Sorry Roxie Hart, the name on everybody's lips nowadays is Nick Cordero. There’s no denying it, the Bullets Over Broadway Tony nominee is the breakout star of the 2013-2014 season. So far, Cordero picked up nominations for the Tony, Drama Desk, OCC, Astaire and Drama League Awards and won a 2014 Theatre World Award for his performance as Cheech, a 1920s thug who turns out to be a brilliant playwright, in Woody Allen’s new musical. BroadwayBox caught up with Cordero (whose other New York credits include Toxic Avenger and Rock of Ages) to chat about working with Woody, legendary badasses and the power of Thriller.
1. Cheech is such a badass; what’s the most badass thing about Nick Cordero?
I rock a leather biker jacket a lot.
2. Who is the toughest wise guy ever to appear on screen?
I gotta go with Joe Pesci. In Goodfellas or Casino, pick your poison. He’s just got that look; he can pop at any second.
3. What was coolest thing about working with Woody Allen?
The coolest thing about working with Woody Allen was that he valued your opinion. Working with someone who has that much clout, you’d think there would be ego, but he didn’t; he trusted the people in the room. To have him say, “you did a good job” is something I’ll never forget. You really take it to heart.
4. What’s your ideal day off like?
Starts with coffee and watching Charlie Rose online. Then, brunch and a walk around Central Park. Buying a new album you really, really love—I love when an album comes along that really speaks to you. And these days, just relaxing. We are all working pretty hard, so when a day off comes around, I’m not trying to fill it with too much stuff: sleep and finding your center.
5. In addition to stealing Broadway shows, you also write and perform your own music. So as a musician, if you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what wins?
Thriller. It’s the perfect record really. Like A.D. or B.C., it’s like before Thriller or after Thriller. Things were different after it came out.
Check out Nick Cordero’s Tony-nominated performance in ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ at the St. James Theatre
