# Nikki M. James

Nikki Michelle James (born June 3, 1981) is an American actress, director and singer. James has performed in the popular stage musicals The Book of Mormon, Les Misérables, and Suffs, earning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Book of Mormon at the 65th Tony Awards.

## Life and career

Nikki M. James was born to immigrant parents, a Vincentian father and a Haitian mother who settled in New Jersey in pursuit of the American dream. James grew up in Livingston, New Jersey where she would graduate from Livingston High School. As a child, she sang and acted in church and in school performances. She was nominated for a Rising Star Award at Paper Mill Playhouse for her performance as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! in high school. She later attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
James made her Broadway debut in the ill-fated The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and starred as Ottilie in the New York City Center Encores! production of House of Flowers. She played Adela Alba in the Off-Broadway run of Michael John LaChiusa's musical adaptation of Bernarda Alba and appeared in the Broadway cast of All Shook Up.
James played Dorothy Gale in the revival of The Wiz at La Jolla Playhouse and also starred in Romeo and Juliet and Caesar and Cleopatra at the Stratford Festival with Christopher Plummer. For her performance as Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon, she won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musicalat the 65th Tony Awards. During that run, she took a leave in June 2012 to film a screen version of Lucky Stiff. From 2014 to January 2015, she played Éponine Thénardier in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables.
In July 2017, James starred in the New York City Center Encores! staged concert of The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. In 2024 she began starring as journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells in the musical Suffs. James was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance at the 77th Tony Awards.

## Acting and directing credits

Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | Pizza | April Snow | |
| 2009 | Caesar and Cleopatra | Cleopatra | Same as the 2008 theatre play |
| 2013 | All Is Bright | Betsy | |
| 2014 | The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby | Sia | Appeared in Him, the first in a trio of films |
| 2014 | Lucky Stiff | Annabel Glick | |
| 2022 | Spoiler Alert | Nina | |
Television :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Third Watch | Maizie | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Tamara Bates | Episode: "Stray" |
| 2004 | The Jury | Myra Clarkson | Episode: "Bangers" |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jackie | Episode: "Salome in Manhattan" |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Erica | Episode: "Gentleman's Intermission" |
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | 911 Operator | Episode: "Father Dearest" |
| 2015 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective Gail Dunbar | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | For Real | Candace | TV movie |
| 2015–2016 | The Good Wife | Monica Timmons | 6 episodes |
| 2016 | BrainDead | Rochelle | 12 episodes |
| 2016 | The Blacklist | Rose | Episode: "The Caretaker (No. 78)" |
| 2017–2019 | Welcome to the Wayne | Julia Wiles (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2018 | Bull | Chloe Tomlin | Episode: "Gag Order" |
| 2018–2020 | The Good Fight | Monica Timmons | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Instinct | Ashley | Episode: "Blast from the Past" |
| 2018 | Escape at Dannemora | ER Doctor | Episode: "Part 5" |
| 2019 | NCIS: New Orleans | Lisa Butler | Episode: "A House Divided" |
| 2019 | Proven Innocent | Violet Bell | Main role |
| 2021 | Modern Love | Pam | Episode: "How Do You Remember Me?" |
| 2022 | Severance | Alexa | 4 episodes |
| 2025–present | Daredevil: Born Again | Kirsten McDuffie | 3 episodes |
Theatre :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Sabina Temple | Broadway (debut) |
| 2003 | House of Flowers | Ottilie | New York City Center Encores! |
| 2003 | Summer | Charity Royall | New York reading |
| 2005 | All Shook Up | Lorraine | Broadway |
| 2006 | Bernarda Alba | Adela Alba | Off-Broadway |
| 2006 | The Wiz | Dorothy Gale | La Jolla Playhouse |
| 2007 | Walmartopia | Maia Latrell | Off-Broadway |
| 2008 | Romeo and Juliet | Juliet | Stratford Shakespeare Festival |
| 2008 | Caesar and Cleopatra | Cleopatra | Same as the 2009 film release |
| 2011–2014 | The Book of Mormon | Nabulungi | Broadway |
| 2013 | Fetch Clay, Make Man | Sonji | Off-Broadway |
| 2014–2015 | Les Misérables | Éponine Thénardier | Broadway (revival) |
| 2015 | Preludes | Natalya | Off-Broadway |
| 2016 | Twelfth Night | Viola | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2017 | Julius Caesar | Portia | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2017 | The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin | Bubbly | New York City Center Encores! |
| 2018 | Twelfth Night | Viola | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2019 | A Bright Room Called Day | Agnes Eggling | The Public Theater |
| 2022 | Suffs | Ida B. Wells | The Public Theater |
| 2023 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | Producer | Broadway (One night only) |
| 2024–2025 | Suffs | Ida B. Wells | Broadway |
Director :
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2021 | The Bite | Episode: "The Fifth Wave" |
| 2021–2022 | The Good Fight | Episodes: "And the Firm Had Two Partners...", "The End of STR" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Show | Result |
| 2011 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | The Book of Mormon | Won |
| 2011 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | The Book of Mormon | Nominated |
| 2011 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | The Book of Mormon | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Suffs | Nominated |