Denise Donna Nicholas (born July 12, 1944) is an American actress, author, and

social activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range ...

. Nicholas is known primarily for her roles as high-school guidance counselor Liz McIntyre on the ABC

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

series ''

Room 222 ''Room 222'' is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television that aired on ABC for 112 episodes, from September 17, 1969 until January 11, 1974. The show was broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 8:30 ( EST) fo ...

'' and Councilwoman Harriet DeLong on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

drama series '' In the Heat of the Night''. Prior to her acting career, Nicholas was involved in the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...

during the 1960s.

Biography

Early life and education

Nicholas was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

to Louise and Otto Nicholas. Nicholas spent her early years in Detroit. With the remarriage of her mother to Robert Burgen, she moved to

Milan, Michigan Milan ( ) is a city in Monroe and Washtenaw counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,079 at the 2020 census. The community was settled as early as 1831. Milan incorporated as a village in 1885 and much later as a city in ...

, a small town south of

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

. At the age of 16, Nicholas appeared on the August 25, 1960, cover of ''Jet'' magazine as a future school teacher prospect at the National High School Institute at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

. She graduated from Milan High School in 1961. Nicholas is the middle child of three, with an older brother, Otto, and a younger sister, Michele, who was murdered in 1980. Nicholas entered the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

as a Pre-Law student. Nicholas then switched her major to

Latin-American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-ethn ...

politics, Spanish, and English before dropping out after her second completed academic year. Nicholas moved to New York City, and worked for the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) advertising firm.Nicholas, D. (2007, May 19). The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Denise Nicholas. by Julieanna L. Richardson (9 Betacam SP videocassettes (4:23:50)). Identification: A2007_177. The HistoryMakers, Chicago, Illinois. She subsequently transferred to

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

, where she majored in

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

. Her acting debut was in a

Spanish-language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in the Am ...

play presented by her language class. Nicholas dropped out of

as well, this time to join the Free Southern Theater (FST), during the

. After spending two years touring the

deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the wa ...

with the FST, Nicholas went to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and joined the

Negro Ensemble Company The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) is a New York City-based theater company and workshop established in 1967 by playwright Douglas Turner Ward, producer-actor Robert Hooks, and theater manager Gerald S. Krone, with funding from the Ford Foundation ...

, working in all productions during the first season of that theatre ensemble. From the stage of the St. Mark's Playhouse in New York, Nicholas was cast as Liz McIntyre, the

Guidance Counselor A school counselor is a professional who works in primary (elementary and middle) schools or secondary schools to provide academic, career, college access/affordability/admission, and social-emotional competencies to all students through a school ...

on ABC series ''Room 222''. Nicholas received her

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in Drama from the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

Theater Program in 1987, after living in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

for a number of years.Benson, J. (1989, May 13). NO GUIDANCE NEEDED FOR DENISE NICHOLAS - NOW AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT, 'ROOM 222' STAR HAS LEAD ROLE IN CBN'S 'MOTHER'S DAY.' Daily News of Los Angeles (CA), pp. L25.

Career

Nicholas began her television acting career in 1968, with an episode of '' It Takes a Thief''. Nicholas had three consecutive (1970–1972)

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

nominations for Best Actress in a Drama TV Series, for her role as Liz McIntyre on the ABC

series ''

.'' Following ''Room 222'' (1969–1974), she won two

Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

in 1976 for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, for her role as Beth Foster in '' Let's Do It Again'' (1975). Nicholas also played Olivia Ellis on '' Baby... I'm Back!'', a sitcom that aired on CBS in 1978 Nicholas wrote the song "Can We Pretend," which her then-husband

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including " Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), " Grandma's Hands" (1971), " Use Me" (197 ...

recorded on his 1974 album '' +'Justments''. Nicholas later appeared as Harriet DeLong in the cast of

' '' In the Heat of the Night'' (1989–1995). Nicholas wrote six episodes of the series, beginning her second career as a writer. When that show was cancelled, she enrolled in the Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California, eventually finding her way to the Journeymen's Writing Workshop under the tutelage of author

Janet Fitch Janet Fitch (born November 9, 1955) is an American author. She wrote the novel '' White Oleander'', which became a film in 2002. She is a graduate of Reed College. Fitch was born in Los Angeles, a third-generation native, and grew up in a fa ...

