American actress Julianne Nicholson was born on July 1, 1971 in Medford, Massachusetts. After graduating from high school, she started her modeling career, initially for six months in New York, then for another six months in Paris after a year-long hiatus. She then returned to New York and studied at Hunter College for two years, after which she decided to study acting and pursue an acting career.
Most of Nicholson’s early acting credits came from films, beginning with the 1997 independent release Long Time Since, and followed by stints in Harvest, One True Thing, Curtain Call, The Love Letter and Dead Dog, among others. Her first television role came in 1999, when she appeared in the television adaptation of Stephen King’s Storm of the Century. Her first television lead role was in the short-lived science fiction series The Others, which aired in 2000.
In 2001, Nicholson joined the cast of the hit series Ally McBeal, playing the role of Jenny Shaw in its last season. Upon the program’s conclusion, she resumed her film career, starring in releases such as Little Black Book, Kinsey, Seagull, Seeing Other People and Flannel Pajamas. She also played guest roles in the shows ER and Presidio Med.
Nicholson had two more recent regular roles on television. In 2006, she joined the cast of the legal drama Conviction, where she played nervous and inexperienced ADA Christina Finn. The series wasn’t a ratings success and was cancelled after one season. She then joined the cast of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, taking over Annabella Sciora. She played the role of detective Megan Wheeler, who prefers to see the case from different angles and follows the rules more than her partner (Chris Noth). She plays the role to date, save for part of the seventh season, when she left for maternity leave.
-In 2003, Julianne Nicholson was nominated at the Chlotrudis Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role in Tully.
-In 2003, Julianne Nicholson was nominated at the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress for her role in Tully.
-In 2004, Julianne Nicholson won a Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Actress at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival for her role in Seeing Other People.
- I want a career. I don't need one flashy role that's going to make me a movie star.
-I don’t look at it as going in a certain direction. I respond to what I like. A lot of times that ends up being independent films.
-I just hated my hair. I just wanted to get rid of it. It actually happened before they called to see if I wanted to do this role [On Law and Order:Criminal Intent], and I'm glad. I think it's a start to playing a new character.