Episode 157 – Actress & Author Denise Nicholas: Breaking Barriers and Finding Home – Part 1
In Part One of this fascinating two-part conversation, host Tony Miros sits down with actress, writer, and trailblazing entertainer Denise Nicholas, best known for her iconic roles on the groundbreaking comedy-drama “Room 222” and the acclaimed series “In the Heat of the Night.” Denise opens up about her powerful new memoir, “Finding Home,” and why writing about her own life proved far more challenging than writing her celebrated novel, “Freshwater Road.”
Denise reflects on growing up in Detroit. She shares why storytelling requires balance: honesty without becoming too dark, and vulnerability mixed with humor. From being featured on the cover of Jet Magazine at just 16 as a “future educator” to eventually playing one on television, Denise’s journey is full of unexpected turns.
She takes us inside her life-changing years with the Free Southern Theater during the Civil Rights Movement, performing for rural Southern audiences who had never seen live theater before—and how profoundly meaningful those experiences were. Denise also recounts her move to New York, becoming a founding member of the Negro Ensemble Theatre, and the terrifying leap into television auditions.
One unforgettable moment leads directly to her breakout role on “Room 222”—including a nerve-wracking screen test at 20th Century Fox, a controversial “personality test,” and the sudden shock of instant fame. Denise shares behind-the-scenes stories from the show, her close friendships with castmates, working with Aretha Franklin, the darker side of celebrity, and even a wild chapter involving “The Dating Game” and a trip to Japan.
DENISE NICHOLAS
Denise Nicholas is best known for her groundbreaking role as high school guidance counselor Liz McIntyre on ABC’s “Room 222” and for co-starring as Councilwoman Harriet DeLong opposite Carroll O’Connor on “In the Heat of the Night.” Between those landmark series, she appeared on numerous television shows including A Different World, Amen, 227, Magnum P.I., The Cosby Show, and My Wife and Kids. Her film work includes Let’s Do It Again and A Piece of the Action with Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby, as well as Ghost Dad. Over the course of her career, she earned three Golden Globe nominations, three NAACP Image Awards, and two Los Angeles Emmy Awards for the PBS special Voices of My People: In Celebration of Black Poetry.
Denise began her professional journey as a founding member of the Free Southern Theater,during the most dangerous years of the Civil Rights Movement. She later became a founding member of New York’s Negro Ensemble Company, the first professional company of its kind. From the stage of St. Mark’s Playhouse, she was invited to screen test for Room 222, launching a television career that would make history. During her time on In the Heat of the Night, she also wrote six episodes of the series under the mentorship of Carroll O’Connor.
After the series ended, Denise devoted her creative life to writing. She trained in Janet Fitch’s Journeyman’s Workshop, where she developed her acclaimed debut novel “Freshwater Road,” named one of the Best Books of 2005 by The Washington Post and other major publications and later adapted for the stage at Brown University. Her writing has appeared in Essence, The Washington Post, and Hands on the Freedom Plow. Her memoir, “Finding Home,” was published by Agate Publishing in November 2025 and is available now in bookstores and online.
Denise Nicholas Website - https://denisenicholas.net/about/
To Purchase Denise’s Books on Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/5h4r4nwf
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Actress / Screenwriter / Author / Activist
As an actress, Ms. Nicholas has been applauded for her portrayals of complex, resilient women on film, television and the stage, most memorably for her ground-breaking, starring role as high school guidance counselor Liz McIntyre on the ABC comedy-drama, “Room 222” and for her co-starring role as Councilwoman Harriet DeLong on the drama series, “In the Heat of the Night” opposite the late Carroll O’ Connor.
Between those two long running series, Nicholas guest starred on shows as varied as “A Different World,” “Flip,” “Amen,” “227”, “Magnum P.I.,“ “The Cosby Show,” “The Sophisticated Gents” and “My Wife and Kids,” to name a few. She co-starred opposite Bill Cosby in the film “Ghost Dad” and opposite Sidney Poitier and Mr. Cosby in the films, “Let’s Do It Again” and “A Piece of the Action. Along the way, she has garnered three Golden Globe nominations and won three NAACP Image Awards. Nicholas is the recipient of two Los Angeles Emmy Awards for co-producing and performing in the PBS Special, “Voices of My People: in Celebration of Black Poetry.”
Denise began her career as a founding member of the Free Southern Theater, touring Mississippi and Louisiana during the most violent days of the civil rights movement. From there, she went on to New York, auditioning for and being accepted into the Negro Ensemble Company, as a founding member of the first professional company. From the stage of the St. Marks Playhouse in New York, she was invited to screen test for the Liz McIntyre role on “Room 222.” Her career in television had begun!
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