User:Nk3play2/Nikolas Cassadine

Nikolas Cassadine is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital, played by Marcus Coloma since 2019. The role was originally played by Tyler Christopher (1996–1999, 2003–2016). The role also played by Colton Scott (1999–2003). After Christopher's departure, the role was temporarily played by Nick Stabile for two months in 2016.

Created by head writers Robert Guza, Jr. and Karen Harris, Nikolas was introduced by executive producer Wendy Riche in 1996 as Laura Spencer (Genie Francis)'s illegitimate son with Stavros Cassadine (Robert Kelker-Kelly). Hailed by Soap Opera Digest as the best new male character in soaps for the year 1996, his arrival immediately implodes the supercouple Laura and Luke's (Anthony Geary and Francis) happy life with their children. Nikolas clashes with his half-brother Lucky (Jonathan Jackson) and stepfather Luke because of his Cassadine lineage despite saving his half sister Lulu's life. Nikolas spends majority of his life trying to get out from under his family's treachery and become his own man.

Nikolas is best known for his romance with Emily Quartermaine (Natalia Livingston) and his infamous affair with the love of Lucky's life, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) which leads to his departure in 2011. Nikolas returned to the canvas in 2013 in honor of General Hospital's 50th anniversary. His most recent stories have featured his relationship with son Spencer (Nicolas Bechtel) and his failed romance with Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud).

1996–2011
The 15 year old Nikolas comes to Port Charles to donate bone marrow to his ailing sister Lulu. Having kept secret by Laura from her family, Nikolas immediately clashes with his stepfather Luke and brother Lucky. The two try to hurt one another by revealing family secrets and Lucky reveals that Nikolas's evil grandmother Helena (Constance Towers) killed Laura's mother Lesley Webber (Denise Alexander). During a heated argument, Nikolas falls down a flight of stairs and Laura's husband Luke (Anthony Geary) forces Laura to choose their family over Nikolas and she disowns him. Nikolas befriends Emily Quartermaine (Amber Tamblyn) who has a crush on him. When Laura and a very much alive Lesley are presumably killed in an explosion caused by the Cassadines, Nikolas is ostracized by the town. Nikolas eventually bonds with Lucky only for him to be killed in a fire. In their grief, Nikolas and Laura reconcile and build a relationship. Nikolas (Colton Scott) is shocked when Lucky (Jacob Young) is revealed to be alive, having been kidnapped and brainwashed by his evil grandmother Helena (Constance Towers). In 2001, Nikolas reluctantly reunites with his evil father Stavros (Robert Kelker-Kelly) who has returned to terrorize the Spencers. After Stavros and Helena are defeated, Stefan passes down the family fortune to Nikolas and leaves town. Despite support from his aunt Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn), Nikolas is terrified to be like his father. In 2002, Nikolas becomes very close with his siblings after Laura suffers a psychotic break and is institutionalized. Nikolas bonds with Emily Quartermaine (Natalia Livingston) when she is diagnosed with breast cancer and they fall in love. When Emily believes she is dying, she marries her first love Zander Smith (Chad Brannon). However, when Emily goes into remission, she and Nikolas give into their feelings and make love which Zander witnesses and divorces Emily. Zander is killed when he kidnaps Emily. After Stefan's death in 2003, Nikolas is left with amnesia after a car accident and taken in by war widow Mary Bishop (Catherine Wadkins) who leads him to believe he is her late husband Connor. Emily discovers them and helps Nikolas remember and they reunite. Mary snaps and goes on a killing spree before Nikolas shoots and kills her. To spare Emily from the ordeal of a trial, Nikolas pleads guilty and they marry in December 2004 before he is sent to prison. Meanwhile, Connor comes to town working on Helena's orders and forces himself on Emily. Rejected by his wife who can barely look at him, Nikolas finds comfort with Courtney Matthews (Alicia Leigh Willis). As Nikolas divorces Emily, and Courtney divorces Jasper Jacks (Ingo Rademacher), she learns she is pregnant and is unsure of the child's paternity. Fearing Nikolas and Emily's potential reunion, pregnant Courtney skips town only to be kidnapped by Helena. Courtney returns in the middle of a disease outbreak and becomes deathly ill alongside Nikolas and several others. Courtney dies after a C-section and Jax claims the boy as his own. However, Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough) reveals the boy's true paternity at his baptism having discovered that Jax tampered with the results to keep the child away from Helena. Nikolas renames the boy Spencer, after Lucky (Greg Vaughan) and Lulu (Julie Berman) and makes Emily his godmother. In 2007, Nikolas attends a fundraiser at the Metro Court Hotel and is taken hostage by the mysterious James Craig (Sebastian Roché) along with several others, including Emily. Nikolas comforts Emily when the ordeal leads to her father Alan's (Stuart Damon) death. Mr. Craig later poisons Nikolas. In exchange for his life, Nikolas has to help Craig avoid police capture and he fakes a romance with Robin to keep Emily at bay. When Craig is revealed to be Jerry Jacks with plastic surgery, he gives Nikolas the antidote and skips town. Nikolas reunites with Emily and soon experiences strange fits of anger. Nikolas and Emily announce their engagement at the Black and White ball only for her to be found dead soon after.

