It is impossible to not fall in love with Nico Tortorella- plain and simple.
In truth, he is very much like the on-screen persona he portrays on TV Land's hit series, Younger- a fantasy. Created by Darren Star and dressed by Patricia Field, Younger recreates a lot of what people loved about Sex And The City, this time bridging the gap between generations and creating a timeless story for everyone as each of the girls is a hybrid of the original four ladies, with New York still serving as the same famous fifth lead. The main character is in a similar "Big Versus Aidan" epic love triangle, with the two male romantic leads each being their own blended versions of the two famous characters.
Tortorella's character Josh has all the best qualities of both of the towering romantic figures. Like Aidan, he has a rugged and honest charm that seeks out simplicity- which although may not be ultimately right for our leading lady, its still undeniably endearing, and like Big, he is a startling dream for her to escape into- and that’s all just Nico being Nico.
Nico is an unrealistic fantasy that is still somehow drenched in sincerity. No matter which angle you capture his perfect face from, it's truly like looking at a cologne ad as he is easily one of the most beautiful people who ever lived. He has the kind of natural, breath-taking good looks that seem to have been lost by a Hollywood that is now celebrating the mediocre or manufactured. His eye contact and smile connection is like a one-two punch that no one can survive, male or female, and just one glance by the incredibly handsome actor will surely make anyone entranced. They will undoubtedly be love bombed.
That could very well be why the intriguing talent titled his new podcast The Love Bomb. A part of the new At Will Radio, The Love Bomb is Tortorella's outlet to talk about love, sex, gender and everything in between that's not defined about what's between a person's legs. Refuting labels and seeking to just speak to those he loves about what made their relationship important, Tortorella is doing it more to listen than to be heard.
And if that is raising any red flags for any cynics out there- lower them now. With all the actors jumping on the trendy gravy train of appealing to queer fans now that it's more socially acceptable, it comes as no surprise that audiences would be skeptical, but remember; Tortorella is drenched in sincerity. The dreamy actor is far less interested in being inside a dream, and much more excited to be getting down to reality. While speaking during the interview, he turned and gave this knock-out, one-two punch stare that could make anyone weak in the knees and said;
"You think I'm completely full of Sh-, don't you?"
It wasn't aggressive or nasty- It was shockingly charming and whimsical. Another one of Nico's gifts that many people lack- particularly actors and millennials as they are notoriously self-involved- is that he is highly attuned to what is going on in the minds of others. The drop-dead-gorgeous star had little interest in giving a "canned interview." He launched into an hour-long conversation that showed he was passionate and intelligent as he spoke about the issues that were important to him, while still never failing to be hysterical. It was the only interview where the actor also took notes- eagerly proclaiming that the world needed to hear the more candid and often times, even obscene parts of the conversation. That conversation ran for a long time and went in many wild directions, but a small edit of what was discussed ranged from things like; how men and women differ in bed, which physical features are the biggest turn-ons in both sexes, having sex with strangers versus long time partners, celebrity gossip, what it's like to live a lifestyle your family doesn't always get, favorite fetishes, and more.
And that's why Nico's podcast The Love Bomb will surely be a hit- the blue-eyed beauty was insistent that all of those topics were mentioned. An actor that turns the tables on the interviewer and tries to find out about their love life is destined for a hit podcast. The inquisitive talent seeks answers to his many questions and knows how to get them- and how to make his subjects fall in love with him in the process, the same way he does week after week with fans of Younger.
By the end of the interview below, every reader out there will no doubt be just as entranced by the mesmerizing Tortorella and his charming ways- and if they're not yet, they have plenty more weeks of the new season of his hit TV Land show to tune in for to fall for him! Read on for more of Nico and his wonderful world;
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As "Younger" goes into its third season, what can you share about the show and particularly what scoop can you give for Josh?
