Nick Clifford – Hindsight

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) Was the success of “Hindsight” something you predicted?

A) I think the surprise has been different ways that people have found their way to the show because I think we all knew when we were shooting it that we were making a show about the 90’s and being on set around the 90’s paraphernalia. We knew we were getting such a kick out of it that people would get a kick out of watching it for that reason. I think that one of the things we didn’t realize was how much music was going to be in it and how great it would be because it is all added in after. With having people respond to the characters, you never really know if you are really painting a world that people are going to engage in until after you see their reactions. It’s been really fun to see people get invested in the relationships.

Q) As a part of social media, you receive instant fan feedback. What have been comments/reactions to the show?

A) I think what is fun is because there are so many little love triangles with the show that there are all these different teams that have broken out. There are people who are Team Andy, Team Sean and Team Jolly. For the most part, I think it is fun to watch people as it is airing to scroll through the show’s hashtag and see how people respond. Especially when I know that something big is about to be revealed, like in episode five when the car crash was looming, I was kind of watching Twitter as it was revealed. It was really fun to watch peoples’ reactions.

Q) Has anything surprised you seeing it air after you were there for filming?

A) It’s always a little bit of a surprise when you see a show that you shot as the final product because so much of your performance gets drafted in the editing room so you don’t really know exactly how the scene is going to play out, but I have really loved the work that our producers and directors have put into it with the editors because I think they have crafted a wonderful show. And I’m always surprised at the moments when I feel there were opportunities to let the emotion and drama sit and not cut away from it and finding they let that happen. They really let these dramatic moments on screen because I think more soapy TV dramas can sometimes be about trying to cram as much into an episode and trying to cut as many little clips together. They have done a really nice job of kind of letting things sit and breathe. So, watching the final products of the episodes is always a real joy because you get to see how much care and belief is put into the show.

Q) When you watch do you find yourself rooting for couples more than another?

A) I would say I’m definitely on the Jamie and Lolly Team. Team Jolly? I just love watching John Patrick [Amedori] and Sarah [Goldberg] work together. We never really got to work together on set in scenes, even though we were all really good friends when we were down there. So, I never really got to see any of their scenes being shot unless I stuck around and watched them. So, it’s been a real joy to watch them. I feel like I’m totally in the camp of wanting them to be together. Sorry Kevin!

Q) What can you tease is in store for your character on “Hindsight?”

A) I think that we kind of left Andy at a bit of a crossroads because he sort of had that final “I’m going to lay down everything for you, Becca.” and she really is so conflicted about saying, “yes” to him that I think it is in everyone’s best interest for her to let the world as it was before she came into it continue to be and let Andy and Melanie be together. I think Andy is so scared when that happens because he was so sure that this was the right thing. I think his return to Melanie is one motivated out of really realizing that he does want to be safe. He does want to be with someone who already loves him and takes good care of him, someone who is willing to be by his side no matter what. We don’t really know how she feels about that because it seems like she is getting sloppy seconds from Andy in that episode. I think that we are going to see Andy really wrestling with how he is going to take control of his life after it has become a little chaotic. I think he has let other people tell him what to do for a while now and he is getting stronger. He is realizing if he wants to have happiness in his life he has to take control of his life and make decisions for himself. So, I think in the next episode you will see a lot of Andy standing up for himself, the same way he stood up to Sean in the bar in episode five. I think we’ll see a lot more of that. And it’s fun because next episode is Thanksgiving so it is a lot of people coming together in one big room. I think it will be a lot of fun!

Q) Was there anything you added to role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) When I read for the role and I went in to read the two scenes, it felt very, very natural to me and I was very in touch with the role. I knew it was something that I could do. When I booked it and started reading more and more episodes before we started shooting, I was like, “This is scary how close this guy is to me!” He’s like my alter ego that I am really worried I am going to become if I don’t sort of take charge of my life. He’s living out this life when we meet him that is a safe, kind of settling life so if I infused anything into his character it was a bit of my own fear that I could potentially become this person and maybe that has informed the character a little bit more than if somebody didn’t have a connection to his storyline. I think his character is so close to me that it is almost scary sometimes playing him because it is like you are living out this alternative life.

