About Nicole Picard
Director
Writer
Nicole's Biography
Nicole Picard is best known for her comical turn as Karen in 2010’s The Parent Project, though it was in her 1986 film debut that she memorably played the role of Rachel, aka Little Red Riding Hood, the highlight of the cult horror movie Deadtime Stories.
Starting at age of 6, Nicole performed in many ballets, including ‘Coppelia’ and ‘Les Sylphides,’ with a Rhode Island troupe. She choreographed a piece in high school that won a talent show, and she completed her time as a ballerina at 16 (having grown curves) in a performance of Opera ‘Aida.’ While attending Sarah Lawrence College, Nicole was a featured actress in a Charlie Lowenthal film, and in her junior year abroad in Paris, she was the star of many Eram shoe commercials on French National Television. On her return to New York, she appeared in commercials for Zest Soap, Chic Jeans, HBO, Whitney’s Yogurt, RC Cola, Bacardi Rum for Puerto Rico TV (Clio Winner), Jordache Jeans, Serruchi Jeans, and Japan’s Suntory Brandy.
Nicole worked with Andy Warhol in a video for ‘Pillow’ and performed opposite Miguel Boze in his videos for Spain MTV, with Jennifer Grey. Nicole also performed with Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul and appeared in music videos with Bon Jovi and other ‘80s MTV stars. She was the national poster girl for Miller Lite ‘Party Zone,’ and choreographed underground club shows at the Cat Club, Zipper, and Area.
In 1986, her dream came true, and she was hired to be in the Broadway show ‘Starlight Express,’ where she worked with Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber, Trevor Nunn, Arlene Philips, and an amazing team of actors, singers, dancers, and roller-skaters. The national tour of ‘Starlight Express’ took her throughout the US and Canada, and she performed at the Kennedy Center with President Bush Sr. in attendance. Nicole was in the show for a year then decided it was time to move to Hollywood, where she co-starred in the TV pilot ‘Spies,’ playing opposite George Hamilton, in the TV movie Revenge of the Nerds III, opposite Ted McGinley, in ‘Burke’s Law,’ opposite Gavin McLeod, and was featured on Fox’s ‘Malibu Dance Party.’
In 1993, Nicole performed in the Mogul Theater production ‘At Home’ opposite her then-husband John Zarchen, during which time she also received rave reviews as Laura in a local production of ‘The Glass Menagerie.’ From 2000-2008, she taught theater in Santa Monica and South Bay schools, was PTA president, and the legislation chair at her children’s school. In 2004, Nicole gave a deeply emotional performance as Ruth in the Santa Monica Playhouse production of ‘Backstreet,’ was in a Lifetime Channel show called Operation Style, and recorded music with VoodooGrove. In 2010-11, Nicole played a crazed mom in the film The Parent Project; her episode was the highest rated show at the Channel 101 screening. Nicole has appeared in the Living History event at Woodlawn and the USC film Golden Boy.
Now in 2022, Nicole has completed two projects, ‘Lineage Tribe,’ a musical short film she plans to turn into a streaming limited series, and ‘SURPRISE!,’ a TV pilot for a dark comedy series. She is prepping a comic character sketch piece for late night talk show bit.
Nicole loves being creative, and her greatest productions are her two children, Nicky and Matt, who are all grown up and living on both coasts, which gives her a good reason to be bi-coastal. She is happily married to Patrick Murray, and she is 100% focused on acting and producing.
Actress
Nicole Picard stars as Nancy
Nicole wrote and produced the script for a new unlimited streaming series called SURPRISE!, in which she stars as Nancy Silverstein, the matriarch of a modern day ‘All in the Family.’ The character roles are reversed, where she is the Carol O’Connor-type conservative parent, whose comments are somewhat controversial yet humorous. The role of Nancy is complex, especially being mother to two yin/yang kids, who are literally polar opposites. In an interesting dilemma, her son is a womanizer, and her daughter comes out as transgender.
Nicole is very connected to the social issues presented in the storyline and plays Nancy with real sensitivity, as the character’s life is similar to hers; Nicole has a transgender daughter, and even though they are working on their communication and connection, Nicole embraces her choice wholeheartedly!
Acting Clips
Director
Nicole is an Award-Winning Director and Composer, winning the Bronze at the International Independent Film Awards for the Lineage Tribe, Episode II. Nicole directed the project and also starred in Lineage Tribe.
Nicole is President and Executive Producer of Picard Productions.
Writer
Nicole has written several shorts films:
- Lineage Tribe (Sunev’s Return) which is Award-Winning
- SURPRISE! – another Award-Winning film
Also Webseries:
- Lineage Tribe Episodes (II-VI)
- SURPRISE! (Pilot and Episode I)