Television producer Marc Anthony Nicolas has been making waves in the industry for years now. He currently works on the popular CBS daytime show The Talk. He considers this his most difficult job yet, saying that it’s “a live show so there’s no room for mistakes. Being organized and detail oriented is a must.” Although Nicolas is living his dream now, it was not an easy road to get here.
Nicolas’ fascination with television began at a young age. “Ever since I was seven years old, I was obsessed with watching television,” he shares. “But I didn’t watch it for entertainment. I was mesmerized with the set, the dialogue, [and] the lighting. At that age, I didn’t know what a producer was, but I knew that I wanted to be working in television.” It was his mother who helped him understand just what it was that had piqued his interest. “I remember asking my mom at the end of a television show, ‘Why are there names after the show?’ She replied, ‘Those are the people that helped create the show.’ And then I exclaimed, ‘Mom, my name is going to be at the end of a show one day. You wait and see!’”
He may not have known it at the time, but Nicolas was absolutely right. He has worked for more than fifteen years as a producer, winning two Emmys for his outstanding work. He has been one of the people who has made shows like The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Tyra Banks Show happen.
None of it would have been possible without a strong work ethic and determination on Nicolas’ part. He is no stranger to getting doors slammed in his face. “I sent my resume out to every television show, every network, cable station and it was always rejected! But I never let that bother me. Rejection is a redirection. The timing wasn’t right,” he says. The connections he had in his personal life are what eventually led to his breakthrough. “One day, I was working at a restaurant as a server and one of my coworkers said that she’s quitting to work on a TV show. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’d love to work on TV, please think of me if there is a PA position opening.’ Two weeks later I get a call from her, and I was hired as a PA.”
This taught Nicolas an important lesson about following his dreams. “Share what you want in life,” he advises. “No one knows what your dreams are if you remain mute. Once you do that, you’ll create a tribe of people who will help you along the way. If I didn’t tell my coworker at the restaurant to think of me if there is a PA position open, how would she know? If you want it, say it and everything will fall into place.”
Nicolas has truly created his dream life. When asked who has influenced him, he says, “I influenced myself.” After growing up in a working class Filipino family, he is now considered one of the most influential Filipinos in the country. He was recently honored as such during an awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall. Now, Nicolas is preparing to work on the other side of the camera by hosting his own show, The On Your Marc Show on the Lifestyle Network. Nicolas says he is “over the moon” about the show, adding, “Who would have thought a small-town boy born in the Philippines would have his own talk show?”
Through it all, Nicolas has remained committed to working hard and making himself proud. When asked what advice he would give his teenage self, he shares something anyone can learn from: “Protect your dream and hold on to it. Be patient because nothing happens overnight. There will be people that will tear you and break you. Be [so] focused and obsessed with your dream that you think about it day and night. Make that dream come true at all costs. No regrets!”
