We recently connected with Nicole Duport and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Every project I’ve worked on has been meaningful to me in some way, but one of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is also the most recent. I was fortunate enough to play Crystal in Echo Theater Company’s production of “Dido of Idaho.” Written by Abby Rosebrock and directed by Abigail Deser. I shared the stage with Alana Dietze, Julie Dretzen, Elissa Middleton and Joby Earle. It was an absolute dream team working on a dream play. The writing is hilarious and deeply touching. I played a former beauty pageant queen with a troubled marriage, lots of ‘Manifestation Techniques,’ and a bit of an anger issue. It was A LOT of fun. As an actress, it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Crystal was the type of character you dream of playing – complicated, smart, vulnerable. Full of heart and nuance. As Crystal, I wore a crown, baked cookies (from scratch!) and sang opera. She was multi-faceted and I basked in her sparkle.
When I was cast, I had very recently had my third child. At the time, I was deeply in love with my baby but was feeling vulnerable to thoughts about never having anything close to “my old self” again. As daunting as taking on the role seemed, I knew I needed to take the opportunity. It was such an important step into self-love for me. Choosing to nurture myself and my happiness as much as I nurture others brought out the best in me. Of course, it was challenging to be away from my family, but luckily I had a great support system and a very efficient breast pump! Anyone who has had children can tell you how hard it can be to reclaim parts of yourself. And for me “Dido of Idaho” was an epic reclamation.
The truly wild thing about this play was all the twists and turns along the road to it coming into being. That’s a story for another time, but the moral is that for YEARS the Universe was tinkering on my behalf and I had no idea. And then one day, there was this thing I’d been wanting for so long. This was one of those experiences in life when you realize the Universe is one hundred percent conspiring for your highest good one hundred percent of the time. And if you are true to yourself and present in your life, accepting the seasons as they come, the things you’re meant for will find you. Everything you’re looking for is looking for you.

Nicole, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m an LA based actor. I started doing theater in my hometown of San Diego. One of my favorites was playing Millie in Picnic at the La Jolla Theater Company. While earning my degree at UC Berkeley, I performed Shakespeare, Churchill, Bond and Mee. It was such a formative period in my artist life. Constantly working on some production or another. I majored in Art, so I was either in an art studio or a theater for four years. And the Bay is just such a gorgeous place to be. I spent a summer in New York doing a conservatory program at Circle in the Square. I learned about the Artist Way and really dove into an artist’s lifestyle. After graduating from Berkeley, I moved to LA to pursue a career in acting.
I got my SAG card when writer/director Mark Young cast me as a lead opposite Yul Vazquez and William Forsythe in “Southern Gothic.” I played a vampire stripper with a heart of gold. A classic! Later that year, Mark cast me again in Lionsgate’s post-apocalyptic thriller “Tooth & Nail” with Michael Kelly and Rider Strong. I killed A LOT of cannibals. Both are worth a watch!
I’ve guest starred on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” “Vegas,” “The Unit,” and more. I played Carol DeParis, the shady talent manager, on Amazon’s “The Last Tycoon” with Matt Bomer and Kelsey Grammer.
Recently, I got to live out a childhood fangirl dream when I played musician Amy Grant in Lionsgate’s box office hit “I Can Only Imagine” with Dennis Quaid.
Since slowing down to start a family, I’ve found a creative home at Echo Theater Company. I’ve been fortunate enough to perform in Abby Rosebrock’s “Dido of Idaho,” Branden Jacob Jenkins’ “Gloria,” and Molly Smith Metzler’s “Cry It Out.”
I consider myself a dramatic actress, but I have a deep love for comedy. The funniest characters are often the most dramatic, the most troubled, the most tragic. They’ve got nothing to lose. And when you put someone under that much pressure, it can result in very funny behavior. I would love to do more tragi-comedy!
I’m excited about finding work/life balance and foresee making my own projects as a big part of my future. I feel excited about applying everything I’ve learned over the years to future projects. I’m currently working on a one woman show which explores mental illness, homelessness and a classic American play. I am thrilled to share with the world when it’s ready!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Living life as a creative means living with magic and purpose. There is no greater reward. Having a creative calling requires a tremendous amount of strength because most creative people know there will be challenges. For me, defining success on my own terms and creating meaning in my life is priceless. I feel connected to something bigger than myself. Making art gives me community and a sense of belonging, both socially and spiritually. Anytime I’ve doubted my path, I’m reminded that my life is full of wonder and possibility.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was a teen, I became interested in filmmaking. I thought I wanted to direct and figured taking an acting class was a good way to get started, to learn about theater and film. After my first acting class, I was hooked. I kept acting, but never directed even a short film. I had years of progress in my acting career, then things slowed to what felt like a halt. Meanwhile, I was growing anxious as I was eager to start a family. I exerted myself more, pushed harder, tried x, y and z to force my dreams to come true. I was frustrated that my acting career had stalled, I was frustrated I didn’t have the family I wanted so badly. There was a part of me that felt I had unfinished business that was keeping me stuck. I realized the way I was going about things wasn’t working and that I would need to step back and look at how I was approaching my life. I decided the best way to move the blocked energy was to create. I challenged myself to write a short film in a month. My friend helped me assemble a crew in New York and I flew out to shoot the script over a long weekend. When I returned home from this trip, my husband and I conceived our first child. I edited the short through first trimester nausea. Near my baby’s first birthday, I premiered the short at Imagine This Film Festival. I truly believe fulfilling my promise to myself is what unblocked my creative flow. Being willing to pivot when things weren’t working, being flexible and open to change. It can be easy, especially as a creative, to get stuck. But even little shifts can open up new pathways.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole.duport/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvGOd75R4Bw

Image Credits

Image of Dido of Idaho photo credit Makela Yepez
Image of Dido of Idaho photo credit Makela Yepez
Image from The Last Tycoon, Amazon
Image from Tooth & Nail, Lionsgate
Image from I Can Only Imagine, Lionsgate
Image of Dido of Idaho photo credit Makela Yepez