With his athletic build and easygoing disposition, Nick Mystrom seems a natural for television.
But the Denver contractor, owner of the Coral Room restaurants and a former Canadian Football League player, rejected offers to join various fluff reality shows. Then he heard about “The Big Build,” a new History Channel program premiering tonight that fuses human drama with construction conundrums by challenging builders to re-create such historic structures as a Viking longboat and a medieval castle.
Producers had already hired a host by the time Mystrom, 34, caught wind of the program. That didn’t prevent this Alaska native from hurriedly preparing an audition tape. The rest, as they say, is history.
Q: What kind of perspective does someone gain growing up in Anchorage?
A: The interesting thing about it for me is that when you grow up in Anchorage, you don’t realize it’s much different than anyplace else. It took me moving to Colorado to realize not all winters are pitch-black and cold. You also gain a unique perspective because it’s such a commitment to go other places. It’s not like Colorado, where you can just drive to New Mexico or Wyoming. You have to make a conscious choice to live in Alaska.
Q: Your career has included stints as a professional athlete, running construction companies and restaurants, and now TV. What’s the common denominator?
A: It was a blow when I realized I wasn’t going to play football as my career. That only lasted a couple of years, but it gave me a taste of something I wanted. All of my businesses are risky. It’s not the same adrenaline rush as running out into a huge stadium, but I could never be satisfied with an office job.
Q: Friends in Hollywood turned you on to “The Big Build” opportunity. Why was this show right for you?
A: I do know a lot about construction, but what really sold the production company on me and me on the show, is the fact that there was so much improvisation. I have a talent for that. I’m much better doing improv than I am at delivering lines.
Q: Did you learn anything about history fans while filming the first season?
A: There’s certainly no shortage of history buffs out there. The thing that surprised me is that if you really research enough, you can find an expert on anything. Like when we were in Chicago rebuilding an old speakeasy. I interviewed this guy who still makes moonshine. People like this came out of the woodwork and were dying to tell their stories.
Q: Who was the most colorful character?
A: His nickname was Prairie Wolf. He was the builder chosen to reconstruct a Lewis and Clark fort. He’s a survivalist teacher for the military. One thing that made the difference between a good show and a great show was how willing the builder was to tell their story.
This guy wasn’t an expert on everything, but he lived in the woods his whole life, so he had this pragmatic problem-solver attitude. He was just a blast to work with.
Q: Given this experience, what’s your take on the reality-television phenomenon?
A: I’m not really a fan. There is a reality element to this show, but since this is for The History Channel, there’s also some substance. This is a history show first, and a construction show second.
I am learning that most successful TV shows have a hook. We had to give the construction of these historic buildings some purpose and structure. The best way to do that was with a deadline, and then with the big “reveal” at the end of the show.
Q: Where do see this TV thing going for you?
A: That’ll be dictated by the ratings, but I loved doing it. The rush of shooting this kind of show is hard to replace.
Q: Your favorite movie is “Magnolia,” your favorite book “On the Road,” and your favorite lyrics were penned by Dire Straits and Too Short. What does that add up to?
A: You can’t pigeonhole me. I do have goals, but I wouldn’t say I have a lot of structure in my life. I’m a bit scattered, as witnessed by my many careers.
Q: We learned these tidbits from a funny little document you penned and call your “dating resume.” Is that something you would recommend for other fish in the sea?
A: It works well for me, but I absolutely wouldn’t recommend it for anyone else. That would just lack originality.
The Stapleton Coral Room, 7352 E. 29th Ave., hosts a premiere party for “The Big Build” tonight at 7.
Staff writer Elana Ashanti Jefferson can be reached at 303-820-1957 or ejefferson@denverpost.com.
“The Big Build”
REALITY TV|Hosted by Denver contractor and restaurateur Nick Mystrom|9 p.m. and 1 a.m. today through Friday on The History Channel.