2013–2016
Nikolas returns to town in March 2013 when Lulu is abducted and is about to provide information on whereabouts when he is shot and rendered comatose. Nikolas recovers and reveals that Stavros is very much alive and behind Lulu's kidnapping. Fortunately Lulu (Emme Rylan) is rescued by her parents and Stavros and Helena are eliminated. Nikolas pursues Elizabeth again but she rejects him for A. J. Quartermaine (Sean Kanan). He later partners with Tracy to oust her nephew as CEO but Elizabeth talks him out of it. As Nikolas welcomes his son Spencer (Nicolas Bechtel) home, he befriends the pregnant Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) who has been rejected by her child's supposed father, Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson). The duo commiserates over their love lives and Nikolas invites Britt to move in with him. He later defends her against an angry Patrick who has discovered that he is not her child's father after all. A romance blossoms between Nikolas and Britt and they become engaged. Unfortunately, the relationship ends in disaster when Nikolas discovers that Britt's son Ben is actually his nephew, as Britt had stolen his sister Lulu's frozen embryo to trap Patrick. Helena resurfaces very much alive and blackmails Nikolas into moving her in with proof that he has rigged the recent mayoral election. He is later shocked to learn that Helena's new henchman Jake Doe (Billy Miller) is actually a presumed dead Jason. Meanwhile, Nikolas is suspicious of Helena's sudden alliance with longtime rival Luke.

