Nicholas John Robinson (born March 22, 1995) is an American actor. As a child, he appeared in a 2008 stage production of A Christmas Carol and Mame, after which he had a main role in the television sitcom Melissa & Joey (2010–2015).
Robinson went on to play a supporting role in the adventure film Jurassic World (2015) and took on lead roles in several teen dramas, including The Kings of Summer (2013), The 5th Wave (2016), Everything, Everything (2017), and Love, Simon (2018). He has since starred in the drama miniseries A Teacher (2020) and Maid (2021). In 2026, he starred in the romantic comedy Voicemails for Isabelle.
Early life Robinson was born on March 22, 1995, in Seattle, Washington. He has four younger siblings. Robinson initially attended Seattle Preparatory School but left in the middle of his freshman year and moved to Los Angeles after booking a regular role on Melissa & Joey. He graduated from Campbell Hall School in 2013. He was accepted to New York University’s College of Arts and Sciences and attended in the summer to work on another season of Melissa & Joey.
Career Robinson made his professional acting debut at the age of eleven with a role in a stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol. Talent scout Matt Casella recommended him to a few agencies, and Robinson was eventually signed with the Los Angeles-based Savage Agency. Because of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Robinson's family moved back to Washington, where he continued to perform on stage in and around Seattle.
In 2010, Robinson was cast in the role of Ryder Scanlon, the nephew of Melissa Joan Hart's character, on the ABC Family sitcom Melissa & Joey, playing the character until its cancellation in 2015.
In 2011, while on hiatus from Melissa & Joey, Robinson began filming of the Disney Channel original movie Frenemies; Robinson played the role of Jake Logan. Frenemies premiered in January 2012, on the Disney Channel.
In 2012, Robinson was cast in the lead role of Joe Toy in director Jordan Vogt-Roberts' The Kings of Summer. He also guest-starred in the episode "Blue Bell Boy" during the third season of HBO's Boardwalk Empire. He also began appearing in a series of television commercials for Cox Communications entitled "Buffer Time is Bonding Time".
In 2015, Robinson portrayed Zach Mitchell in Jurassic World, in which he was widely seen. He played Ben Parish in the film adaptation of the novel The 5th Wave, which was released in January 2016. These roles made him unavailable for multiple episodes of the final season of Melissa & Joey, but he returned for the final three episodes.
He played the titular lead in the independent film Being Charlie, a semi-autobiographical feature about director Rob Reiner's relationship with his son, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival; the film was released theatrically in 2016.
In 2017, he starred in William H. Macy's comedy-drama film Krystal, and as Olly in Everything, Everything, a film adaptation of the 2015 novel.
In 2018, Robinson starred as the titular Simon Spier in the gay coming out teen drama film Love, Simon. The film was considered ground-breaking because it was the first major studio film to focus on a gay teenage romance. Robinson's performance as Simon garnered critical acclaim. After reading the script, Robinson revealed that he broke his own rule to no longer play high schoolers because he saw the cultural importance of the film. That year, Robinson was named in Forbes "30 Under 30" list in the Hollywood & Entertainment category. In 2019, he co-starred in the third film version of Richard Wright's Native Son.
In 2020, Robinson co-starred in the FX miniseries A Teacher, and he narrated his DM responses to the protagonist of Love, Victor, a Love, Simon spinoff TV series on Hulu, and appeared in two episodes of the show. In 2021, he starred in the Netflix miniseries Maid, opposite Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell.
Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes 2013 The Kings of Summer Joe Toy2015 Jurassic World Zach Mitchell Being Charlie Charlie Mills 2016 The 5th Wave Ben Parish2017 Kong: Skull Island Bar guest #2 Cameo Everything, Everything Olly Bright Krystal Taylor Ogburn 2018 Love, Simon Simon Spier2019 Native Son Jan Erlone Strange but True Phillip Chase 2020 Shadow in the Cloud Stu Beckell 2021 Silk Road Ross Ulbricht 2023 Shadow Brother Sunday Jacob Short film2024 Damsel Prince Henry Snack Shack Shane Workman Turn Me On William 2025 Charlie Harper Charlie 2026 Voicemails for Isabelle Wes
Television
Year Title RoleNotes 2010–2015 Melissa & Joey Ryder Scanlon Main role2012 Frenemies Jake Logan Television film Boardwalk Empire Rowland Smith Episode: "Blue Bell Boy" 2020A Teacher Eric Walker Main role; miniseries 2020–2021 Love, Victor Simon Spier Special guest star and producer (seasons 1–2) 2021 Maid Sean Boyd Main role; miniseries 2023 History of the World, Part II Robert Todd Lincoln Episodes: "I", "II", "V", "VI" 2025The Abandons Elias Teller Main role 2026 Joe Kennedy Jr. Main role; upcoming drama series
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2015 Lego Jurassic World Zach Mitchell Voice Lego DimensionsZach MitchellVoice
Theatre Year Title Role Venue 2007 To Kill a Mockingbird Jem Finch Intiman Playhouse 2007–2008A Christmas Carol Ensemble ACT Theatre 2008 Mame Patrick Dennis 5th Avenue Theatre 2009A Thousand Clowns Nick Burns Intiman Playhouse 2010 Lost in Yonkers Arty Kurnitz Village Theatre 2019 To Kill a Mockingbird Jem Finch Shubert Theatre
Audio Year Title Role Notes 2026The Honeymooners Henry Main role
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2013 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role – Male The Kings of Summer 2015 Young Entertainer Awards Best Leading Young Actor – Feature Film Jurassic World 2017 Teen Choice Awards Choice Drama Movie Actor Everything, Everything 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Kiss Love, Simon Human Rights Campaign Ally for Equality AwardLove, Simon Maui Film Festival Rising Star AwardLove, Simon Teen Choice Awards Choice Breakout Movie StarLove, Simon Choice Movie Ship Love, Simon Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Best ActorLove, Simon People's Choice AwardsThe Male Movie Star of 2018Love, SimonThe Comedy Movie Star of 2018Love, Simon 2019 Satellite Awards Best Actor in Motion Picture, Comedy or MusicalLove, Simon
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