# Nick Zano
**Nick Zano** (birth name Nicholas Zano, born 1978 in Nutley, New Jersey) is an American actor best known for playing Vince on The WB sitcom *What I Like About You* (2002-06) and Dr. Nate Heywood, also known as Citizen Steel, on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw)'s *DC's Legends of Tomorrow* (2016-2022)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/). He entered television through MTV, where he worked as a video jockey and hosted the film program *Movie House*, before turning to acting full time[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978, Nutley, New Jersey; raised in West Palm Beach, Florida[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/) • [3](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/talent/?view=nick-zano) |
| Breakout role | Vince on *What I Like About You* (The WB, 2002-06), joining in season 2 and remaining through the final season[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/) • [4](https://2-broke-girls.fandom.com/wiki/Nick_Zano) |
| Superhero lead | Dr. Nate Heywood / Citizen Steel on *DC's Legends of Tomorrow*, seasons 2 through 7 (2016-2022), 94 episodes[5](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-leaving-season-8-nate-heywood-1234802066/) |
| Sitcom guest roles | Johnny on *2 Broke Girls* (11 episodes), Pete on *Happy Endings*, David on *Mom*, Josh on *Cougar Town*[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nick-zano/) |
| Film roles | Hunt in *The Final Destination* (2009); his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at 28%[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_zano) |
| Recent work | Chad McKnight, lead role in the Netflix series *Obliterated* (2023)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/) |
## Early life
Zano's interest in movies began at age 12, when he first watched *GoodFellas* (1990); he had previously wanted to become a Navy Seal[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/). His family moved to [West Palm Beach, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-palm-beach-florida), where he finished high school at Wellington High School[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/). He was active in the drama and TV production departments, and in his junior year he and a group of friends produced a weekly offbeat skit comedy show, a 15-minute program broadcast on the school's television station to the entire student body[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/). Short films he wrote, starred in, and helped direct reached the semifinals of the JVC Universal Film Competition three years in a row[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/).
Shortly after high school he was offered a position at Prelude Pictures, the company behind *Lost in Space* (1998) and *Black Dog* (1998), in television and feature film development, and he served as associate producer on *Living Positive*, a [World AIDS Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-aids-day) television special hosted by [Lou Diamond Phillips](https://www.edgepedia.org/lou-diamond-phillips)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/). In June 2001 he moved to Los Angeles to audition[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/).
## MTV and What I Like About You
To pay the bills in Los Angeles, Zano sold shoes at the Kenneth Cole boutique, where a customer who worked at MTV recommended him for on-air work; other accounts credit the discovery to an MTV executive spotting him there[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/) • [4](https://2-broke-girls.fandom.com/wiki/Nick_Zano). His deep knowledge of movies helped him land the hosting job on MTV's *Movie House*, which premiered on the channel in May 2002[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/). As a video jockey his main duties were celebrity interviews and red carpet coverage at award shows[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/).
In 2003 he won the role of Vince, Holly's boyfriend (played by [Amanda Bynes](https://www.edgepedia.org/amanda-bynes)), on *What I Like About You*, starring Amanda Bynes and [Jennie Garth](https://www.edgepedia.org/jennie-garth)[4](https://2-broke-girls.fandom.com/wiki/Nick_Zano). He appeared as Vince for the final three seasons of the show, which ended in 2006[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/).
## Sitcom and film career in the 2010s
After *What I Like About You* ended, Zano built a career of recurring and guest parts across network comedies. In 2009 he had a recurring role as Josh, Courteney Cox's first boyfriend, on *Cougar Town*, and played the frat boy Hunt in *The Final Destination*, the fourth film in the franchise[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/). He then took recurring parts on the revived *[Melrose Place](https://www.edgepedia.org/melrose-place-2009-tv-series)* (The CW, 2009-10) and *90210* (The CW, 2009-13)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/).
His appearance as Johnny, a flirtatious graffiti artist, on *2 Broke Girls* spanned 11 episodes across 2011 and 2012[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nick-zano/). In 2012 he joined *Happy Endings* as Pete, Penny's fiancé; the ABC comedy was canceled in May 2013[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/). He led the NBC sitcom *One Big Happy* as Luke opposite [Elisha Cuthbert](https://www.edgepedia.org/elisha-cuthbert) and [Kelly Brook](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-brook) in 2015, the same year he played Arthur in the Fox series *Minority Report*[3](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/talent/?view=nick-zano) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/).