In February 2015, Nikolas banishes Helena to the family island after her failed attempt to blow up The Haunted Star on New Year's Eve. However, Nikolas continues with Helena's plans to steal ELQ out from under the Quartermaine family and begins an affair with con artist Hayden Barnes (Rebecca Budig) who has been posing as Jake Doe's wife. When Hayden's scheme is exposed during the Nurses' Ball, Nikolas informs Elizabeth that Jake is really Jason Morgan. Hayden overhears this and blackmails him into taking her in. With the help of Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) Nikolas gains control of ELQ. Meanwhile, Hayden decides to reveal expose Jake's identity only for Nikolas to intercept Hayden and tries to have her killed. He succeeds and Hayden ends up in a coma with an innocent Shawn Butler (Sean Blakemore) taking the fall. Hayden awakens from her coma suffering from amnesia and Nikolas moves her back into the mansion and hires her at ELQ to keep an eye on her. The two continue their romance. In November 2015, upon learning his true identity, Jason attacks Nikolas. Hayden later reveals that she has been faking her amnesia and Nikolas reveals that he was still wants to be with her. In December 2015, Jason and Nikolas get into a fight on the rooftop of the Metro Court Hotel and Nikolas falls off the roof. Fortunately he survives and in 2016, Nikolas and Hayden elope in Las Vegas. Nikolas is shocked to discover Hayden is actually Rachel Berlin, the fugitive daughter of Raymond Berlin who is in prison for stealing millions of dollars from investors. Nikolas loses trust in Hayden believing she is after his money. In May 2016, after the Nurses' Ball, Nikolas is discovered to have fallen from the window to the cliffs beneath Wyndemere. Jason is arrested for his murder until he is revealed to be alive and living on the run when he bumps into Ava Jerome (Maura West) on the plane. Nikolas has faked his death to avoid prosecution and get away from Hayden and the only person aware of his true whereabouts is Spencer. Nikolas (Nick Stabile) and Ava are kidnapped by the mysterious Huxley Lynch (Trent Dawson) who is after Ava. Nikolas and Ava manage to escape to his family's island where they are soon joined by Jason and Sam who want Nikolas to return home to clear Jason's name. The group then meets the mysterious Theo Hart (James Patrick Stuart) who claims to be a fisherman has taken shelter on the island because of the storm. As the storm clears, Theo leaves and Nikolas is reunited with his mother Laura, and sister Lulu who have come to the island looking for him. As the group prepares to leave the island, Theo returns wielding a gun and reveals himself to be Nikolas's bastard uncle Valentin Cassadine. Valentin forces Nikolas to sign over his inheritance to him and then kills Nikolas when he tries to defend Ava. Valentin shoots Nikolas off the balcony off the balcony into the waters below leaving his loved ones devastated.

2019–
Nikolas (Coloma) attends the Metro Court Hotel's Halloween party in a mask and later confronts Ave who faints after seeing him. It is soon revealed that Nikolas has been working with Hayden and Jasper Jacks to find the codicil to Mikkos's will that completely disinherits Valentin. Despite revealing himself to Ava, Nikolas is adamant that his loved ones be kept in the dark until they've found the documents fearing Valentin will target them.

Creation and casting
Christopher, then known as Tyler Baker originated the role on July 15, 1996. Christopher previously auditioned for the role of Stone Cates in 1993. In April 1996, Christopher was one of several actors to audition for casting director Mark Teschner. Christopher hired an acting coach to prepare him for the audition and worked regularly with General Hospital's onset acting coach, John Homa. In June 1996, Christopher received a call back to read for executive producer Wendy Riche and was later brought back to screen test with several actors, including Stephen Nichols who would play Stefan. Christopher was hired two days later, signed a three year contract and filmed his first scenes in late June 1996.

In May 1999, rumors circulated that Christopher would not renew his contract which was set to expire in June. The series had also put out a casting call for an actor similar to Christopher which meant he could potentially be replaced. By the time of Christopher's departure, Nikolas had become integral to the series, a recast was very much needed and Christopher was immediately replaced by Colton Scott. Of his casting, Scott said remembered that viewers didn't have any warning. "Tyler was there Monday, and I came in on Tuesday" he said. Though inexperienced, Scott was immediately put to the test opposite Nichols, Geary and Francis so he got "very comfortable very quickly." After a year without finding work, Scott's mother wanted him to come home. And he promised her he would he'd get a job in six months. Scott booked the role of Nikolas six months to the day of his promise to his mother. In late March 2003, Scott would vacate the role in the summer of 2003 after failed contract negotiations. According to his official web site, Scott was very upset by the decisions made. Christopher had also become available and it was an opportunity the series couldn't pass up, revealed executive producer, Jill Farren Phelps. In November 2005, Tyler Christopher underwent surgery for a broken arm and Chris Beetem served as a temporary recast starting on December 6 and lasting five episodes.

Marcus Coloma made his unannounced debut in the fall of 2019.

