J. Alphonse Nicholson

J. Alphonse Nicholson is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of LaMarques in the Starz drama series, P-Valley, for which he was nominated for the two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Nicholson was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He began his career appearing in the local theater productions at PlayMakers Repertory Company before moving to New York.^[1] He began appearing on television playing guest-starring roles on Blue Bloods, Mr. Robot, Luke Cage, Shots Fired and The Blacklist. He made four appearances in BET anthology series, Tales from 2017 to 2022. In 2017 he made his off-Broadway debut in Freight: The Five Incarnations of Abel Greene, and later acted in Paradise Blue and Days of Rage.^[2] In 2020, Nicholson made his Broadway debut in revival of A Soldier's Play.^[3][4]

In 2020, Nicholson co-starred opposite Octavia Spencer in the Netflix miniseries, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker.^[5][6] Later that year he was cast in a series regular role in the Starz drama P-Valley.^[7] The role gained him two Black Reel Awards nominations and two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nominations.^[8] In 2023, he appeared in the films White Men Can't Jump, They Cloned Tyrone and Wake. In 2024, he starred alongside Renée Elise Goldsberry and Lynn Whitfield in the drama film Albany Road and played Jimmy Raye II in the sports drama film, Black Spartans.^[9][10] He starred as Chris Paul in the miniseries Clipped.^[11]

• J. Alphonse Nicholson at IMDb