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Julianne Nicholson has built a career that speaks for itself through consistency and honesty. She does not chase fame or headlines. She takes on roles that feel lived-in and brings them to life without showiness. When she steps into a scene she never feels like she is acting. She feels like the person she is playing. That is what sets her apart from many others.
She has worked with top directors and starred alongside big names. She has taken on roles in quiet dramas and dark crime series. She has played mothers and prosecutors and best friends and every time she makes them feel real. She does not try to dominate a scene. She simply makes it work. Her strength lies in how grounded her characters feel.
This list brings together ten of her best performances. Each one shows a different side of what she can do. Whether it is a lead role or a smaller part she always adds weight to the story. These are not just appearances. These are roles that stick with you because they feel honest. If you have missed her work this list is a good place to start.
10 must-watch Julianne Nicholson movies and TV shows
1. Mare of Easttown (2021, HBO)
The show follows a detective named Mare who investigates a murder in a Pennsylvania town while dealing with personal grief and fractured relationships. Julianne Nicholson plays Lori Ross who is Mare’s closest friend and a devoted mother trying to keep her family together.
Lori’s story becomes central in the final episodes when it is revealed that her son Ryan is the killer. Nicholson’s performance in those scenes is calm but devastating. Her silence in the kitchen scene carries more weight than any loud reaction could. She does not break down for attention. She simply breaks.
2. August: Osage County (2013)
The film centers on the Weston family who come together after their father goes missing and later dies. Nicholson plays Ivy who is the middle daughter and the one who stayed behind to care for their toxic mother Violet.
Ivy is soft-spoken and withdrawn but Nicholson makes her pain feel very present. She has a secret relationship with her cousin and hopes for a way out. When her mother crushes that hope Nicholson does not lash out. She simply lets her character fold in on herself and that quiet pain hits just as hard as the loudest scene.
3. Blonde (2022)
The film offers a fictional and often surreal take on Marilyn Monroe’s life focusing on her trauma and isolation. Nicholson plays Marilyn’s mother Gladys who struggles with severe mental illness and causes lasting harm in Marilyn’s childhood.
From the first scene Nicholson makes it clear that Gladys is unstable and dangerous. She nearly drives into a wildfire with her daughter in the backseat. Every moment between them feels off balance and unsafe. Nicholson’s Gladys is not a monster but a broken woman who shapes the fear and sadness Marilyn carries forever.
4. Eyewitness (2016)
The series follows two teenage boys who witness a murder and try to keep it a secret while hiding their relationship. Nicholson plays Helen Torrance who is a former NYPD cop now working as a small-town sheriff and also the foster mother of one of the boys.
She leads the investigation without knowing her own son is involved. Nicholson never turns Helen into a stereotype. She plays her as someone who trusts her gut but struggles with what she cannot see at home. Her character holds the entire story together through quiet urgency and emotional control.
5. Tully (2018)
The story centers on Marlo who is a tired mother trying to stay afloat after having her third child. She gets unexpected help from a night nanny named Tully who seems to understand her in ways no one else does.
Nicholson plays Elyse who is Marlo’s sister-in-law and represents everything Marlo is not. She is composed wealthy and completely unaware of Marlo’s struggles. In every scene Nicholson makes Elyse feel like the kind of person who means well but only adds pressure. Her presence sharpens the film’s portrait of quiet unraveling in domestic life.
6. I, Tonya (2017)
The film looks at Tonya Harding’s rise in figure skating and the scandal involving the attack on Nancy Kerrigan. It tells the story through interviews and reenactments that show how everyone remembers things differently.
Julianne Nicholson plays Diane Rawlinson who coached Tonya during her early competitive years. She stays firm and composed in a world filled with yelling and chaos. Nicholson plays Diane as someone who sets boundaries and expects discipline. That creates a sharp contrast with Tonya’s upbringing. Her calm voice and strict posture add structure to a story that keeps falling apart around its main character.
7. Monos (2019)
The movie follows a group of armed teenagers who hold a hostage on a remote mountaintop. The mission starts under control but falls into disorder as the group loses focus and turns on itself.
Nicholson plays the hostage who is known only as Doctora. She is taken captive and kept under constant threat. She spends most of the film bruised and bound but never broken. Nicholson shows resilience in scenes where she says nothing but shows everything through her eyes. She becomes the only thread of normalcy in an environment ruled by fear confusion and collapsing structure.
8. The Outsider (2020, HBO)
This series begins with a murder that appears solved through DNA and witness accounts. The case then unravels when physical evidence points to impossible contradictions and supernatural forces.
Nicholson plays Glory Maitland whose husband is accused of killing a child. Her life falls apart while she tries to hold on to her children and her sanity. Nicholson shows how grief can sit quietly and still fill every room. She never plays Glory as a victim. She plays her as someone holding herself together because there is no other choice. Her scenes stay grounded while everything else shifts.
9. Kinsey (2004)
The film tells the story of Alfred Kinsey who researched human sexual behavior in a time when the topic was rarely discussed. It shows his scientific work as well as how it affected his personal life.
Julianne Nicholson plays Clara McMillen who is Kinsey’s wife and intellectual partner. She is not just a background figure. She questions his methods and defends him when the public turns against him. Nicholson makes Clara feel steady and sharp. Her performance gives the film a strong emotional anchor especially when Kinsey’s focus on data starts to strain their marriage.
10. Boardwalk Empire (2011–2013)
This drama takes place in Atlantic City during Prohibition and focuses on crime political power and the blurred lines between law and corruption. It mixes real history with fictional characters.
Nicholson plays Esther Randolph who is a federal prosecutor determined to bring justice to a city built on deals and secrets. She enters the show during a time when corruption is peaking. Nicholson plays her as focused and unshaken. She never acts impressed or afraid. She challenges men in power without blinking. Her presence changes the balance and forces key players to look over their shoulders.
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