Lineage and backstory
In 1981, executive producer Gloria Monty introduced the Cassadine family headed by patriarch Mikkos Cassadine, played by John Colicos. While the super villain was quickly killed off thanks to super couple Luke and Laura (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis), the writers would introduce the rest of his family including his wife Helena (Elizabeth Taylor) and eventually, several of his children. When Genie Francis left the show in 1982, the writers wrote the character of Laura out by having her be kidnapped by Mikkos and Helena's deranged son, Stavros (John Martinuzzi). Living in Greece, Laura is forced to marry Stavros. Laura is led to believe that her husband Luke is dead and reluctantly sleeps with Stavros. Around the same time, Laura had also fallen for Stavros's much nicer younger brother Stefan (Stephen Nichols) and the two have an affair. Laura gives birth to Nikolas and Helena (Constance Towers) forces Laura to leave Nikolas behind when she returns to her husband Luke.

Personality
According to Christopher, Nikolas is initially introduced as a "self-assured" teen who comes from money. While he immediately causes trouble, he is not a "villain" but he is "misguided" due to growing up without his parents. Christopher believed the character could go in any direction. In his early years, Nikolas is very "conflicted" and has a certain "sneer" about him but a "sympathy" that can win anyone over. Christopher later voiced his frustrations with playing such a young character and consciously chose to develop Nikolas in more a young man with a "firmer grasp" on his life. He needs to be "more of a man, taking more control" Christopher said. Christopher revealed that it was the character's "complexity" that initially drew him to the role. "Nikolas was sophisticated, and it took it in a different direction than they wanted." While the writers intended for Nikolas to be "stern, hardnosed" and unwilling to allow anyone in, Christopher made the choice to throw in some vulnerability for the character, whether he puts it on display or not. Christopher wanted viewers to like the character despite his bad deeds. Unlike the actor, Nikolas is very "elegant," "refined," and "proper." Nikolas is "the moody, teen-in-turmoil." Robert Schork of Soap Opera Weekly describe Nikolas an "adolescent wise beyond his years" and an "old soul whose sophistication and maturity belie his youthful facade." Nikolas is not comfortable with his royal status at all, and it makes him feel out of place.

Paternity
In 1998, Nikolas's paternity comes into question when it is revealed that Stefan is his biological father. Not only does it further complicate his relationship with Laura, but Christopher said Nikolas could be "angry" or "grateful to discover that he has a father after all these years of thinking he didn't." The revelation drives a wedge between Nikolas and his family until he realizes that the family he is running from is the family he has always wanted. The paternity story is key to Nikolas's evolution as a character. Christopher was actually aware of the plot twist when he joined the show and kept the secret until the onscreen reveal in 1999. The reveal is "pivotal" because it forces Nikolas to start growing up, and become a bit more independent. "He has an identity now." Stefan and Laura explained that they hid Nikolas's paternity to protect him from Helena, who likely would have killed him if he were Stefan's son because she hated Stefan. However, by the end of 1999, it was revealed that Helena herself orchestrated the plan to take control of the family fortune away from Nikolas. Changing Nikolas's paternity would take away his right to the Cassadine inheritance which automatically goes to the prince.

Departure (2011)
In March 2011, Soap Opera Digest reported that Christopher had been let go from the series as he would soon appear on ABC Family's The Lying Game produced by former GH head writer Charles Pratt, Jr. Christopher confirmed the news to Soaps In Depth that he had been released from his contract on Friday March 18, 2011, and the character of Nikolas was to be written out. Christopher's contract was set to expire in June and the date would have marked the beginning of the last 13 week-cycle period in his deal -- at which time the network would notify the actor of their decision to offer another contract. While Christopher had previously admitted he was unsure about renewing his contract, he was open to working both shows and thought it was a likely possibility considering they were both under ABC. On-Air On-Soaps also revealed that "cost cutting measures GH" also factored into the decision. "I haven't had time to absorb it. It was pretty unexpected. I didn't really see it coming" the actor said of his firing. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Tyler Christopher made it very clear that he was fired from the series and that his recurring role on The Lying Game did not factor into the decision. "I was trying to stay on GH, however that worked out financially" Christopher explained of his expecting to take a paycut. However, the actor was instead told that a "paycut was not an option," though it was an option for others. The actor was angry over the decision and said "I felt like I earned my spot as a permanent fixture on the show." Christopher filmed his last scenes on May 20, 2011 and last appeared in June. Christoper revealed that things felt awkward on his last day because "nobody really knew what to say to me." While the manner in which the situation was handled made gave Christopher a "bad taste in my mouth," the actor had already agreed to a three episode return stint under newly appointed head writer Garin Wolf by the time his final scenes aired. Those scenes would air in late July 2011.

