Denise Nicholas Biography

Fast Facts

• Her novel "Freshwater Road" won the Zora Neal Hurston/Richard Wright Award for debut fiction and the American Library Association's Black Caucus Award for debut fiction in 2006
• Winner of an Image Award in 1976 as Best Actress in a Motion Picture for "Let's Do It Again․"
• Is a founding member of the Free Southern Theater
• Began her TV acting career with an episode of "It Takes a Thief" in 1968
• Perhaps best known for her role as Councilwoman Harriet DeLong on "In the Heat of the Night" and as Liz McIntyre on "Room 222․"
• Appeared on the cover of Jet magazine as a future school teacher prospect at the National High School Institute at Northwestern University
• Has been a member of the Negro Ensemble Company and the Free Southern Theater
• Her novel, "Freshwater Road," was published in 2005