Nicole Ari Parker

{{Infobox person

| name = Nicole Ari Parker

| image = Vtryde.jpg

| caption = Parker at Paris Fashion Week, 2023

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1970|10|7}}

| birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

| occupation = Actress, model

| years_active = 1993–present

| alma_mater = New York University {{small|(BFA)}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Boris Kodjoe|2005}}

| children = 2

}}

Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe (born October 7, 1970) is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) and went on to appear in Boogie Nights (1997), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Parker has starred in a number of movies, including Blue Streak (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), Brown Sugar (2002), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Black Dynamite (2009), and Almost Christmas (2016). On television, Parker played the leading role of attorney Teri Joseph (later Carter) in the Showtime drama series Soul Food (2000–04), for which she received five NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series nominations. She also starred in the short-lived UPN romantic comedy Second Time Around (2004–05) and the ABC drama Time After Time (2017). In 2017, she joined the cast of Fox's prime-time soap opera Empire playing Giselle Barker. In 2021, she began starring as Lisa Todd Wexley in the HBO Max comedy-drama series, And Just Like That....

Early years

Parker was born on October 7, 1970, in Baltimore, Maryland.{{cite web |title=Parker, Nicole Ari 1970- |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/parker-nicole-ari-1970-nicole-parker |website=Encyclopedia.com |publisher=Cengage |access-date=8 June 2022}} She is the only child of her divorced parents, health care professional Susan Parker and dentist Donald Parker.{{cite web |url=http://www.dallasblack.com/entertainment/nicole_ari_secondtime |title=Nicole Reflects on Real Life Role As Mommy-to-Be |author=Kam Williams |access-date=2009-07-08 |year=2004 |publisher=DallasBlack.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129204104/http://www.dallasblack.com/entertainment/nicole_ari_secondtime |archive-date=2011-01-29 }} After briefly attending a Montessori school, Parker entered Roland Park Country School, where she stayed through high school.{{cite news|last=Sragow|first=Michael|work=The Baltimore Sun|title=City-bred Actress' Role In Kids' Film Reflects Grown-up Realities|date=12 June 2009|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2009/06/12/city-bred-actress-role-in-kids-film-reflects-grown-up-realities/|access-date=11 August 2014|archive-date=12 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812210706/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-06-12/features/0906110046_1_yara-shahidi-soul-food-nicole-ari-parker|url-status=live}} At the age of 17, she won Best Actress in the state of Maryland's high school theater competition. She became a member of The Washington Ballet Company before earning an acting degree in 1993 from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.{{cite news|author=Sragow, Michael|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2009-06-12-0906110046-story.html|title=Nicole Ari Parker's role in kids' movie reflects grown-up realities|work=The Baltimore Sun|date=12 June 2009}}

Career

File:NicoleAriParkerDec10.jpg

Parker made her screen debut playing secondary role in the 1993 made-for-television movie Other Women's Children starring Melanie Mayron. Two years later she went to star in the critically acclaimed independent comedy-drama film, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/the-incredibly-true-adventure-of-two-girls-in-love.html|title=The incredibly true adventure of two girls in love hi-res stock photography and images|first=Alamy|last=Limited|website=Alamy}} Also that year, she starred in the Divas, a made-for-television musical drama film about female singing group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/divas_divas|title=Divas|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}} In 1997, she starred in the comedy-drama film Boogie Nights written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The following year, she appeared in the television film Exiled: A Law & Order Movie. Her other film credits include The End of Violence (1997), Spark (1998), the 1999 Sundance Film Festival winner The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999), Loving Jezebel (1999), A Map of the World (1999) and Blue Streak (1999).

In 2000, Parker played the leading role in the drama film Dancing in September and starred opposite Denzel Washington in the biographical film Remember the Titans, receiving NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture nomination. Also that year, she began starring as Teri Joseph in the Showtime drama series, Soul Food. The series was an adaptation of George Tillman's 1997 drama film, Soul Food, and the role of Teri played Vanessa Williams. The series ended in 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nicole_ari_parker|title=Nicole Ari Parker - Rotten Tomatoes|website=www.rottentomatoes.com}} For her performance she received five NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series nominations. She returned to film, starring in the 2002 romantic comedy Brown Sugar. She later appeared in King's Ransom (2005), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008) alongside her Blue Streak co-star Martin Lawrence, Black Dynamite (2009), Imagine That (2009), and Pastor Brown (2009).