I just watched the first four episodes the other night, and I feel as though it's finally gotten into the groove of where it's supposed to be. We are all comfortable in our characters, the writers are comfortable. There's a certain point where the writers start writing with the actors in mind, and so we really have began to blend together pretty nicely. As for Josh, it's been quite the relationship so far. A lot has happened in a small amount of time, and things will continue to happen at that quick pace.
Of course, this show deals with the gap between gen x and gen y and the things that really set them apart, as well as what brings them together. What do you think those major differences and harmonies are? Are most of your friends older or younger?
I think I have a good mix of friends. I feel like I've learned a lot about the greater of life from my older friends, but I'm keeping up with the kids from my younger friends. I think the show does a brilliant job of portraying that. There's times on set when I won't know some of the literary references, so we go to the older people and ask them. Then, at times they might not know some pop culture references or what not, and I'm the one who seems to always have the answer to what's current. It's funny!
You play a tattoo artist on the show and are very inked up yourself! Do you know exactly how many you have? Do any in particular have special meaning you can share?
They all have special meaning. I lost count a while ago to how much I have. I'm just about finishing up my sleeve. I have antlers on my feet to protect the ground I walk on!
The people behind ”Younger” are some of the best in the business. You have Darren star, who was behind “Sex And The City”, “Melrose Place” and "Beverly Hills, 90210," and Patricia Field is a costume consultant, and she is also what gave Sex And The City a lot of its magic. Talk about them, as well as your great cast.
Darren is a legend, and he has been in the TV game forever now- so it was a no-brainer when I knew he was attached. He has a way of writing relationships that isn't seen on television anywhere else- and specifically women. Pat is a New York staple icon. Then, of course, there's Hilary Duff- and I grew up watching Lizzie McGuire. It's a great group of people and that is why I jumped at it in the first place.
Let's talk a little bit about "The Love Bomb" podcast. How did that come about and what can audiences expect from it?
So, this whole "Nico, Nico, Nico" alter-ego has been floating around for a while, and it started off as this documentary I filmed with my brother that never saw the light of day but was a good learning experience for both of us. It was a great art project I worked on. Then it turned into this TV show I was developing for a while about gender and sexuality and relationships, and while doing that you have a lot of hands in the pot, a lot of money issues, and it's a long and annoying process. So, I did my buddy Will Malnati's podcast and he was the founder of At Will Radio. I had never done a podcast- but the second I got on it and I got in the room with that microphone, I loved it. It's a great platform to get thoughts out that is simple and immediate and can be really emotional really quickly. Every time I go into the studio with someone it's like straight up therapy. The Love Bomb is the next generation of Nico, Nico, Nico. It's me talking with people I've been in relationships with, or who are good friends of mine, or people that I don't know that I look up to, and we sit and talk about love, gender and sex and what it all means and why we're all talking about it. How everyone can be labeled something different but at the end of the day we're all driven by the same force and that's love. I think at the time we're in and everything is so depressing, we just need some love bombs exploding everywhere.
You have a long term relationship with a female named Bethany, but the two of you still fight off any form of labels. Talk about your relationship with Bethany a bit. Is a family something you are looking forward someday down the line?
I could talk for days about this relationship. She's my best friend- she's my family. We've been through everything. She taught me how to love. We've been through every form of what a relationship is and we've been through every label. We've been through heterosexual relationships together, relationships that weren't heterosexual together. We've run the gamut. She's the first episode of the podcast. I need her there to explain where I've been and what I come from to help bring the conversation forward. And in terms of family, I'm in another relationship with another girl right now and it's moving in a wonderful direction. We're talking about kids and talking about family. What that means for my relationship with Bethany is all to be seen. I think that I'm traditional at heart- but I want to know what being non-traditional looks like and feels like. So, going into being in a hetero-monogomous relationship with one girl, while still being true to myself and being open to a non-traditional life will be interesting and it all comes down to being with the right person.
Have you faced any struggles in the industry with your sexuality?
