▁Collins ▁following ▁a ▁screen ▁test ▁with ▁Mor row , ▁with ▁several ▁other ▁actress es ▁also ▁being ▁screen ▁tested . ▁Mor row ▁said : ▁" They ▁had ▁all ▁these ▁beautiful ▁actress es ▁come ▁in ▁and ▁Sh aron ▁was ▁clearly ▁' The ▁Sh aron ' ! ▁( ...) ▁I ▁said , ▁' She ▁is ▁definitely ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁all ▁of ▁them .' ▁ ▁Now ▁my ▁word ▁didn ’ t ▁mean ▁anything ▁back ▁then , ▁as ▁I ▁was ▁just ▁a ▁kid ▁off ▁the ▁bus ▁from ▁Oklahoma ." ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Te en age ▁years ▁( 1 9 9 4 – 9 6 ) ▁E igh teen - year - old ▁Nicholas ▁" N ick " ▁New man , ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁rich ▁business ▁ty co on ▁Victor ▁New man ▁( Er ic ▁Bra eden ) ▁and ▁his ▁ex - w ife ▁Nik ki ▁Abb ott ▁( M el ody ▁Thomas ▁Scott ), ▁met ▁Sh aron ▁Collins , ▁a ▁student ▁from ▁mod est ▁means ▁who ▁recently ▁re located ▁from ▁Mad ison , ▁Wisconsin ▁to ▁Gen oa ▁City . ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁" lo ve ▁at ▁first ▁sight ", ▁Nick ▁was ▁d ating ▁Amy ▁Wilson ▁( Jul ian ne ▁Morris ) ▁and ▁Sh aron ▁was ▁d ating ▁Matt ▁Clark ▁( E dd ie ▁C ib rian ). ▁However , ▁they ▁soon ▁broke ▁off ▁their ▁other ▁relations ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁couple . ▁Nik ki ▁did ▁not ▁appro ve ▁of ▁Sh aron ▁and ▁her ▁mother ▁Dor is ▁Col ins ▁( K aren ▁H ens el ) ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁lower