Interview: Hollywood’s Nick Ballard Plays “Boy-Toy” for Portland Center Stage Show
Friday, January 16, 2015
Nick Ballard
The 2013 Tony Award-winning play is about the relationships of three, middle-aged siblings: Vanya, Sonia, and Masha. When Masha brings home a much younger, dim-witted new lover named Spike, he takes every opportunity to strip down and show off his body.
Needless to say, actor Nick Ballard needs to be in tip-top shape for the frequent shirtlessness his character requires on stage. At one point in the play, Ballard's character Spike will also grace the audience with a "reverse strip tease."
Ballard is from Louisiana and started acting while attending Louisiana State University. After school he moved to Los Angeles to launch his career. He now lives in Studio City and has appeared in a myriad of television shows including CSI and Bones.
Soon after auditioning for the part of Spike via Skype from his Los Angeles home, Ballard was chosen for the part and came up to Portland in December to start rehearsals at PCS.
GoLocalPDX had the chance to sit down with Nick Ballard and ask him about acting, his fitness routine, and what he thinks of Portland.
GoLocalPDX: Do you prefer on-screen acting or stage acting?
Ballard: I can't really say, they're both so fun. Film and theater are both awesome, but with theater you get that instant gratification of the audience reaction. Meeting people on a set- you can't beat that.
What drew you to this play and the role of Spike?
The play is a comment on all of us. The characters are adjusting to a world for better or worse. And Spike is a really funny character - he's an extremist, and full of himself, but lovable.
Do you have any similarities to Spike?
Uhhh…. well I'm lovable! hahaha.
Were you prepared for the physical aspect of this role, or has it been a challenge?
Well, I was already going to the gym, but now my diet is way healthier than it's ever been. And I've been going to the gym about 5-6 days a week. But I have had to learn some dance moves though, haha.
What is your diet like?
A lot of really lean meats, protein, vegetables, a lot of greens, rice quinoa - you know, the typical stuff. It gets boring, but there's a lot of spices out there that you can play with. I mean, that's why you go to restaurants, because they have spices and flavors you haven't tried yet!
I've been staying away from fried foods - which sucks. I'd say it's like a clean diet, which sounds cliche, but it basically is.
Nick Ballard as Spike in dress rehearsal. Photo by Patrick Weishampel.
Have you noticed any changes since adopting this diet?
You really do see a difference when you eat healthy. You just feel better. You wake up in the morning feeling lighter and you don't get tired at 4 p.m.
What is your exercise regimen like?
I'm in the gym a lot but for shorter periods of time. I've learned that it's not about working out harder, it's about working out smarter. If you're in the gym for two hours, after you're done you're just going to be exhausted, but if you work out really intensely for 45 minutes, you feel really good and energetic afterwards.
Workouts are tough though, and I'm doing something different every day.
What do you like most about Portland?
I love that everything is so close and there are so many shops and good food places. It's so easy to get everywhere you can just hop on the bus and get off quickly at the next place. There's all these little pockets of shops, and I love how old some of the buildings are and how they're used as modern spaces.
What are the biggest differences you notice between Portland and L.A.?
Traffic, prices, and people.
And the weather really isn't that bad here, like it rains but it's not that bad. Look- it's beautiful out today!
How are people different?
Everyone is so nice here, I mean people are nice in L.A. too, but everyone is so friendly here. Like at Christmas time I'd just be walking around and strangers would look me in the eye and say "Merry Christmas!" I was like "what do they know me?"
There's all these people with crazy beards and tattoos and they're all so nice.
What are you going to miss about Portland?
I'm going to miss the things I've missed! I've been really busy here, because I'm here for work, so I haven't gotten a chance to do so many things that I want to do here. And I'm going to miss PCS, it has been so great to work here.
See Nick Ballard and his highly anticipated reverse strip tease in "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" premeiring at Portland Center Stage Friday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. with multiple weekly performances through Feb. 8. Click here to purchase tickets online.
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It