Lance E. Nichols

Distinguished New Orleans actor, Lance Nichols, stars in the Emmy nominated HBO drama series TREME, which follows several New Orleans natives as they try to rebuild their lives after the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina. Nichols plays the dentist 'Larry Williams', supportive and devoted husband to 'LaDonna Baptiste-Williams' (Khandi Alexander) and loving father to his two stepchildren.Born in the 12th ward of New Orleans, Nichols grew up attending McDonough 35 and remained in the city through his college years, attending the University of New Orleans in 1973. Having begun as a pre-med major, Nichols knew quickly that this was not his calling. A freshman drama class spurred his decision to change his major, which resulted in a GPA jump and a Bachelors degree in Dramatic Arts and Communications. After attending a national dramatic audition for graduate studies, Nichols was offered entrance into seven different programs. Budget cuts eventually made it impossible for him to attend, however, and he remised to manual labor work, loading trucks for UPS.Not one to give up on his true passion for acting, Nichols made the decision to move to Los Angeles in 1978 where he quickly landed his first on-screen gig on the widely popular game show "The Dating Game." Though love never sparked for him on the show, following his appearance he was fortunate enough to run into another New Orleans native at a Baskin Robbins, whom he married less than a year later. Today, after 31 years of marriage and three children, the couple are still going strong, having battled the plight of Hurricane Katrina not only on the small screen of TREME but also in real life as a working family.Nichols is most widely known for his role as the preacher in the 2008 Academy Award nominated film, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, alongside Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Following the success of this role, Nichols landed a part in the Warner Bros. summer blockbuster THE CAMPAIGN (2012), starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. Throughout his 30+ years of acting, spanning from the early 80s to present day, Nichols has made over 75 appearances on multiple award winning and critically acclaimed television series including: CHEERS, MURDER SHE WROTE, MATLOCK, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. After a long stint in Los Angeles pursuing his passion, Nichols returned to his roots in New Orleans where he landed a role close to his heart - his current role on TREME.Nichols is currently filming the fourth and final season of TREME and has recently wrapped filming on the feature film adaptation of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES alongside Academy Award nominee Viola Davis and Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson. When he's not on set, Nichols and wife Zardis stay busy operating Lanzardis Productions, their company that specializes in acting and dialogue coaching. In his free time, Nichols can be found at home in New Orleans with his wife and kids, most likely at a Saints game cheering his team to victory. Show less «