Nikki M. James

• Name — Nikki M. James • Birth Name — Nikki Michelle James • Birthplace — Summit, New Jersey, U.S. • Occupation — Actress, director, singer • Awards — Tony Award (Best Featured Actress in a Musical)—The Book of Mormon

Nikki M. James was born to Caribbean immigrant parents, a Vincentian father and a Haitian mother who settled in New Jersey in pursuit of the American dream. James grew up in Livingston, New Jersey where she would graduate from Livingston High School. As a young girl, she sang and acted in church and in school performances. She was nominated for a Rising Star Award at Paper Mill Playhouse for her performance as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! in high school. She later attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. James made her Broadway debut in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and starred as Ottilie in the New York City Center Encores! production of House of Flowers. She played Adela Alba in the Off-Broadway run of Michael John LaChiusa's musical adaptation of Bernarda Alba and appeared in the Broadway cast of All Shook Up. James played Dorothy Gale in the new revival of The Wiz at La Jolla Playhouse and also starred in Romeo and Juliet and Caesar and Cleopatra at the Stratford Festival with Christopher Plummer. For her performance as Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon, she won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 65th Tony Awards. During that run, she took a leave in June 2012 to film a screen version of Lucky Stiff. From 2014 to January 2015, she played Éponine Thénardier in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables. In July 2017, James starred in the New York City Center Encores! staged concert of The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. In 2024 she began starring as journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells in the musical Suffs. James was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance at the 77th Tony Awards. On March 6, 2026, she joined the Off-Broadway revival cast of Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey opposite Jordan Fisher and Andy Karl. Her final performance will be on July 19, after which Betsy Wolfe will take over the role. She also has had many notable film and television roles as an actor, starting on Law & Order, followed by 30 Rock, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, The Good Wife, Severance and Daredevil: Born Again.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2001 — Third Watch — Maizie — 2 episodes • 2003 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Tamara Bates — Episode: "Stray" • 2004 — The Jury — Myra Clarkson — Episode: "Bangers" • 2009 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Jackie — Episode: "Salome in Manhattan" • 2010 — 30 Rock — Erica — Episode: "Gentleman's Intermission" • 2012 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — 911 Operator — Episode: "Father Dearest" • 2015 — Detective Gail Dunbar — 2 episodes • For Real — Candace — TV movie • 2015–2016 — The Good Wife — Monica Timmons — 6 episodes • 2016 — BrainDead — Rochelle — 12 episodes • 2016 — The Blacklist — Rose — Episode: "The Caretaker (No. 78)" • 2017–2019 — Welcome to the Wayne — Julia Wiles — Voice; 10 episodes • 2018 — Bull — Chloe Tomlin — Episode: "Gag Order" • 2018–2020 — The Good Fight — Monica Timmons — 3 episodes • 2018 — Instinct — Ashley — Episode: "Blast from the Past" • Escape at Dannemora — ER Doctor — Episode: "Part 5" • 2019 — NCIS: New Orleans — Lisa Butler — Episode: "A House Divided" • Proven Innocent — Violet Bell — 13 episodes • 2021 — Modern Love — Pam — Episode: "How Do You Remember Me?" • 2022 — Severance — Alexa — 4 episodes • 2025–present — Daredevil: Born Again — Kirsten McDuffie — Main cast; 15 episodes

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2001 — The Adventures of Tom Sawyer — Sabina Temple — Broadway (debut) • 2003 — House of Flowers — Ottilie — New York City Center Encores! • Summer — Charity Royall — New York reading • 2005 — All Shook Up — Lorraine — Broadway • 2006 — Bernarda Alba — Adela Alba — Off-Broadway • The Wiz — Dorothy Gale — La Jolla Playhouse • 2007 — Walmartopia — Maia Latrell — Off-Broadway • 2008 — Romeo and Juliet — Juliet — Stratford Shakespeare Festival • Caesar and Cleopatra — Cleopatra — Same as the 2009 film release • 2011–2014 — The Book of Mormon — Nabulungi — Broadway • 2013 — Fetch Clay, Make Man — Sonji — Off-Broadway • 2014–2015 — Les Misérables — Éponine Thénardier — Broadway (revival) • 2015 — Preludes — Natalya — Off-Broadway • 2016 — Twelfth Night — Viola — Shakespeare in the Park • Wonderful Town — Eileen Sherwood — Los Angeles Opera • 2017 — Julius Caesar — Portia — Shakespeare in the Park • The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin — Bubbly — New York City Center Encores! • 2018 — Twelfth Night — Viola — Shakespeare in the Park • 2019 — A Bright Room Called Day — Agnes Eggling — The Public Theater • 2022 — Suffs — Ida B. Wells • 2023 — Gutenberg! The Musical! — Guest Producer — Broadway (One night cameo) • 2024–2025 — Suffs — Ida B. Wells — Broadway • 2024 — Maybe Happy Ending — Additional Voice — Broadway (Pre-recorded voice) • 2026 — Little Shop of Horrors — Audrey — Off-Broadway (revival) • The Lost Boys — News Anchor — Broadway (Pre-recorded voice) • 2026–2027 — The Book of Mormon — Nabulungi — Broadway

• Year — Title — Notes • 2017–2019 — Once on This Island — Broadway; Assistant Director • 2021 — The Bite — Episode: "The Fifth Wave" • 2021–2022 — The Good Fight — Episodes: "And the Firm Had Two Partners...", "The End of STR"

James is recorded at birth as Nikki Michelle James.