Julianne Nicholson may live quietly in the English countryside, but this Emmy season, she’s making noise in Hollywood. With two Emmy nominations — for her haunting turn in Hulu’s post-apocalyptic political thriller “Paradise” and her scene-stealing comedic performance in HBO Max’s “Hacks” — Nicholson has evolved from industry favorite to awards season darling.
“I know it’s greedy,” she says during the episode on the Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, “but it took me 30 years to get here, so I thought, let’s just start stacking them up.”
It’s dry, self-effacing humor that’s classic Nicholson. Behind the humility lies a career moment: another piece of recognition for her work that’s long been critically admired, often under the radar, but now gaining broader appreciation. Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast caught up with Nicholson to discuss her dual Emmy noms and more. Listen below!
Nicholson earned a supporting drama actress nomination for “Paradise,” the end-of-the-world thriller from “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman. She plays Sinatra, a woman shrouded in secrets and survival instincts who pulls the strings in the world’s last remaining outpost.
And then there’s perhaps the biggest surprise of Nicholson’s recent career: Her scene-stealing turn as Mary Alice, aka “Dance Mom,” in “Hacks,” which earned her an Emmy nom for comedy guest actress.
Emmy nomination morning brought distinctly different emotions for each project. While Nicholson had an inkling about her “Hacks” chances, “Paradise” caught her completely off guard.
“I thought that because ‘Dance Mom’ just happened — like we just filmed it, it just came out — and I happen to be in LA, so I’m around the general public, which I’m not in my home life because I live in the countryside and barely see anybody,” she explains. “The reaction I’ve been getting made me think that people were enjoying Dance Mom.”
“Paradise,” however, was a different story. “I had no expectation at all for ‘Paradise’ because it came out earlier in the year, and there has been such a slew of phenomenal supporting actresses. So I was not expecting that. It was interesting.”
The pleasant surprise extended beyond her own nomination. The show earned four Emmy nods total, including recognition for co-stars Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden, plus a drama series nomination.
When she’s not working, Nicholson reveals a surprising viewing habit that she shares with her daughter. “My daughter and I became obsessed a few years ago, so late to the party, but then we have watched every single episode of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’” she admits.
Nicholson traces her acting ambitions back to two pivotal films from her childhood. “One is, of course, ‘Wizard of Oz,’ and then Jessica Lange and ‘Tootsie,’” she says. “‘Tootsie’ had a huge impact on me. I still love that movie to this day.”
The connection felt almost prophetic. “Her name was Julie Nichols, and everybody called me Julie then, so I was Julie Nicholson. So I just felt like there was some sort of sign — exactly, she’s calling me.”
The glamour of 1980s New York, as depicted in the film, captivated young Nicholson. “New York felt just so glamorous and exciting in those movies, like all the yellow cabs and the energy on the street. And she was an actress.”
Most recently, perhaps the biggest surprise of Nicholson’s recent career has been her scene-stealing turn as Mary Alice, aka “Dance Mom,” in “Hacks.” The role has earned praise and viral moments, including a now-famous cocaine scene.
“I was so excited,” Nicholson says about proving her comedic chops. “I kept saying to myself, ‘Guys, I’m actually really funny too!’”
The physical comedy demanded by the role was entirely new territory. “I’m so grateful to those three — [creators] Jen [Statsky], Paul [W. Downs], and Lucia [Aniello] — for having the imagination to see me in that role and allowing me to inhabit her. That was such a blast. It’s so fun to go to work and be silly. And to get to be in my body, to do physical comedy — that’s not often asked of me either.”
For an actress known for dramatic roles in projects like “Mare of Easttown,” “August: Osage County,” and “I, Tonya,” the shift to comedy represents exactly what Nicholson seeks in her career choices.
“The dream now in what I do is always the dream is to do something different, to do something I haven’t done before, and that’s what I’m looking for when I read things,” she explains. “I don’t always get it, or maybe I get glimpses of it, but to do something so wildly different was so fun.”
Even with her comedy breakthrough, Nicholson emphasizes that excellent writing remains the foundation of any successful performance. Speaking about “Paradise” creator Fogelman, she notes his particular talent for connecting with audiences.
“I think Dan Fogelman is a brilliant writer, and he just has this knack for knowing, you know, just getting to the heart of the thing,” she says. “Even though the world around it might seem broad at times, or like we’ve seen before, I feel like he knows what a lot of people want to watch, while also knowing just how to put his finger right on the nerve that touches people.”
As Emmy night approaches, Nicholson maintains her characteristic humility while embracing this moment of career momentum with her second and third nominations.
“Let’s go three for three,” she laughs.
And who knows? She just might.
Also on this episode, the Awards Circuit roundtable recaps last weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con, and looks at whether episodic submissions make a difference in the acting races.
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts.
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