From the start, Nicole Beharie made it known that she was in Hollywood to stand out. For her first film role as Dee Roberts in 2008 ‘s American Violet, Beharie won African American Film Critics’ Best Actress Award and also received three Black Reel Award nominations in the category of Best Actress, the best breakthrough performance and the best ensemble. Beharie has since proven that her performance in American Violet was no fluke. She managed to maintain a steady business in both large and small screens. TV show fans would remember her most for her role as Abbie Mills in Sleepy Hollowwhich saw his character killed rather controversially in the penultimate season.
Nicole Beharie – Biography
Nicole Beharie, also alternatively called Nicole Browne was born on January 3, 1985 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Born to a father who worked in the diplomatic service, Beharie had to travel a lot as a child and spent different periods of her childhood in Nigeria, Jamaica, the United Kingdom and Panama. However, come high school time, Beharie doesn’t have to skip school at all as she has moved to South Carolina. She settled in Orangeburg, also known as Garden City, and attended her Orangeburg Wilkinson High School.
Nicole Beharie had, before her high school years, developed a passion for the arts. During her childhood, when she often had to travel, Beharie entertained herself by dressing up with her little brother and putting on shows.
The budding actress honed her artistic skills at the Governor’s School of Arts and Humanities in South Carolina, where she graduated in 2003. Next came the prestigious Julliard School in Manhattan, New York. As a member of the theater division of the conservatory of performing arts, Nicole Beharie left school in 2007 on a Shakespeare scholarship which allowed her to train in England.
Movies and TV series
Fresh out of Julliard, Nicole Beharie immediately began her acting career in 2008 and was quick to turn heads. Beharie made headlines with her first role in the 2008 film American Violet, a role she would later confess to never believing she could land. The film, directed by Tim Disney, is about a certain Regina Kelly who got caught up in the Texas police’s drug enforcement strategy. As evidenced by his praise, Beharie more than played the role.
The actress has since been on a flier. In 2008, she also starred in a lesser-known sports film, The Express: The Ernie Davis Story. The following year, in 2009, Nicole Beharie began acting in small screens. His first was a role in Three Rivers. She had a role in the 2010 TV movie, Sins of the Mother before landing small parts in The Good Wife and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
In 2011, Nicole Beharie appeared in two films. My last day without you and the shame. Of the two, the first seemed to have been more successful. In addition to playing the role of Leticia Johnson, Beharie also contributed vocals to the soundtrack contributing around 5 songs, one of which was nominated for the Black Reel Awards for Best Song.
In 2012, Beharie took part in about four lesser-known projects. In 2013, her notoriety got even better with her role in Sleepy Hollow which turned out to be an instant hit. Beharie’s character, Abbie Mills, was controversial in the Season 3 finale, drawing much criticism from viewers, with many associating her character’s death with sexism and others with racism.
However, Nicole Beharie herself would later post a video via her Instagram account explaining why she left the show. The actress revealed the reason for her deteriorating condition as she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the start of the show. She pointed to her uneven weight and rashes at various times during the show as signs of the disease. Nicole Beharie added that she took a break from the show to focus on her health. Luckily, her recovery process didn’t take too long, as the actress quickly found her way back to the saddle role in movies. Monsters and Men (2018) and Jacob’s Ladder (2019).
Also Read: Haviland Morris – Biography, Spouse, Movies and TV Shows
personal details
Nicole Beharie previously dated famed actor Michael Fassbender. The couple met on the set of the 2011 film Shame, where they both appeared and in 2012 they had started a romantic relationship. However, in early 2013, the two separated and in 2017 Fassbender married Swedish actress Alicia Vikander.
Nicole Beharie is visibly short, a physical attribute which she says did not deter her from encouraging her peers to be like her as a child. She is only 5 feet 3 inches tall.