By Rob N. LeDonne

Thomas Ian Nicholas has had a long and successful career in Hollywood. In the early ’90s he starred in both Rookie of the Year and A Kid In King Arthur’s Court and transitioned into an adult actor appearing in all three of the American Pie films. He will soon be seen in Welcome to Cracktown with Lara Flynn Boyle and Michael Rapaport, and Cattle Call with Chelsea Handler. Along with acting, Nicholas is also an accomplished musician who is currently on an acoustic tour where he will arrive in New York City on April 23 performing at The Cutting Room.

The Chronicle: One of your first acting gigs was on Who’s The Boss. Who did you play and what was that that experience like?

Thomas Ian Nicholas: I played a young Tony Danza in a flashback of when he was six years old. Tony got three hours of latex make-up to make him look 80 years old and played his own Grandfather. We did a dance routine with bottle caps on our shoes. From the time I could walk I had studied at my Grandmother’s dance studio. So I was able to combine the talents of acting and dancing on television. It was a lot of fun to work on the show.

C: What was it like being 12 years old and landing the lead in 1993’s Rookie of the Year? How did you get the gig in the first place? The same goes for A Kid In King Arthur’s Court….

TIN: I had been actively pursuing my career for six years, which included going on 100 to 250 auditions every year as well as studying at a professional actor’s workshop. I was very excited and thankful to land the lead role in a feature film. I have so many great memories of working in Chicago and at Wrigley Field [during Rookie]. I landed the next job a couple years later with same work ethic as before. The coolest thing about shooting King Arthur was the traveling. We filmed the movie in Budapest, Hungary when I was 14. It was amazing to work and live in another country for two months.

C: You’ve guest starred on numerous television programs including Party of Five, Medium and Grey’s Anatomy. What is it like as an outsider spending time on the set?

TIN: I always had a great experience, actually. I never really felt like an outsider in any way.

C: Being an actor and musician, if you had to choose a one profession to do for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

TIN: That’s a tough question. Luckily, I don’t have to choose between one or the other. I enjoy them both for very different reasons. Currently, I am doing that Acoustic Tour, recording my album and acting in a movie. I don’t get a lot sleep, but I’m having a good time doing all the things I love to do.

C: While filming the first American Pie, did you ever imagine how big it would later become?

TIN: I was just happy to have a job; I love working. I try not to get caught up in the hype of whether or not a project will be successful. You never really now what people will think of a movie you make. The sequels were a lot of fun because we already knew each other. Everyone was so busy after the success of the first Pie, that the only way for us to hang out was to make American Pie 2 and American Wedding.

C: You made your directorial debut in 2004 with L.A. D.J. How did you handle being a director and in charge of a film?

TIN: L.A. D.J. was a lot of work. My brother Tim and I wrote the script together, we both starred in it, he produced it, I directed it, we both drove the equipment trucks to the set, and we both edited the movie. I really enjoyed the challenge of directing. I found that the most important aspect was having a clear vision for the movie but allowing myself to be flexible while we made the movie. Everyday was filled with lots of compromises. However, I look forward to doing it again.

C: You played Frank Sinatra Jr. in the film Stealing Sinatra. Did you study Sinatra Jr. at all for the role and what is it like being in a drama as opposed to comedies?

TIN: I did a lot of research on Frank Jr. I also had some insight to him because my grandfather, who was a stand-up comedian, used to open for him in the 1960’s so I had the opportunity of combining talents again. In the film, it is actually me singing the two songs that my character performs. As far as comedy versus drama, I like to go back and forth. They are very different styles. Drama is definitely easier for me. It’s easy to make an audience cry, but it takes a lot of effort to make them laugh.C: What are some upcoming projects we can look forward to?

TIN: I am in the new movie, National Lampoon’s Cattle Call, which is coming to theaters this June. I am just about to finish my rock album and I actually have a song on the soundtrack of Cattle Call.