Not struggles. I've faced hours and hours of conversations with agents and publicists about the "right way" to handle "it," and what "it" all means, and at the end of the day, if you put so much f-in weight on it and just continue the conversation than you're really part of the problem and I just decided I wasn't going to do that anymore. I wanted to be part of the solution and part of the future. As long as I'm happy and not hurting anyone, then it shouldn't be a problem.
Growing up, who was your childhood crush or crushes, and who are they now?
Lindsay Lohan was my number one childhood crush forever...
Tell that to Hilary Duff...
She knows. [Short chuckle] I dated Lindsay for a brief minute. I also loved Mary-Kate Olsen. But now, I really love Miley Cyrus. She's so attractive to me in terms of what she's doing on a philanthropic level. I am really attracted to people who are truly committed to who they are and what they stand for as far as the planet goes.
Like Lindsay Lohan?
Exactly like Lindsay Lohan! [Laughs] You said when I was a kid!
You filmed a pilot for HBO called "Mamma Dallas" with the amazingly talented rising stars Talitha and Gabriel Bateman. That movie is about a family that hires a drag queen as a nanny! You love drag queens right? Talk about how you started to love drag queens and working with those two fantastic rising stars.
Oh yeah, Talitha and Gabriel are really great kids- and so talented. And as far as drag queens go, I'm an actor, first and foremost, so, it's my job to transform into other people and physically become someone else. The first time I saw a drag queen perform it's the ultimate picture of transformation and gender non-conformity, which is something I'm so fascinated with. It's such a niche interest of mine that controls how I think about the world. Drag queens are so committed to themselves and they're so happy when they perform, and they bring so much joy to the world. How could anyone not love a drag queen? It's two completely different people in one body and that person is honoring all assets of the gender spectrum that live inside of them and performing on a regular basis and are now a celebrity in the world. It's incredible.
You were on the show "The Beautiful Life," which was a really accurate representation of the fashion industry. Having worked as a model, you must have realized that. People were probably looking to see more of "the beautiful life" where the irony of the show was that it showed audiences the uglier side of the industry. Were you disappointed people didn't quite get it? Do you think it would have done better on another network?
I don't know how realistic it was, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. [Laughs] I do agree that I think one of the big problems with the show was its choice of network. Not that there is anything wrong with The CW- The CW has some great material. It just wasn't really the right home for what they were trying to do, as you were saying. There's a little bitterness there on that project on my end, of course. That project was my first glimpse into Hollywood in many ways. I was 21 and cast on a big show and then it was pulled out from under our feet. Thank God it happened, I don't regret it happening at all. It's just a small piece of my life that introduced me to this world and then in a flash it was gone. Just a quick learning experience.
You've modeled and you've acted and you now host your own show. What else are you looking to do and what kind of roles are you looking to play? Who would you love to work with?
Right now, the top of my list is Viceland. I've never been so moved by a network, and they are re-wiring my brain to gather information in an entirely new way. It's changing the way I watch television. That could hopefully be the next generation of Nico, Nico, Nico even. So, I'm working on that right now- fingers crossed. And I would love to do a Woody Allen movie at some point- that is at the top of my list. But, I love television. Every actor in the world might want to be a huge movie star, but I think television is in a place right now that just in terms of safety of job- TV is a beautiful place. So, I would love to maybe one day have my own show- whether that be on TV Land, or another awesome network, and continue to work with awesome people. I just want to continue to have the opportunity to still have the security I have, but still have the freedom to get to do great side projects like I'm doing right now.
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Having his cake and eating it too? Sounds like Tortorella has every intentions of continuing to make the dream-life a reality. No wonder Sutton Foster has fallen so head over heels on Younger. Again...who wouldn't be completely Love Bombed?
Younger continues its third season Wednesday nights at 10/9c on TV Land.
Catch The Love Bomb on At Will Radio. Check it out here; http://bit.ly/niconiconico