the second season of 'The Expanse' and he is sure that it is going to be nothing like people had imagined.
"Oh man..You guys are in for a HUGE surprise," he told Meaww about the upcoming season of the show. "A lot of twists and turns. Just the first EP alone is going to rock your world. You're going to laugh, cry and be mad. This season is going to be HUGE." Nick joined the cast of The Expanse during the second season and the second his character Cotyar entered the plotline as a former member of the UN Military in the Intelligence Division who is now a freelance security contractor and private intelligence operative, people instantly fell in love with him.
Luckily for all the fans, Nick is set to come again on the show for the third season and even though we all got to see a fair share amount of his character on the show, don't come to the conclusion that you have him all figured out because Nick is sure that you have not.
"Just when you think you got him figured out, you really haven’t," he said. "He’s pushing his boundaries and doing things he usually doesn’t do that goes against his code but is very much needed. You’re going to love him even more if that’s even possible."
While Nick has been able to create a mark on people with his character and not to forget, his acting skills, Nick recalls that even though he auditioned for the show, it wasn't until a month later that he got to know that he had landed the part. "When I got the role I had forgotten what I auditioned for," he laughed recalling his audition days.
However, the wait for worth it as Nick loves the show and the character that he gets to play on the screen. "But I am very grateful to be a part of such an amazing show," he said. Along with TV shows, Nick can also be seen in Pacific Rim Uprising. Appearing next to Scott Eastwood, John Boyega, and Charlie Day in a movie which is being directed by Steven S. DeKnight, the movie takes its viewers on a joyful ride which is filled with adventure and scenes that will keep one hooked on the chair.
Sadly, Nick revealed that there was no bromance on the sets of the movie but he did reveal that he loved working with all of them and the entire cast of the show. At the same time, the movie also had a bit of treat for Nick has he had his pal, Shane Rangi working with him alongside for the film.
The two met on the sets of Spartacus and ever since then, they have been very close. " I was very happy to be working with my buddy Shane Rangi from Spartacus," Nick said. " He plays one of my guards and him and I ALWAYS have a blast on every set and crack jokes with everyone. He’s a very good friend of mine."
Even though Nick believes that he has a long way to go, there is still two advice in his life that he always keeps in mind and makes sure to shape his decisions based on them. Nick recalled that one of them comes from his coach "Arthur Mendoza when he told me about “talent” vs hard work. He said “you have to think of your talent as an unfaithful mistress, she’ll bail on you at any moment. Your hard work and homework will ALWAYS be there when you need it.”
While the other one is from his "another acting coach, Susan Giosa who said, “No matter what you love in life, it cannot be everything about your life.” I had a lot of great lessons in life but this two stand out the most." Although it may look like Nick has it all figured out now, it wasn't so in the beginning.
Just like everyone even Nick wasn't sure about becoming an actor until a particular incident took place. "I realized I wanted to pursue acting when I was helping a photographer friend of mine back in NYC film an Indie film when he said to me right after saying my first line on camera “You know, you should be an actor," he recalled.
"That kind of awakened a calling that was ignored inside of me all along. And once it did I really realized that I’ve always wanted to do this since I was a kid back home in Lebanon." Ever since he was sure that acting was his calling, there was no looking back for Nick.
He got his first breakout role in STARZ's 'Crash', and just like every other aspiring actor, he could not contain his excitement. When asked about what was his first reaction upon hearing the good news about landing the role, Nick had only one word on repeat and that was, "YES YES YES YES YES!!!!"
He remembers "jumping around like a crazy man for about half an hour." When Nick got the call for the role, it was a life-changing event for him as it happened to be just seconds before he was going to give up. " I was broke at the time and was ready to pack it in and go back to NYC when I got the call," he recalled.
"I had bought my one-way ticket back and I was leaving in 3 days. Faith and the gods had other plans for me it turned out. I am extremely thankful for that moment and I think about it almost every day," he said while adding that it is important for people to have faith.
Despite working with brilliant actors during his career, there is still a long list of people on his bucket list whom he would like to star along. However, there is one person in particular that he cannot wait to work next to and that is Sylvester Stallone. "He was my childhood hero," he said. "I’d watch his movies growing up and daydream about acting and being in an action film with him. He was my escapism from sometimes a harsh reality into an awesome world of imagination. I’ve got close to being in two of his movies. I Would love to land a role with him."
As of now, Nick is working on a "HUGE HUGE video game" which according to him is "going to change the way we play video games" he plays. Even though Nick could not spill more details on his project, we are sure that his idea is going to be a brilliant one and everyone is going to love it as much as they love him for his acting!