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Watch out world cause Nico Parker is here. The daughter of Thandiwe Newton and Ol Parker is starring in HBO’s The Last of Us which premiered Sunday night, and her performance has left fans captivated. At 18 years old, the actress proved she is a force to be reckoned with, showcasing her talent in moving scenes opposite Pedro Pascal, who plays her father. So who is the young woman? Here’s what we know.
© GettyImagesHer famous family
Park was born on December 9, 2004, and is from Kensal Rise, North West London. As the daughter of Newton and film director and screenwriter Parker, she is well aware of the privileges she has as their daughter.
She told Glamour magazine, “I’m aware of who my parents are. I’m aware of how their wonderful careers have impacted me, and me being able to have a career, know the right people, and be in contact with the right people.”
In the end, Nico wants to make a name for herself, and it’s clear in The Last of Us, she is doing just that. “I think it’s more so that your name isn’t for your entire life associated with your parents,” she told the outlet.
© GettyImagesNico told Seth Meyers on Late Night with Seth Meyers her dad helps her with her self-tapes. “Which is great, ‘cause it’s just like cheating,” she told the host. “They’re both very good at kind of being the supportive parents then also giving professional criticism and praise and all of that.”
Her parents split in 2022 after 24 years of marriage, and she also has an older sister named Ripley, 22, and a little brother named Booker, 8.
Her prior roles
Nico made her film debut as Milly Farrier in 2019 in Walt Disney’s, Dumbo. She told Interview Magazine before her first day on set her mother offered advice: “Be nice and remember everyone’s name.”
© GettyImagesAfter gaining worldwide recognition for her role, she starred alongside Naomie Harris and Jude Law in the HBO miniseries The Third Day (2020). Nico then had the opportunity to work with her mother in the 2021 film Reminiscence, where she played Zoe.
Playing opposite of Pascal
Nico told Glamour that starring with Pascal was “amazing.” “He’s genuinely one of my best friends. It was wonderful because there’s a pressure to get on with someone, and when you’re playing my dad, it’s like we have to get on. We have a week to make it seem like we’ve known each for fourteen years. But very quickly, it was like, ‘Oh, you are my friend, and this is great,’” she said.
Who she looks up to in the industry
Aside from her parents, Nico told Glamour she looks up to Zendaya, who recently followed her on Instagram. “For any mixed-race kid, that’s amazing. For an entire generation of young kids, when she was on Disney, I always thought, ‘wow, she’s someone that kind of looks like me!’” She said.
She also looks up to Beyoncé, “I don’t think I could meet her because I think I would faint,” she said.