Q) The show is filled with nostalgia. What have been some of your favorite throwback moments?

A) The music is the thing that kind of takes me back the quickest. Any time a song comes on that I didn’t realize was going to be in the scene or was going to have such an emotional effect on me is always the most fun. Also, Andy’s clothes specifically – I don’t really enjoy wearing Andy’s clothes. The stuff they put me in was always two sizes too big and really thick material. There were a lot of times in between scenes where I would sneak off to Sean’s loft set and sit there because it was where all of the air conditioning came in. It was so hot because we were shooting in Atlanta. What is funny is that all of the clothes that Andy wears everyone on set would be like, “Oh, I remember having that shirt!” I think I actually dressed like Andy when I was nine or ten years old, back when it actually was 1995 for me. He’s got these really dopey big Wrangler jeans and these terrible boat shoes. It’s fun not always in a comfortable way, but it is fun to get fully back into a different era of clothing. When you get back into your clothes you start to think, “This isn’t going to be cool in 20 years either.”

Q) Just where is your car?

A) It crashed on the highway so maybe it is in the impound or maybe it is just in the dump. It’s funny that the car I drove for that scene was originally supposed to be a sports car. I got really excited because they told me they had to teach me how to drive stick in order to drive the car. I really wanted to learn how to drive stick, but on the day they were going to teach me they brought me outside to this really crappy car. I said, “This does not have a stick shift.” They said, “Oh yeah, sorry. It’s just a crappy car. Nevermind.” Also, I would say it is much more fitting for Andy’s character for it to be a very unflashy car because I think everything about his life is the opposite of ostentatious. Everything is Dungeons and Dragons and Rugby t-shirts, which is not trying to show off.

Q) What are your particular 90’s memories or moments that have stuck with you?

A) We were kind of having fun looking back at what movies had come out then. For me, I feel like the big ones of that era that I still watch now and solidified my interest in film or my interest in comedy were that I loved Ace Ventura. I feel like my parents took me to see that in the theater when I was way too young. I didn’t understand any of the sexual humor in it. Now that I am watching it these days, it adds a whole other layer to the movie. I love Jim Carey and I love everything about his humor. His big gestures and his insane comedy was really a huge influence for me as a young actor. Also, Jurassic Park – I feel like it was the first movie I saw in theaters that I got scared in. I remember my mom covered my eyes when the T-rex eats the guy on the toilet. I was so mad that I didn’t see it! I was like, “I have to see that scene! I have to have been able to see it!” I had to wait for like a year for it to be out on VHS, but I rented it and watched it. It wasn’t as scary as I thought, but it was great! In terms of music, that was the time when everyone was buying CDs. I was about nine or ten years old and all of my friends were building their music collections. I remember one of the first CDs I had was Green Day’s Dookie. It was an amazing album and I still listen to it today. And stuff like Prodigy, I can’t believe I listened to that when I was ten years old! I listened to Prodigy and Offspring. I feel like I was a bit of an angsty ten year old who wanted to listen to what he thought was punk rock.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure you share with “Hindsight” fans?

A) I would just say for people reading about the show, it’s so fun for us to have fans interacting and people writing in with their own 90’s experiences. I think the show is really about telling the stories of these characters, but also about everybody retelling memories from years ago. It gets everyone to rethink what they remember. So, we just love having this really active fanbase and I think it is really helping the show get some viewers. I think it is a hard show to tell people exactly what it is. I think people who are watching it are like, “Oh man! People should be watching the show.” I’m really grateful to the fans on Twitter who have been really bragging about the show and spreading the word. I hope that keeps up! People should always feel free to live tweet with us and talk to us about the show because we love it. It’s the best reward that you could get after having gone into a cocoon for four months to shoot something is that people actually want to tell you what they think and that has been awesome. That has been the best part.