File:Nicole Ari-Parker and Vanessa A. Williams.jpg in 2011]]

On television, Parker starred on the short-lived UPN sitcom, Second Time Around from 2004 to 2005. In 2010, she returned to television with starring role in the ABC legal drama, The Deep End, the series was cancelled after one season. In 2012. she made her Broadway debut playing the role of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/theater/nicole-ari-parker-on-streetcar-named-desire.html|title=A Broadway Baby With Experience|first=Steven|last=McElroy|work=The New York Times |date=April 25, 2012|via=NYTimes.com}} In 2013, Parker was lead actress in the NBC drama pilot Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives, and later had a recurring role on Revolution. In 2014, she starred as a series regular in the first season of the TNT crime drama Murder in the First, opposite Taye Diggs and Kathleen Robertson.{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tnts-murder-first-adds-revolution-673363|title=TNT's 'Murder in the First' Adds 'Revolution' Alum|author=Lesley Goldberg|date=January 22, 2014|work=The Hollywood Reporter}} In 2016, she appeared alongside Kimberly Elise and Mo'Nique in the comedy-drama film Almost Christmas. In 2017, she starred in another short-lived drama series, Time After Time.

In 2017, Parker joined the cast of Fox prime time soap opera, Empire, playing Giselle Barker in a recurring role during the fourth season. She was promoted to a series regular for the fifth season, starring to series finale in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/empire-nicole-ari-parker-upped-series-regular-season-5-of-fox-drama-1202417125/|title='Empire': Nicole Ari Parker Upped To Series Regular For Season 5 Of Fox Drama|first1=Nellie|last1=Andreeva|date=25 June 2018|access-date=6 January 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2018/06/25/empire-season-5-spoilers-nicole-ari-parker-series-regular/|title=Empire Promotes Nicole Ari Parker to Series Regular for Season 5|first1=Andy|last1=Swift|date=25 June 2018|access-date=6 January 2019}} For the 2020-21 television season, Parker had a recurring role on the NBC series, Chicago P.D, and in late 2021 began starring in the HBO Max comedy-drama series, And Just Like That... playing the role of Lisa Todd Wexley.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allure.com/story/nicole-ari-parker-just-like-that-interview|title=Nicole Ari Parker on Why Her 'And Just Like That…' Character Fits So Well Into the SATC Universe|date=December 16, 2021|website=Allure}} In 2022, she also appeared in the Peacock miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/the-best-man-the-final-chapters-nicole-ari-parker-ron-canada-brandon-victor-dixon-1235012990/|title=‘The Best Man: The Final Chapters’: Nicole Ari Parker, Ron Canada & Brandon Victor Dixon Among New Cast Joining Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, More|first=Rosy|last=Cordero|date=April 29, 2022}}

Personal life

Parker is an active member of the Democratic Party.{{cite news|first=B. Denise|last=Hawkins|url=http://diverseeducation.com/article/47836/|title=Youth Summit Brings Democratic National Convention Spirit to Johnson C. Smith|access-date=September 7, 2012|date=September 6, 2012|work=Diverse Issues in Higher Education}} She eloped with actor Joseph Falasca in March 2001. Their marriage, which lasted several months, ended in divorce later that year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/chicago-p-d-adds-nicole-ari-parker-for-a-new-kind-of-story.html/|title='Chicago P.D.' Adds Nicole Ari Parker For a New Kind of Story|date=8 October 2020 |access-date=May 16, 2021}} Parker married her Soul Food co-star Boris Kodjoe in Gundelfingen, Germany, on May 21, 2005. She gave birth to their first child, Sophie, on March 5, 2005. Sophie has spina bifida, which was diagnosed at birth.[http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/01/15/boris-and-nicole-open-up-about-sophies-spina-bifida/ Boris and Nicole Open Up About Sophie's Spina Bifida], Celebrity Babies Blog, 15 January 2009. Parker gave birth to their son Nicolas in October 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia. The family attends the Cascade United Methodist Church when in Atlanta.Rhone, Nedra; and Gracie Bonds Staples. [http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/11/09/atlanta_churches_obama.html "In Atlanta’s churches, prayers for president-elect"], The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 November 2008.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Notes
1993 \| Other Women's Children \| Marcelle \|Television film
rowspan=3\| 1995 \| The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love \| Evie Roy \|
Stonewall \| Female Draft Officer \|
Divas \| Stephanie \| Television film
1996 \| Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault \| Wanda \|Television film
rowspan=2\| 1997 \| The End of Violence \| Ade \|
Boogie Nights \| Becky Barnett \|Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
rowspan=3\| 1998 \| Spark \| Nina \|
The Adventures of Sebastian Cole \| Jenny \|
Exiled: A Law & Order Movie \| Georgeanne Taylor \| Television film
rowspan=8\| 1999 \| 200 Cigarettes \| Bridget \|
Mute Love \| Mavis \|
Mind Prey \| Weather Karkinnon \| Television film
Mirar Mirror \| Denise Scott \| Short
Loving Jezebel \| Frances \|
Harlem Aria \| Clarisse \|
A Map of the World \| Sherry \|
Blue Streak \| Melissa Green \|
rowspan=2\| 2000 \| Dancing in September \| Tomasina 'Tommy' Crawford \| Nominated — Black Reel Award for Network/Cable - Best Actress
Remember the Titans \| Carol Boone \| Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2002 \| Brown Sugar \| Reese Marie Wiggam Ellis \| Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated — BET Award for Best Actress
2005 \| King's Ransom \| Angela Drake \|
2008 \| Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins \| Lucinda Allen \|
rowspan=3\| 2009 \| Black Dynamite \| Mahogany Black \|
Imagine That \| Trish \|
Pastor Brown \| Tonya Copeland Brown \| Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series
2011 \| 35 and Ticking \| Zenobia \|
2013 \| Repentance \| Sophie Sanchez \|
2016 \| Almost Christmas \| Sonya Meyers \|
2017 \| Downsized \| Ebony \| TV movie
2018 \| How It Ends \| Paula Sutherland \|
2022 \|We Are Gathered Here Today \|Nancy Stone \|
2022 \|Safe Room \|Lila Jackson \|
2023 \| A Snowy Day in Oakland \| Dr. Latrice Monroe \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

