Nabulungi in 'The Book of Mormon' Musical

Nikki M. James | Biography

Won the 2011 'Tony Award' for 'Best Featured Actress in a Musical' for 'The Book of Mormon'

• By Yunil Tamrakar
• Update : March 08, 2022

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Nikki M. James is an actress and performer best known for her performance in the stage musical The Book of Mormon.

Who is Nikki M. James?

Nikki Michelle James is an American singer and actress born on 3 June 1981 in Summit, New Jersey. She earned a BFA degree in drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. 

Talking about her family, her father is from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and her mother is from Haiti. She also has an elder brother, Douglas.

Short Bio

Nikki M. James began her professional career when she was 13 years of age, appearing in commercials and doing voice-overs. She debuted her Broadway career in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, followed by a leading role in House of Flowers.

She was a staple of New York theater, playing Lorraine in the Broadway version of All Shook Up, performed alongside Phylicia Rashad in Michael John La Chiusa's Bernarda Alba at Lincoln Center Theater, and Dorothy in The Wiz at the La Jolla Playhouse.

James debuted in a classical theater in 2008 at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, where she played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

In addition to that, the actress also featured in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Miserables (Eponine), Preludes, Shakespeare in the Park performances of Julius Caesar (Portia), Twelfth Night (Viola), and The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin.

Besides, she is also a film and television actress and has appeared on several projects such as Third Watch (TV series 2001), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV series 2003-2009), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him (movie 2013), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV series 2012-2015), NCIS: New Orleans (TV series 2019), Here After (movie 2020), Severance (TV series 2022), and more.

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'The Book of Mormon'

The Book of Mormon is a musical directed by the American animated series South Park creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, in association with Robert Lopez. 

The musical revolves around the trials and tribulations of two Mormon missionaries sent to Uganda to convert locals. James plays a potential love interest, the role of Nabulungi, for which she won the 2011 'Tony Award' for 'Best Featured Actress in a Musical.'

After winning the Tony Award, she said, "It feels really special to be finally sort of welcomed as a member to a really elite club." 

Husband

James has been married to her husband, Derek Oosterman, since 2018. The couple exchanged wedding vows in Amsterdam. 

On 28 August 2018, James shared a picture of their wedding on Instagram and wrote, "We did a thing. We dragged our people to Amsterdam! We ate amazing food, we got on a few boats, we dodged the rain, we danced and danced. But more than anything, we LOVED!!! This was the best weekend of my life. I am the luckiest and happiest lady in the world. I don't have the words to thank all of our friends and family who took time out of their lives to celebrate with us and the incredible team of people that helped us make our dream a reality!"

James also shared their wedding photos on their first anniversary and wrote, "Yesterday, D and I celebrated our 1st anniversary. We spent the day laughing and talking and drinking wine and reminiscing about the best day of our lives! I'm so lucky to spend my life with my best friend. I hope you enjoy a tiny little baby visit down memory lane."

James wished her husband a happy birthday on 29 May 2021 and wrote, "Happy Birthday, my love!!! Can't wait to dominate this next decade by your side."