Nick is planning to earn his livelihood in the entertainment industry, most likely as a director, although he's interested in spending some time in front of the camera as well - and oh, yes, he'd like to add screenwriter to his list of professional achievements.
Lofty goals to be sure, but if you spend more than five minutes with the bright, precocious and sweet fifth-grader, it's abundantly clear that the word "no" is not in his vocabulary.
"If you want to do something, you should do it," said Nick. "I've always wanted to do this. I was in my first play when I was about 6, and I've even written a screenplay. It's about the mafia in Chicago."
Nick comes by his drive and his acting chops naturally. His grandmother was an art major at UC Berkeley, and developed a lifelong love of the theater, appearing in a variety of local productions. His mom, Shannon Murphy-Teixeira, also a Berkeley alum, dabbled in the theater as a young person, although she later traded the theatrical stage for the legal stage, and today is an attorney.
For Nick, the bug bit early, and to date he has taken the stage in quite a few local productions throughout East County. In his short career he has played the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz," played a dual role in a production of "Snow White" as Bashful and the Prince, and then went from royalty to good-hearted thug Danny Zuko in "Grease" - to name a few.
Last week Nick took on the role of Dickson in a production of "The Secret Garden," staged by Frank J. Ballesteros Productions in Antioch. Nick has just recently become involved with the popular and accomplished company, where he hopes to sharpen his acting skills and take his talent to the next level.
Despite his busy theater schedule, Nick still manages to find time for school and sports, especially baseball. And however his future goes, his mom agrees that busy is better, and remains impressed with her son's drive and tenacity.
"It's nice to see someone who is so focused," said Shannon. "He has been bugging me to start taking him to auditions and all that, but we'll see. I'm not going to be a stage mom; he has a long time to decide what he wants to do."
As for Nick, he's a little clearer about the future. "In the next five years I see myself having done at least a film or two," he said. "I like it (acting) because I like to be out there in front of people, and it makes me feel great. I don't really get nervous; I just go out there and do my best. It's fun."
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