Stephen Nichols plays Steve "Patch" Johnson on NBC's daytime drama "Days of our Lives."

Nichols has been a staple of daytime television for nearly four decades, with leading roles on "General Hospital," "Santa Barbara" and "The Young and the Restless." An Emmy nominee and five-time winner of Soap Opera Digest's Best Actor Award, Nichols has also made his mark in primetime television, with roles in "Crash," "Melrose Place," "Sisters," "The Nanny," "Matlock," "L.A. Law," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Empty Nest," to name a few. Nichols has also appeared in several feature films, including "Heaven's Tears," "Witchboard," "Soapdish" and the miniseries "Around the World in 80 Days," in which he portrayed Jesse James.

In addition to acting on stage and screen, Nichols is also a director, most recently directing the short film "I See," a comedic take on government surveillance. Other directing projects include the dramatic short film "Get the Dime," which was a director's pick at the prestigious Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, the Nevada City Film Festival and the Ohio Independent Film Festival.

Nichols lives in Los Angeles with his lovely wife, Lisa, and has three children and two grandchildren.