Background
Parker was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
Parker was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
She graduated with an acting degree in 1993.
Parker is known for her role as Becky Barnett in the 1997 film Boogie Nights and as the attorney Teri Joseph on the Showtime series Soul Food, which ran from 2000 to 2004. Additionally, Nicole co-starred on the short-lived Universitas Pembangunan Nasional romantic comedy Second Time Around that lasted for one season. After briefly attending the Montessori School, Parker entered Roland Park Country School where she stayed through high school.
After a string of odd jobs (including scooping ice cream), bit roles, and low wage work in the theater circuit, Parker was offered her breakthrough role on Soul Food.
In Soul Food, she showcased her singing voice in several episodes. Parker also had a guest appearance on Computer Society of India: Crime Scene Investigation, playing a singer.
She played the role of Stephanie in the movie Divas alongside Khalil Kain. She also had a lead role in the 1998 film Exiled: A Law & Order Movie.
She worked alongside Martin Lawrence in two of his films: Blue Streak and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.
Parker also opened on Broadway in the play A Streetcar Named Desire, in the role of Blanche DuBois. In 2014, she stars as a series regular in the TNT crime drama Murder in the First, opposite Taye Diggs and Kathleen Robertson.