When Nils Hognestad started his career as an actor, he always imagined he would one day be a part of the Psych family. But when the long-standing comedy TV series concluded in 2014, he thought those dreams were over. Little did he know, the Universe had other plans.
Fast-forward a few years, and Nils can now check that off his bucket list, starring as a top-secret character in Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, exclusively on NBC’s new streaming platform: Peacock.
We caught up with Nils to chat about this exciting milestone and the other stories he hopes to tell as he makes the transition into writing and producing.
PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Nils: I’ve always been interested since before I can even remember. My first language was Norwegian. As a kid, I didn’t know the word in Norwegian for “actor,” so I would say that I wanted to be a talking face on TV. That’s always been there. When I really started pursuing it, I was quite young. When I was nine, we were living in London, England. My parents took us to go see Cats, the musical. My mom said that she had an idea that I’d probably be an actor at that point because I paid attention to the whole thing. She was like, “I couldn’t keep up with what the show was about, but you seemed thoroughly entertained.” That’s when she realized.
When I was ten, I started doing on-camera acting classes. I got my first on-camera agent. I booked my first role in a movie. It was a tiny role in the Wayans Brothers’ film The Sixth Man. I did anything I could get my hands on, drama-wise. So by the time I made it to high school, I did every single drama production. I was on the improv team. I was doing community theater. I was in pantomimes in the winter and musicals in the summer. I just always did whatever I could.
PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Nils: That was definitely my drama teacher in grade twelve. He was definitely intrinsic in me pursuing acting as a career. He was the one that pointed me in the direction of going to theater school after I graduated high school. He recommended I go to Ryerson. I applied, auditioned, got in, and he really started me on the trajectory of doing what I wanted to do, pursuing it as a career. He was definitely one of those people that I will be forever grateful for.
PC: You’ve had a lot of success in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Nils: For me, it’s actually all the opportunities to travel that have come with work. I was fortunate to do a film that was shot in Malta, a commercial in Spain, and I did a TV series that went through France, Italy, Prague, and parts of Canada. That is what has always been really exciting. There are times where we’ll shoot in the middle of nowhere, and other times we’re in front of a famous landmark and doing a scene. It’s all a bit surreal. That stuff has surprised me. It’s all kind of blended together as a shared experience.
PC: In addition to acting, you also started to write and produce. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actor and vice versa?
Nils: It’s interesting. As I’ve been writing, it’s been teaching me so much more as an actor and a performer because I can’t help but now approach a role with a writer’s mind, where as a writer, I don’t want to write in direction, or too much stage direction, because I want to leave that open to the director and to the actor. I drop in subtle hints to the actors to teach them who the character is so that they understand what my vision as a writer is of the performance that I’m wanting. As a result, it’s made me read scripts completely different, where I can’t help but go, “This is what the writer wants!” I see it from all the writers’ perspective now because they are the person that has the deepest insight into what the actual story is.
PC: Tell us about Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Nils: I can’t reveal too much about my character, but I play the son of the Norwegian ice bar owner. He was a really fun character to play. It’s great to be able to play something that’s actually in my mother tongue and to be able to do some Norwegian in there. It was really fun to work on.
The lead cast were great. The final product is really great. I think people are going to be thoroughly entertained. We shot this all prior to COVID and all this. It’s so interesting because now more than ever, everybody is realizing how important escapism is. I’m excited to see how people respond to something that had never been touched by COVID or affected by it. It’s almost like going back to a simpler time.
PC: Did you feel any pressure heading into that project, given how iconic the franchise is and how loyal the fans are?
Nils: Yeah! To be honest, I’ve been auditioning to be part of the series since Season 2, so it’s not lost on me how great of an opportunity this has been. When I heard the series was over, I remember feeling really heartbroken. It was like, “Damn. I was so sure I was going to be part of this show.” So when this role came through and they were looking for a Norwegian with long blond hair, I was like, “I’m the only one in all of Canada. If it isn’t me, then I’m doing something very wrong.” [laughs]
PC: When you look ahead to the next five, ten years, what do you hope to accomplish?
Nils: I’m really excited to forge forward as a writer and a creative producer. That’s really where my heart is pulling me these days. It’s the same pull that I experienced when I was first needing to pursue acting. I’m now at a point where I’m needing to pursue writing. I’m really excited for this next project. The film that I’ve been writing is called Cross Country Baby. That is so much my heart.
It’s a story about an interracial gay couple that go on an illegal cross-Canada road trip to find their egg donor and surrogate. As a writer, I’m really enjoying telling nuclear stories and giving voice to a type of story that we haven’t seen told yet. This is something very different. It excites me because I’m like, “This is the stuff I want to see.” I hope it resonates with others.
PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Nils: I have a bunch. I’m a proud watcher of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I’ve seen every single episode. I’m a die-hard fan. I have no guilt behind that. I do feel a bit of guilt watching stuff like 16 and Pregnant and Honey Boo Boo. I’m watching Floor is Lava on Netflix right now and it’s absurd.
PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Nils: I’m a proud watcher of Mean Girls. It’s a movie that I revisit all the time. I can’t watch that movie without crying my eyes out. I don’t know why. I’m super emotionally affected by that movie. I haven’t figured out why yet.
PC: Favorite book?
Nils: The Little Prince or Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It’s a kids’ book. I’m a sucker for kids’ books. If you read French, it’s beautiful in French.
PC: Favorite play or musical?
Nils: Last Five Years
PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Nils: Carly Rae Jepsen
PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Nils: I would want it to be Brad Pitt. He’s Benjamin Buttoning in his life.
To keep up with Nils, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Psych 2: Lassie Come Home on Peacock today.
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