Nick Young (actor)

Nickolas Ray Young is an American actor who appeared in the films Friend of the World (2020) and Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023), television movies El Diablo (1990) and Geronimo (1993), and OnStage Playhouse's productions of The Diary of Anne Frank (2011) and The Other Place (2022). Young began working on television in Arizona throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s before moving to San Diego County for film and theater work in the 2010s.

Young was born to Elois Roain Drayfahl and Duain Francis Young in Tucson, Arizona.^{[1] [2]} He became interested in performing arts while in grade school,^[3] was on the track team^[4] and played American football as an offensive lineman at Palo Verde High Magnet School.^[5] After high school, Young majored in drama at Pima Community College.^[3] While there, he qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association championships ^[6] after winning the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference for the discus throw but he was unable to place.^[7]

Young acted in many television movies and shows in Tucson and Phoenix while pursuing a career as a firefighter.^[3] He was appointed to the Tucson Fire Department on June 16, 1980.^[8] In 1981, Young received an electric shock while working with another fireman who suffered steam burns. Both were treated for non-serious injuries.^{[8] [9]} Young was promoted to engineer on May 8, 1988, and retired on February 28, 2008.^[8]

After retiring as a fireman, Young relocated to San Diego County ^[3] where he performed in stage plays such as The Diary of Anne Frank ,^[10] The Other Place and Kimberly Akimbo .^[11] He was cast in films such as The Case of: Dakota Moore,^[12] I Brake for Caterpillars^[3] as well as a Filmapalooza qualifying 48 hour short film called Con Boys.^[13]

Young auditioned for Friend of the World by submitting a mobile video and he was cast as Gore, a lead role.^[12] Several film critics admired his performance^{[14] [15] [16] [17]} and he was nominated for Best Actor at the San Diego Film Awards. The film was distributed by Troma Entertainment.^[12]

Ally Ham at Video Librarian said Young's chemistry with co-star Alexandra Slade was engaging but also out of place at times.^[18] Rob Rector at Film Threat and John Noonan at FilmInk noticed his character seemed to be inspired from Dr. Strangelove .^{[19] [20]} Film critic Daniel M. Kimmel said Young proficiently expresses his character's thoughts^[21] and Cheryl Eddy at Gizmodo claims he has an "unhinged aura of someone who's been alone too long."^[22] Young's performance has been compared to John Goodman,^[23] Bruce Campbell and Sterling Hayden ^[24] while director Brian Patrick Butler said his character is like John Wayne, casting him for his "grimness and humor."^[12]

• Nick Young at About the Artists
• Nick Young at Broadway World
• Nick Young at IMDb
• Nick Young at Moviefone
• Nick Young at Rotten Tomatoes
• Nick Young at the TCM Movie Database

• Living people
• 20th-century American male actors
• 21st-century American male actors
• American male film actors
• Male actors from San Diego
• Male actors from Tucson, Arizona
• Male actors from Phoenix, Arizona
• American male stage actors
• American male television actors
• Pima Community College alumni
• 20th-century American firefighters
• 21st-century American firefighters
• Male Western (genre) film actors

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles with hCards
• Rotten Tomatoes ID same as Wikidata
• Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter
• Turner Classic Movies person ID different from Wikidata
• TCMDb name template using non-numeric ID
• Year of birth missing (living people)