Chanticleers pop up everywhere these days. Sometimes they’re nationally renowned athletes like Josh Norman or seasoned political operators like Michael Marinaccio, but other times they’re trailblazing actors like Nikko Austen Smith.
Smith has landed a role as Asha on OWN’s “Queen Sugar,” a series directed by Academy Award-nominated producer/director Ava DuVernay (“A Wrinkle in Time”) and cultural icon Oprah Winfrey. Already an accomplished student actress with numerous theatrical performances and a summa cum laude academic record, Smith graduated from Coastal Carolina University May 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and a mission to find her way in the world.
“This was my dream role on my dream show,” Smith says. “I had to take it.”
“Queen Sugar” represents a potential breakout role for the Houston native, but it isn’t her first time in front of a camera. Smith has previously appeared in several independent productions filmed in North Carolina, including 2015’s “Son of Clowns” and 2017’s “Unbridled,” as well as the documentary series “Homicide Hunter” (Investigation Discovery network). In addition to film, Smith had roles in CCU productions of “Big Love,” “Bullets Over Broadway” and “On the Razzle.”
Prior to landing the role, Smith had planned to move to Atlanta to further her career as both an actress and model. Instead, “Queen Sugar” took her to the Big Easy in Louisiana…