. She worked with Fitch for five years. Nicholas also attended the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Workshop, and the Natalie Goldberg Workshop, in

Taos, New Mexico Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando Ch ...

. Nicholas first novel, ''Freshwater Road'', was published by

Agate Publishing Agate Publishing is an independent small press book publisher based in Evanston, Illinois. The company, incorporated in 2002 with its first book published in 2003, was founded by current president Doug Seibold. At its inception, Agate was synonymo ...

, in August 2005. it received a starred review in ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' and was selected as one of the best books of 2005 by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'', ''

The Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It prima ...

'', ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and fo ...

'' and the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

.'' The novel won the

Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on hoodoo. The most popular of her four n ...

Richard Wright Richard Wright may refer to: Arts * Richard Wright (author) (1908–1960), African-American novelist * Richard B. Wright (1937–2017), Canadian novelist * Richard Wright (painter) (1735–1775), marine painter * Richard Wright (artist) (born 19 ...

Award for debut fiction in 2006, as well as the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

's Black Caucus Award for debut fiction the same year. ''Freshwater Road'' was reprinted by

Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing ...

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

commissioned Nicholas to write a staged adaptation of ''Freshwater Road'', which was presented in May 2008. Nicholas is currently completing her memoir, and it will be published by

in 2023.

Personal life

At 19, Nicholas dropped out of the University of Michigan and signed up with the Free Southern Theater in New Orleans, headed by Gilbert Moses, whom she married in May 1964 at the American Theater in New York, and divorced in 1967. Nicholas married soul singer-songwriter

on January 17, 1973. Their relationship had been volatile prior to their nuptials. In November 1972, Nicholas reportedly told authorities that Withers flew to

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, where she was filming '' The Soul of Nigger Charley'', and assaulted her in a motel room after she threatened to end their relationship, but she refused to press charges. She filed for divorce in April 1974, and their divorce was finalized in December 1974. In February 1980, Nicholas's younger sister Michele Burgen, a 26-year-old editor for ''Ebony'' magazine, was shot to death. Her body was found in a locked rental car at

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia ...

in New York City. Nicholas and her older brother Otto searched the country for clues, but no suspect was ever taken to trial. While coping with the loss of her sister, Nicholas met CBS sports anchor Jim Hill at a Sacramento poetry reading in June 1980. They married on

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...

in 1981. The couple separated in October 1981 and she filed for divorce, before reconciling soon after. Nicholas filed for divorce again in 1984. The divorce was final in 1987.

Acting credits

Films

*'' Blacula'' (1972) as Michelle *'' The Soul of Nigger Charley'' (1973) as Elena *''

Mr. Ricco ''Mr. Ricco'' is a 1975 crime drama film directed by Paul Bogart and starring Dean Martin in his last leading film role, along with Eugene Roche, Denise Nicholas and Cindy Williams. Plot A murder charge is dropped against San Francisco black mili ...

'' (1975) as Irene Mapes *'' Let's Do It Again'' (1975) as Beth Foster *'' A Piece of the Action'' (1977) as Lila French *''

Capricorn One ''Capricorn One'' is a 1978 British-produced American thriller film in which a reporter discovers that a supposed Mars landing by a crewed mission to the planet has been faked via a conspiracy involving the government and—under duress—the c ...

'' (1977) as Betty Walker *'' Marvin & Tige'' (1983) as Vanessa Jackson *''Over Here, Mr. President'' (1983) as Joyce Proctor *''

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...

'' (1989) as Elizabeth Sturgis *''

Ghost Dad ''Ghost Dad'' is a 1990 American fantasy comedy film directed by Sidney Poitier (in his final directorial effort) and starring Bill Cosby, in which a widower's spirit is able to communicate with his children after his death. It was critically pa ...

'' (1990) as Joan *''Ritual'' (2002) as Sylvia and Mother *''

Proud Proud may refer to: Music * ''Proud'' (Heather Small album), the debut album by Heather Small ** "Proud" (Heather Small song), a song by Heather Small that was the official song for the London 2012 Olympic bid * ''Proud'' (compilation album), ...

