You’ve probably seen Nathan Owens and thought, "Man, that guy looks familiar." Maybe it was a split second in a Rihanna video, or perhaps you spent your 2013 afternoons watching him scrub floors on Lifetime. Either way, the journey through nathan owens movies and tv shows is a weirdly fascinating look at how a "supermodel" actually survives the brutal jump into professional acting.
Honestly, most models-turned-actors flame out after one guest spot on a procedural. Owens didn't. He went from being the love interest in the "California King Bed" music video to holding his own in the fast-paced, "learn 30 pages of dialogue a day" world of daytime soaps. It wasn't always a smooth ride, though. He’s been pretty open lately about how "green" he was when he first started, basically admitting he felt like he was drowning during his early days in Salem.
The Days of Our Lives Growing Pains
Let’s talk about Dr. Cameron Davis. This was the role that put Owens on the map in 2012. He wasn't the first actor to play the part—he replaced Schuyler Yancey—but he’s definitely the one people remember.
The storyline was peak soap opera. He played a doctor who, for some reason, had to moonlight as a male stripper to pay off his student loans and help his mom. It sounds ridiculous because it kind of was. But Owens brought a certain "edginess" to it that the previous actor lacked.
What went wrong behind the scenes?
Interestingly, Owens admitted in a 2025 interview with TV Insider that he wasn’t as focused as he should’ve been back then. He was young, it was his first big gig, and the pace of Days of Our Lives is notoriously punishing. He stayed for about a year before his character was written out in late 2013. Most people thought that was the end of his TV run, but it was actually just the warmup.
Devious Maids and the Big Break
If Days was his classroom, Devious Maids was his graduation. Joining the cast in Season 3 as Jesse Morgan changed everything. He played a military veteran returning home from Afghanistan who ends up working as a maid for Marisol Suarez (Ana Ortiz).
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This wasn't just another "shirtless guy" role, even though, yeah, he was shirtless quite a bit. The character had real baggage—PTSD, a complicated past with his unit, and a moral compass that often clashed with the wealthy, messy world of Beverly Hills.
- The Chemistry: His back-and-forth with Marisol was one of the highlights of the later seasons.
- Global Reach: Owens once told a story about being recognized at security in Colombia years after the show ended. It turns out the "Marc Cherry" brand of dramedy has a massive international cult following.
- The Transition: This was the moment he shifted from "soap actor" to "primetime regular."
Expanding the Portfolio: From 9-1-1 to the Batcave
After Devious Maids wrapped, Owens didn't just disappear into the modeling world again. He started popping up in some of the biggest franchises on TV.
In 9-1-1: Lone Star, he played Julius Vega. It wasn't a massive, multi-season arc, but it was enough to show he could handle the high-intensity energy of a Ryan Murphy production. Then came Batwoman. Playing Ocean was a "dream come true" for him because he grew up collecting comic books.
Filming Batwoman was apparently a nightmare of a different kind—not because of the show, but because of the timing. They were shooting in Vancouver during the height of the pandemic. The cast had to quarantine together, which Owens says actually made them incredibly close. It’s one thing to play a mysterious guy with a dark past; it’s another to do it while you're literally stuck in a hotel room for weeks.
A Quick Rundown of Recent Credits
If you're looking for a specific nathan owens movies and tv shows checklist, here’s the recent highlights:
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- The Young and the Restless (2025): He recently joined as Holden Novak, a "savvy businessman."
- A Season to Remember (2024): He played Iggy Love.
- Lethal Legacy (2023): A thriller where he played Darren.
- The Christmas Sitters (2020): A holiday rom-com where he played Max.
Why The Young and the Restless Matters Right Now
In early 2025, Owens made a massive return to daytime TV. Joining The Young and the Restless as Holden Novak felt like a full-circle moment.
Unlike his time on Days, where he felt "green" and overwhelmed, he came into Genoa City as a veteran. He’s playing a mysterious businessman with ties to Nate Hastings and Amy Sanders. Fans were speculating for weeks that he might be Nate’s secret brother, but the show writers kept it pretty tight-lipped.
The interesting thing here is the nuance. Holden isn't just a "hot guy in a suit." Owens has talked about how he enjoys playing characters who "hold their cards close to the vest." It's a much more controlled, deliberate style of acting than what we saw from him a decade ago.
The Reality of the "Model-Actor" Label
Owens is still a massive name in modeling—Ralph Lauren, GAP, Abercrombie & Fitch—the list goes on. Usually, that’s a curse in Hollywood. People don't take you seriously.
But if you look at his trajectory, he’s used that "model" discipline to his advantage. He studied with Steven Anderson and Shari Shaw, actually putting in the work rather than just relying on his jawline. He’s also a musician who sings and plays guitar, which probably helps with the "rhythm" of acting.
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Actionable Takeaway for Fans
If you want to see his best work, don't start with the movies. The movies like The Christmas Sitters are fun, but they’re Hallmark-style comfort food.
To really see what he can do, go back and watch Season 3 of Devious Maids. That’s where he actually found his voice. After that, check out his recent episodes on The Young and the Restless. The difference in his confidence level is night and day. He went from a guy who was "drowning" in his lines to a guy who clearly owns the room.
Keep an eye on his 2026 projects, as he seems to be pivoting more into producing his own content. He’s already experimented with stand-up comedy (his Name Brand Human special from a few years back was surprisingly honest), and it’s clear he’s trying to shed the "just a model" tag for good.
Next time you see him in a scene, look past the lighting. He's actually doing some of the most consistent work in the "soapy" primetime space right now. If you're looking for a binge-watch, Devious Maids is currently streaming on several platforms, and it's the perfect place to start.