Julianne Nicholson

A well-respected actress, Julianne Nicholson has been on our screens for years. Born in Medford, Massachusetts, to Kate and James O. Nicholson Jr., Julianne is the eldest of four children.

After graduating from Arlington Catholic High School, she moved to New York, where she worked as a professional model for six months. She quit for a year before returning for another six-month stint. She eventually attended Hunter College as a general studies major for two years. Julianne eventually left school to study acting.

She began her career making guest appearances on television. Her first acting credit was in 1997 on the show Nothing Sacred. In 1998, she booked guest appearances on Dellaventura and New York Undercover.

That same year, she made her feature film debut alongside James Spader and Michael Caine in It All Came True (1998). She also appeared in Harvest (1998), Long Time Since (1998), and One True Thing (1998).

The next year, she appeared in three episodes of the miniseries Storm of the Century. She also appeared in, what is arguably her breakout role, The Love Letter (1999), as Jennifer.

She appeared in a trio of films in 2000: Passion of Mind with Demi Moore, Godass, and Tully, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. She was also chosen by Steven Spielberg to play the lead role in the paranormal drama series The Others.

In 2001, she joined the cast of Ally McBeal, where she played Jenny Shaw for 13 episodes. She has also guest-starred on Law & Order, Presidio Med, and ER.

In 2004, she appeared in Seeing Other People with Bryan Cranston, Little Black Book with Brittany Murphy and Holly Hunter, and Kinsey with Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, and John Lithgow.

In 2006, Julianne starred in the short-lived series Conviction. She also joined the cast of Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Detective Megan Wheeler. She joined in the sixth season and was a regular until season eight in 2009. She played the character for 24 episodes.

From 2010 to 2012, Julianne made guest appearances on Royal Pains, The Good Wife, and Covert Affairs. She also became a recurring character on Boardwalk Empire, playing Esther Randolph for 11 episodes, spanning from season two in 2011 to season four in 2013.

In 2013, she played a supporting role in August: Osage County as part of an all-star cast that included Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, and Julia Roberts. She was part of the ensemble that was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast at the SAG Awards.

That same year, she joined the cast of Masters of Sex. She debuted in the third episode of the first season as Dr. Lillian DePaul and played the character for 12 episodes, ending in season two in 2014. She was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series.

She also played a major character on The Red Road, with Jason Momoa. The next year, she played a small role in Black Mass (2015) with Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch.

In 2016, Julianne led two films and a series. She starred in Sophie and the Rising Sun and From Nowhere and played the lead character on Eyewitness.

In 2017, she played a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated film I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, and Allison Janney.

Her most critically acclaimed role came in the miniseries Mare of Easttown with Kate Winslet and Jean Smart. Julianne won Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 2021 Emmys and was nominated at the Critics Choice Awards.

Some of her most recent films include Blonde (2022) with Ana de Armas, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story with Daniel Radcliffe, Janet Planet (2023), and Dream Scenario with Nicolas Cage.

In 2025, she appeared in Dope Girls and Paradise. She has joined the cast of Hacks for the show’s fourth season and appeared alongside Rami Malek in the action-thriller The Amateur (2025). ~Ryan Donahue

Filmography:

The Amateur (2025)
Paradise (2025)
Dream Scenario (2023)
Janet Planet (2023)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
Blonde (2022)
With/In: Volume 2 (2021)
Togo (2019)
Initials SG (2019)
Monos (2019)
Weightless (2017)
Who We Are Now (2017)
I, Tonya (2017)
Novitiate (2017)
From Nowhere (2016)
Sophie and the Rising Sun (2016)
Black Mass (2015)
Ten Thousand Saints (2015)
August: Osage County (2013)
Keep the Lights On (2012)
Shadows & Lies (2010)
Little New York (2009)
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009)
Two Weeks (2006)
Puccini for Beginners (2006)
Flannel Pajamas (2006)
Her Name is Carla (2005)
Seagull (2005)
Kinsey (2004)
Little Black Book (2004)
Seeing Other People (2004)
Speakeasy (2002)
I’m with Lucy (2002)
Dead Dog (2001)
Tully (2000)
Godass (2000)
Passion of Mind (2000)
The Love Letter (1999)
It All Came True (1998)
One True Thing (1998)
Long Time Since (1998)
Harvest (1998)