1993

| Other Women's Children

| Marcelle

|Television film

rowspan=3| 1995

| The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love

| Evie Roy

Stonewall

| Female Draft Officer

Divas

| Stephanie

| Television film

1996

| Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault

| Wanda

|Television film

rowspan=2| 1997

| The End of Violence

| Ade

Boogie Nights

| Becky Barnett

|Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

rowspan=3| 1998

| Spark

| Nina

The Adventures of Sebastian Cole

| Jenny

Exiled: A Law & Order Movie

| Georgeanne Taylor

| Television film

rowspan=8| 1999

| 200 Cigarettes

| Bridget

Mute Love

| Mavis

Mind Prey

| Weather Karkinnon

| Television film

Mirar Mirror

| Denise Scott

| Short

Loving Jezebel

| Frances

Harlem Aria

| Clarisse

A Map of the World

| Sherry

Blue Streak

| Melissa Green

rowspan=2| 2000

| Dancing in September

| Tomasina 'Tommy' Crawford

| Nominated — Black Reel Award for Network/Cable - Best Actress

Remember the Titans

| Carol Boone

| Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

2002

| Brown Sugar

| Reese Marie Wiggam Ellis

| Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated — BET Award for Best Actress

2005

| King's Ransom

| Angela Drake

2008

| Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins

| Lucinda Allen

rowspan=3| 2009

| Black Dynamite

| Mahogany Black

Imagine That

| Trish

Pastor Brown

| Tonya Copeland Brown

| Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series

2011

| 35 and Ticking

| Zenobia

2013

| Repentance

| Sophie Sanchez

2016

| Almost Christmas

| Sonya Meyers

2017

| Downsized

| Ebony

| TV movie

2018

| How It Ends

| Paula Sutherland

2022

|We Are Gathered Here Today

|Nancy Stone

2022

|Safe Room

|Lila Jackson

2023

| A Snowy Day in Oakland

| Dr. Latrice Monroe

class="wikitable"

|+Key

| style="background:#FFFFCC;" | {{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}}

