GN1: You play Sully in the Amazon TV series Sterling Point. What drew you to the character, and what was it like bringing Sully to life?

NH: There’s a fun duality to Sully that I love! There’s the side where they can let loose and have fun with their friends away from work, but there’s also this side to Sully that is purely ruled by unconditional love and empathy. How Sully gives advice depending on who they’re with was really fun to navigate. With Oona, Sully makes sure the guards are down to ensure she can feel things to the fullest without bottling anything up. With Ellis it’s a little bit more unfiltered and upfront, holding Ellis accountable to being proactive especially when it comes to his relationships. With Ramona it’s approaching things with a gentle heart, understanding that their friend has been forced to live a rocky life and recognizing that a little bit of kindness goes a long way.

GN2:  You also play Emile in Davey & Jonesie’s Locker. How would you describe the differences between Emile and Sully as characters?

NH: With Davey and Jonesie’s Locker, what was really fun about working on that show was that it was set in the multiverse! Each episode was meant to be a different version of their middle school and have the characters reflect that. One episode had Emile be the “Mad Hatter”, while another had me playing an Emile who was a spoof of Cesar Flickerman from the Hunger Games. It also gave me so much space to be big and explore wacky comedic choices.  With Sully however the universe of Sterling Point is a lot more grounded. I got to really spend a lot of time making sure that Sully was as real as possible. Although both roles are comedic, it was really fun to explore the differing degrees of comedy with Sully.

IGN3: What has been the most memorable moment for you while working on either of these Amazon series?

NH: I like to say that I am a proud graduate of the Veronika Slowikowska School Of Acting. I truly learned so much watching her work on that show. Having DJL be my first acting job it was great having her be a cool on set big sister. My favorite memories from working on that show was running around the abandoned elementary school we filmed in, filming a “My Heart Will Go On” music video, and the wrap party at a Legion’s Karaoke night. 

With the Sterling Point cast we hung out a lotttttttt as well. We had birthday picnics, went out for drinks, watched movies together. My all time favorite memory though definitely was star gazing with the cast by the lake. We were lucky enough to have had a bunch of meteor showers while we were up in Muskoka, so to have experienced that as a cast was really nice and a fun singular memory shared just between us. 

GN4: You graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC. How did your training there shape you as an actor and performer?

NH: You really hit the ground running and it really was an environment of go go go! A great piece of advice that I got from my teachers was “there will never be a point in your career where you know absolutely everything there is to know about acting/performing, so always approach things with curiosity.” It’s really levitated a lot of pressure I put on myself and replaced scary feelings of uncertainty with a more positive approach. 

Obviously there’s the practical skills that come from doing an intense musical theatre conservatory program (ie. Learning how to tap dance, sing, improv etc.) but I think a big part of the learning also came with moving to New York at such a young age. I was forced to face feelings and life experiences I would not have been able to encounter first hand otherwise which I felt was valuable to bring into the work I was doing. 

GN5: You’ve performed at the prestigious 54 Below in shows including Out Being Us, In Harmony, and Musicalized with Jaime Lyn Beatty. What did performing at 54 Below mean to you?

NH: Oh my gosh it meant EVERYTHING to me. I grew up binging 54 Below performances on Youtube back in Junior High and High School so to have had the opportunity to perform there three times is beyond crazy to me. What’s really special about 54 Below shows is they really are just a labour of love. Everyone in those shows are there to perform and have a good time and make art with other insanely talented performers! I remember doing a show there with Julia Macchio and seeing her be just as excited to be singing these silly showtunes like the rest of us was so cute- like we are all just theatre kids for real. 

GN6: Was there a particular actor, director, teacher, or performer who inspired you to pursue acting?

NH: I think I have Lea Salonga’s Tony Award speech memorized with how many times I’ve watched it. God I love her. 

I was really really lucky that I had a lot of people, especially in High School, who believed in me pursuing Acting/Musical Theatre. During the pandemic I like a lot of people was feeling a little existential. Questions of “What do I want to do with my life” circled in my head constantly. It was my drama and musical theatre teachers that really pushed me to take a chance on trying to pursue a career in entertainment. Thank goodness I listened and chased something that I feel extremely passionate about. I genuinely feel so lucky and extremely privileged to be doing something I love so much. 

GN7: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your acting journey so far, and what did you learn from it?

NH: I’ve always been a weird kid growing up and I find that a lot of that beautiful weirdness has seeped into my adulthood. A big learning thing for me right now is doing everything I can to cling on to the bits of myself that make me feel like Nikko.  Especially having a brand new set of eyes looking at you and having a lot of thoughts and opinions come at you in every which way. I am very blessed to have an amazing support system I can always come home to.  

GN8: As an emerging actor, what kind of roles or stories are you hoping to explore next?

I hope to keep doing more queer storylines centered around authenticity and truth! Amidst the attacks our community is facing right now I hope that an abundance of queer stories streamlines a sense of empathetic consciousness to have all of us lead life with a little bit more kindness. 

I’m a huge fan of fantasy so to do something within that realm would be a lot of fun. If there was another Dungeons and Dragons movie where I could play a shapeshifting druid, or a Game of Thrones storyline where I could be a cute boy from Dorne would be the dream. 

I’d also love to do something that will help me reconnect with my Filipino roots and maybe shoot something in the Philippines! The world is my oyster, I’m really looking forward for what’s to come. 

GN9: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice before starting your professional acting career, what would you say?

Being nonchalant is not for you babe lol. I would advise little Nikko to be more unafraid and more unapologetic about liking the things they liked and to put the blinders on a lot earlier. I used to worry so much about how I was perceived and even though that took a pretty detrimental toll on my mental health I also understand that it’s a part of growing up. We live, we learn and I am much more free and comfortable with who I am because I learned how to navigate through the noise. 

GN10: After a long day of acting, what helps you relax, recharge, and prepare for the next day? Also what does the word 'Goodnight' mean to you?

I used to not see the value in journaling but since filming it’s been a really great way for me to clear any thoughts before bed. I also love video games! I’ve been trying to get out of the habit of doom scrolling and replacing those urges with playing some levels of Super Mario 64 on my 3DS before bed. 

Goodnight to me is letting go of the day you just had, giving it up to the universe, and knowing that you have another chance to do it all again the next day.