His film credits include the comedies *College* (2008) and *Beverly Hills Chihuahua* (2008), the thriller *Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead* (2008), and *10 Years* (2011), on which he also received a producer credit[8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-zano/credits/3000236703/). His feature film debut came in [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s Academy Award-nominated *Catch Me If You Can*[3](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/talent/?view=nick-zano). On Rotten Tomatoes his film ratings range from 28% for *The Final Destination* down to 5% for *College*[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_zano).
## DC's Legends of Tomorrow
In June 2016 it was announced that Zano had joined *DC's Legends of Tomorrow* as a series regular for season 2, playing Dr. Nate Heywood, the alter ego of the [DC Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-comics) character Citizen Steel[9](https://www.tvguide.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-cast-as/). Nate, a historian, has abilities such as superhuman strength and speed, invulnerability, and skin of organic metal; in the comics, Heywood belongs to the [Justice Society of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/justice-society-of-america)[9](https://www.tvguide.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-cast-as/). The CW described the character as a professor of "deductive historical reconstruction" as well as a superhero who can turn into steel[3](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/talent/?view=nick-zano). The show's story also made Nate's grandfather the classic DC character [Commander Steel](https://www.edgepedia.org/commander-steel), giving the character a family tie to superpowers[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/99517/legends-of-tomorrows-nick-zano-on-being-the-new-guy-in-a-group-of-time-traveling-superheroes/).
Zano remained with the series through seven seasons. In the season 7 finale his character lost his steel power after exposure to mustard gas during a World War I rescue, said goodbye to the team, and returned to the air totem to live with Zari 1.0[5](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-leaving-season-8-nate-heywood-1234802066/). He did not return as a series regular for a potential season 8, which had not yet been ordered when he departed[5](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-leaving-season-8-nate-heywood-1234802066/). In an exit interview he described the departure as a proper goodbye for the character and said he appreciated the send-off the show's team gave him[11](https://www.ksitetv.com/arrowflash-spinoff/exit-interview-spoiler-discusses-their-legends-of-tomorrow-departure/225898/). Across his run he appeared in 94 episodes[5](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-leaving-season-8-nate-heywood-1234802066/).
## Recent work
Zano stars as Chad McKnight, an elite special forces soldier, in the Netflix series *Obliterated* (2023), created by the *Cobra Kai* team and co-starring [Shelley Hennig](https://www.edgepedia.org/shelley-hennig); the story follows a special forces team hunting a terrorist network targeting Las Vegas after a heavily alcoholic end-of-mission celebration[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/) • [12](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105027/filmographie/top/). He is also credited for an upcoming film, *The One*, in which he plays Jim[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/).
Beyond acting, he served as a producer and host for the first season of the reality series *Why Can't I Be You?*, and he received a producer credit on the film *10 Years*[3](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/talent/?view=nick-zano) • [8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-zano/credits/3000236703/).
## References
1. [Nick Zano Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214657/bio/)
2. [Nick Zano - Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nick-zano/)
3. [Nick Zano, The CW Press Talent Page](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/talent/?view=nick-zano)
4. [Nick Zano, 2 Broke Girls Wiki](https://2-broke-girls.fandom.com/wiki/Nick_Zano)
5. ['Legends of Tomorrow': Nick Zano Not Returning as Nate in Season 8, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-leaving-season-8-nate-heywood-1234802066/)
6. [Nick Zano, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nick-zano/)
7. [Nick Zano, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_zano)
8. [Nick Zano List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-zano/credits/3000236703/)
9. [Legends of Tomorrow: Nick Zano Cast as Dr. Nate Heywood, TV Guide News](https://www.tvguide.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-nick-zano-cast-as/)
10. ['Legends of Tomorrow's Nick Zano on Being the New Guy in a Group of Time-Traveling Superheroes, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/99517/legends-of-tomorrows-nick-zano-on-being-the-new-guy-in-a-group-of-time-traveling-superheroes/)
11. [Exit Interview: Nick Zano Discusses His Legends of Tomorrow Departure, KSiteTV](https://www.ksitetv.com/arrowflash-spinoff/exit-interview-spoiler-discusses-their-legends-of-tomorrow-departure/225898/)
12. [Nick Zano: Meilleures séries TV, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105027/filmographie/top/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames X to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license