Return (2013)
In January 2013, executive producer Frank Valentini revealed that he had met with Tyler Christopher about potentially reprising the role of Nikolas in celebration of show's 50th anniversary. In February 2013, Christopher's co-star Nancy Lee Grahn -- who played Alexis Davis – revealed that Christopher had been on set. However, there was speculation that Christopher's return was supposed to be a surprise because there was no prior announcement from the network. Christopher himself announced his return on Twitter a month later and reappeared on March 22. "It's an absolute honor" Christopher said of being included in 50th anniversary storylines. Though the possibility of his return had always been a thought, the actor did not expect anything to come of it. Valentini told Christopher his return would be open ended while the actor awaited news on production for The Lying Game. While renewal of The Lying Game was stalled, Christopher revealed that he would remain with the series longer then planned. Soap Opera Digest announced in June 2013 that Christopher had been placed on contract.

In the summer of 2014, Christopher revealed that he would be going on a four month long road trip with his family leading to immediate speculation that he would be off screen for the duration and would not affect his airtime. Head writer Ron Carlivati quickly clarified that Christopher's trip would occur during the weeks in which the show went on hiatus.

Relationships
In 1996, when asked about Nikolas's potential love life, Christopher said he did know of any plans. Though described by Soap Opera Digest as an "Unwitting Cassa-Nova," Nikolas has trouble trusting others because he because he has lived such a sheltered life and even dumps his girlfriend, Sarah Webber (Jennifer Sky) when they get too close. According to Christopher, Nikolas is more interested in having a relationship with someone who can teach him something, because he longs for normalcy and is very uncomfortable with the "prince title." Christopher said that for Nikolas, Emily (Amber Tamblyn) has the right personality, but she at the time is too young. On the other hand, Christopher saw Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough) as a good match for Nikolas, but Robin is more interested in his friendship then romance.

The character's most significant love interest proved to be his pairing with Emily, portrayed by Natalia Livingston.

Reception
Viewers and critics immediately loved the Nikolas character and his introduction. Christopher was praised for the "depth and sensitivity" he brought to the role of Nikolas and Soap Opera Magazine hailed Christopher as "the find of the summer." Stephen Nichols said Christopher's inexperience worked in his favor as it brought a "childlike quality" to the character. Soap Opera Digest awarded Christopher as the "Rookie of the Year" in 1996 and said Christopher joined the cast with a "bang." Christopher was also nominated for the Soap Opera Digest Awards in the "Outstanding Newcomer" category which he won. Another article described Christopher as the "Soap Opera Discovery of 1996." Christopher's portrayal was said to have rivaled that of his onscreen mother's portrayal of Laura since she joined the cast in 1996. In 1997, Soap Opera Magazine listed Christopher as one of the 60 Most Beautiful People in daytime. Christopher's portrayal of Nikolas after his shooting in front of Luke's "masterfully portrayed." In 1999, TV Guide's Michael Logan criticized the writers for never investing in a "worthy" romance for Nikolas.

Emily's death
Christopher was listed at #4 on Daytime Confidential's list of the Top 10 Actors of 2007, for his portrayal of Nikolas after Emily's murder.