Viper

Michelle Erica Green — July 17, 1998

Main Man Mechanic: Joe Nipote — The Car Guy

"I'm not really a car guy," Joe Nipote admits freely. "I enjoy cars, I appreciate them, but I really don't know my way around a car — I know where to put the gas and where to put the key." It's an irony that the mechanic of the Viper team is the show's self-described non-car-guy, but Joe has made Frankie Waters one of the series' most beloved characters across five seasons.

Frankie began as a broad comic caricature — a guy from New Jersey with a thick accent and a big pompadour. Over time, at Joe's urging and with the producers' blessing, the character evolved into a fully-realized member of the Viper team. "The producers asked me to change the character a little bit," Joe explained. "I was going to have some more responsibilities, I was now going to be a full-time cop and really part of the Viper team."

Joe's path to Viper ran through standup comedy, radio, and a relentless drive to act. Originally from Southfield, Michigan, he began performing standup in 1980, working as an opening act for major entertainers in Las Vegas and beyond. A stint in radio in 1987 gave way to the pull of Hollywood — and Joe headed back to LA. "His hunger for stand-up and acting drove him out of the radio booth," as he put it. He landed the Viper role quickly after arriving, and it would define the next half-decade of his career.

"Acting is the best life, if you are a working actor," Joe said. "My goal in life was to make as much money as possible and do the least amount of work — and acting is perfect for that, because when you're working you're making a lot of money, and when you're not working, you have all the time in the world." His ambition on Viper was simple: "play it out as long as it goes."