'' (2004) as Gordon's Mother *''Mr. Fantastic & The Wonderful Depot'' (2015) as Charlotte Bulivar

Television

*'' It Takes a Thief'' (1968) as Toosdhi *''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (1969) as Nora Tobin *'' N.Y.P.D.'' (1967–69) as Ethel and Mrs. Ward *''

The Flip Wilson Show ''The Flip Wilson Show'' is an hour-long variety show that originally aired in the US on NBC from September 17, 1970, to June 27, 1974. The show starred American comedian Flip Wilson; the program was one of the first American television programs ...

'' (1970) as Herself *''

Five Desperate Women ''Five Desperate Women'' is a 1971 American TV film directed by Ted Post. It was an ABC Movie of the Week. Plot A violent inmate, whose face is not shown, escapes from a state mental facility. He makes his way to a private beach, drowns a man rela ...

'' (1971 TV movie) as Joy *''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'' episode "Logoda's Heads" (broadcast December 29, 1971) (1971) as Kyro *''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'' (1972) *''

'' (1969–74) as Liz McIntyre *'' Police Story'' (1975) as Candy Priest *''

Rhoda ''Rhoda'' is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns starring Valerie Harper that originally aired on CBS for five seasons from September 9, 1974, to December 9, 1978. It was the first spin-off of ''The Mary Tyl ...

'' (1975) as Denise Culp *''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'' (1975) as Myrna Kelland *'' Baby, I'm Back'' (1978) as Olivia Ellis *'' The Paper Chase'' (1979) as Donna Scott *''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'' (1980–82) as Maura Belloque and Jenny Brooks *'' Benson'' (1980) as Carol Walker *''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackso ...

'' (1980) as Sondra Williams *'' Secrets of Midland Heights'' (1981) as Julie Hammond *''

Aloha Paradise ''Aloha Paradise'' is an American comedy series that aired on ABC on Wednesday night from February 25, 1981, to April 22, 1981. The series stars Debbie Reynolds and was created by Tom Greene. ''Aloha Paradise'' was executive produced by Douglas ...

'' (1981) as Carrie *''

Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls ''Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls'' is an American television drama miniseries that aired on CBS in October 1981. The first two hours were broadcast on October 19, followed by three hours on October 20 during prime time; CBS originally int ...

'' (1981 miniseries) as Connie *'' One Day at a Time'' (1983) as Susan Bryant *''

Masquerade Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to: Events * Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event * Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa * Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...

'' (1983) as Sheila Walters *'' Magnum, P.I.'' (1983) as T.C's Date *''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

'' (1987) as Mrs. Blake *''

227 Year 227 ( CCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Senecio and Fulvius (or, less frequently, year 980 ''Ab urbe condi ...

'' (1988) as Jeanie Smith *''

Amen Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and ...

'' (1988) as Mrs. Kirby *'' In the Heat of the Night'' (1989–95) as Harriet DeLong Gillespie *''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...

'' (1989) as Lorraine *''

A Different World ''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of '' The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) a ...

'' (1990) as Carol Garrison *''

B.L. Stryker ''B.L. Stryker'' is an American detective drama that aired on ABC from February 13, 1989, to May 5, 1990, as part of the '' ABC Mystery Movie'' umbrella group, along with '' Columbo'', and ''Kojak''. Tom Selleck was one of the series' executive p ...

'' (1990) as Darlene Carter *'' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'' (1992) as Mrs. Walker *''

The Parent 'Hood ''The Parent 'Hood'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 18, 1995, to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas. Originally to be titled ''Father Knows Nothing'' (a parody of t ...

'' (1995) as Miss Hicks *''

Living Single ''Living Single'' is an American television sitcom created by Yvette Lee Bowser that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who shared personal and profes ...

'' (1997) as Lilah James *''

My Wife and Kids ''My Wife and Kids'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001, to May 17, 2005. The series was produced by Touchstone Television. It starred Damon Wayans as Michael Kyle, the patriarch of an African-American family. Wayans and ve ...

'' (2001) as Ann Kyle

Theatre

References

External links

*
Whatever Happened To: Denise Nicholas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas, Denise 1944 births Activists for African-American civil rights History of civil rights in the United States Living people People from Milan, Michigan Actresses from Detroit USC School of Dramatic Arts alumni 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American television actresses African-American actresses American film actresses 20th-century African-American women singers American musical theatre actresses University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni Tulane University alumni 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people