Nicole Sullivan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicole Sullivan
Sullivan in 2023
Born	(1970-04-21) April 21, 1970 (age 55) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actress comedian
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Jason Packham ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	2

Nicole Sullivan (born April 21, 1970) is a talented American actress and comedian. She is well-known for being a main cast member on the funny sketch comedy show MADtv for six years. She also played Holly Shumpert in the TV show The King of Queens.

Nicole Sullivan has been in many other TV shows and movies. She played Jill Tracy on Scrubs. She also uses her voice for many cartoon characters! She voiced the brave Mira Nova in the Disney/Pixar series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. She was also the voice of the villainous Shego in the Disney Channel series Kim Possible. You might have heard her voice in Family Guy or as Franny Robinson in Disney's 2007 movie Meet the Robinsons. From 2008 to 2013, she voiced Marlene the Otter in The Penguins of Madagascar. She played Lyla in the Disney Channel movie Let It Shine in 2012. More recently, from 2014 to 2022, she played Janine, the Johnsons' neighbor, on the ABC show Black-ish. She also voices Kara Danvers (Supergirl) in DC Super Hero Girls.

Nicole Sullivan's Early Life and Education

Nicole Sullivan was born in Manhattan, New York, on April 21, 1970. When she was 7, she started taking dance classes. She even performed in plays both Off Broadway and on Broadway with a group called the First All-Children's Theatre. Her parents moved the family to Middleburgh, New York, in 1982. Her mother, Madonna Sullivan, was a businesswoman. Her father, Edward C. Sullivan, was a politician who worked in the New York State Assembly.

In high school, Nicole was very active. She was the class treasurer in her junior year. She played soccer, helped with the boys' basketball team by recording statistics, and was part of the student council. After finishing high school in 1987, she went to Northwestern University to study theatre. She learned about famous playwrights and worked two jobs to pay for college. She also wrote plays and sketches for the student theatre. During her third year of college, she studied in London at the British American Drama Academy. She also joined the Greenwich Shakespeare Company. Nicole graduated from Northwestern with honors and then moved to Los Angeles to start her acting career in television.

Nicole Sullivan's Acting Career

Starting Out: TV Shows and Commercials

Before joining MADtv, Nicole appeared in commercials and had small guest roles on TV shows like Herman's Head. These early experiences helped her get noticed and led to her big break.

MADtv Highlights

Nicole Sullivan was one of the first actors on Fox's MADtv when it began in 1995. She created many memorable characters on the show. One of her most popular characters was the funny but mean Vancome Lady. Other characters she played included Amy, a reporter for X-News, and Antonia, who was a bit silly. She also played Debbie, the leader of the Eracists, and Diane Lawyer-Trabajo from News at 6. She even played a country singer named Darlene McBride.

The King of Queens Role

From 2001 to 2005, Nicole Sullivan played Holly Shumpert on the popular show The King of Queens. She came back to the show in 2007 for its last season. In the show, Holly was a dog walker. The main characters, the Heffernans, hired her to take care of Carrie's father, Arthur, to make sure he got exercise and stayed out of trouble.

Voice Acting Projects for Kids

Nicole Sullivan is well-known for her voice work in many animated shows and movies. She was almost the voice of Turanga Leela in Futurama, but the role went to Katey Sagal.

She voiced Marlene the Otter in The Penguins of Madagascar, which is a TV show based on the Madagascar movies. She also voiced Shego in Kim Possible, a popular Disney Channel show. Other voice roles include Joan of Arc in Clone High and Mira Nova in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. You might also recognize her voice from Family Guy, where she played Joan and other characters. She was the voice of Franny Robinson in the movie Meet the Robinsons. Nicole also voiced Luna in the 2007 video game Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters. In 2012, she became the voice of Supergirl in the Super Best Friends Forever animated shorts. She continued this role in the DC Super Hero Girls TV series, and even in a crossover movie called Teen Titans Go! & DC Superhero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse in 2022.

Nicole Sullivan's Personal Life

Nicole Sullivan is married to actor Jason Packham. They have two sons, who were born in May 2007 and August 2009.

Nicole won the first season of Celebrity Poker Showdown. She donated her $100,000 prize to a charity called Alley Cat Allies, which helps cats. She also appeared on an episode of It's Me or the Dog with her husband, their son Dashel, their three cats, and their four mixed-breed dogs: Paco, Jackson, Donut, and Funzies.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Nicole Sullivan para niños