|Denotes films that have not yet been released

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Notes
1997 \| Subway Stories \| Sharon \| Episode: "Honey-Getter"
1999–2000 \| Cosby \| Rebecca \| Recurring cast: season 4
2000 \| The Wonderful World of Disney \| Christine Claiborne \| Episode: "The Loretta Claiborne Story"
2000–2004 \| Soul Food \| Teri Joseph \| Main cast Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (2001-2005) Nominated — BET Award for Best Actress (2003)
2002 \| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation \| Lillie Ivers \| Episode: "Primum Non Nocere"
2003 \| The System \| Linda Evans \| Main cast
2004 \| All of Us \| Traci Garrison \| Episode: "Playdate"
2004–2005 \| Second Time Around \| Ryan Muse \| Main cast
2010 \| The Deep End \| Susan Oppenheim \| Main cast
2013 \| Revolution \| Secretary Justine Allenford \| Recurring cast: season 2
2013–2015 \| Real Husbands of Hollywood \| Herself \| Recurring cast: season 1–4
2014 \| Murder in the First \| District Attorney Jacqueline Perez \| Recurring cast: season 1
2015 \| The Boris & Nicole Show \| Herself/co-host \| TV series
2015–2016 \| Rosewood \| Kat Crawford \| Recurring cast: season 1{{cite web\|first=Nellie\|last=Andreeva\|date=July 20, 2015\|url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/nicole-ari-parker-cast-rosewood-fox-1201482562/\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150910182322/http://deadline.com/2015/07/nicole-ari-parker-cast-rosewood-fox-1201482562/\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=September 10, 2015\|title=Nicole Ari Parker To Recur On Fox's Rosewood\|website=Deadline Hollywood\|access-date=July 21, 2015}}
2017 \| Time After Time \| Vanessa Anders \| Main cast
2017–2020 \| Empire \| Giselle Barker \| Recurring cast: season 4, main cast: season 5–6
rowspan=2\| 2018 \| I'm Dying Up Here \| Gloria \| Recurring cast: season 2
The Romanoffs \| Cheryl Gowans \| Episode: "Bright and High Circle"
2019 \| Lip Sync Battle \| Herself \| Episode: "Boris Kodjoe vs. Nicole Ari Parker"
2019 \| Younger \| Beth \| Guest star: season 6
2020–2021 \| Chicago P.D. \| Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller \| Recurring cast: Season 8–9{{Cite web\|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/chicago-pd-season-8-premiere-date-spoilers-everything-we-know/\|title = Chicago P.D. Season 8: Premiere Date, Spoilers, and Everything else We Know}}
2021–present \| And Just Like That... \| Lisa Todd Wexley \| Recurring cast: season 1, main cast: season 2–present
2022 \| The Best Man: The Final Chapters \| Xiomara Amani \| Special guest star; 2 episodes
2026 \| style="background:#FFFFCC;" \| Lanterns {{dagger\|alt=Films that have not yet been released}} \| Bernadette Stewart \| Filming

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

1997

| Subway Stories

| Sharon

| Episode: "Honey-Getter"

1999–2000

| Cosby

| Rebecca

| Recurring cast: season 4

2000

| The Wonderful World of Disney

| Christine Claiborne

| Episode: "The Loretta Claiborne Story"

2000–2004

| Soul Food

| Teri Joseph

| Main cast
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (2001-2005)
Nominated — BET Award for Best Actress (2003)

2002

| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

| Lillie Ivers

| Episode: "Primum Non Nocere"

2003

| The System

| Linda Evans

| Main cast

2004

| All of Us

| Traci Garrison

| Episode: "Playdate"

2004–2005

| Second Time Around

| Ryan Muse

| Main cast

2010

| The Deep End

| Susan Oppenheim

| Main cast

2013

| Revolution

| Secretary Justine Allenford

| Recurring cast: season 2

2013–2015

| Real Husbands of Hollywood

| Herself

| Recurring cast: season 1–4

2014

| Murder in the First

| District Attorney Jacqueline Perez

| Recurring cast: season 1

2015

| The Boris & Nicole Show

| Herself/co-host

| TV series

2015–2016

| Rosewood

| Kat Crawford

| Recurring cast: season 1{{cite web|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=July 20, 2015|url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/nicole-ari-parker-cast-rosewood-fox-1201482562/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150910182322/http://deadline.com/2015/07/nicole-ari-parker-cast-rosewood-fox-1201482562/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 10, 2015|title=Nicole Ari Parker To Recur On Fox's Rosewood|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=July 21, 2015}}

2017

| Time After Time

| Vanessa Anders

| Main cast

2017–2020

| Empire

| Giselle Barker

| Recurring cast: season 4, main cast: season 5–6

rowspan=2| 2018

| I'm Dying Up Here

| Gloria

| Recurring cast: season 2

The Romanoffs

| Cheryl Gowans

| Episode: "Bright and High Circle"

2019

| Lip Sync Battle

| Herself

| Episode: "Boris Kodjoe vs. Nicole Ari Parker"

2019

| Younger

| Beth

| Guest star: season 6

2020–2021

| Chicago P.D.

| Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller

| Recurring cast: Season 8–9{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/chicago-pd-season-8-premiere-date-spoilers-everything-we-know/|title = Chicago P.D. Season 8: Premiere Date, Spoilers, and Everything else We Know}}

2021–present

| And Just Like That...

| Lisa Todd Wexley

| Recurring cast: season 1, main cast: season 2–present

2022

| The Best Man: The Final Chapters

| Xiomara Amani

| Special guest star; 2 episodes

2026

| style="background:#FFFFCC;" | Lanterns {{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}}

| Bernadette Stewart

| Filming