Ever since her brief but standout role on Nailed It!, for which she earned two Primetime Emmy nominations, Byer also earned another nomination for her first full-length comedy stand-up special released on Netflix in December 2021.
Smart, funny, and extremely charismatic, fans of Nicole Byer ought to seek out the best and brightest movies and TV shows she's appeared in throughout her illustrious career thus far.
Loosely Exactly Nicole (2016-2018)
Available On Prime Video
Two years before landing the Nailed It! hosting job, Byer starred in the oft-forgotten MTV reality show Loosely Exactly Nicole, a reality TV show that follows the daily rigors of Byer as she navigates pursuing the American Dream in Los Angeles. With the of her best friends, Devin and Veronica, Byer strips away all the vanity to get as real as possible by showing fans Hollywood's unglamorous side.
With 22 episodes to keep fans busy, the show is a great way to witness Byer's humble beginnings and the hard work, perseverance, and even rejection she experiences early in her career that makes her later success all the sweeter. Best of all, Byers shatters stereotypes in the show as someone both candid and confident about her successes and failures.
Bad Hair (2020)
Available On Hulu
Byer has appeared in roughly 10 feature films to date, with Justin Simien's 2020 horror-comedy Bad Hair one of the clear standouts. The story follows Anna, a woman who is climbing the ranks of Culture (which is a television network featuring Black music artists), only to slowly realize her new hair has a morbid life of its own. Brutal, bizarre, yet oddly compelling, Bad Hair is not to be missed.
Despite her brief role as Gina, Byer steals the scene as Anna's neighbor who shows up after a terrifying revelation. Essentially acting against type, Byer proves she can handle dramatic material just as adroitly as comedy and still makes a lasting impression with limited screen time.
Other People (2016)
Available On Netflix
With an 85% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating, Chris Kelly's 2016 dramedy Other People is categorically great in the eyes of movie critics. The movie traces David (Jesse Plemons), a failed writer who returns to his Sacramento hometown to care for his ailing mother, where a host of unresolved domestic quarrels ensue in trenchantly relatable ways.
For her part, Byer stands out as Charlie, one of the hilarious improv actors, David, encounters in New York before landing a job writing a spec script for ABC. While many are drawn to Byer's natural charisma as a TV host, fans will be surprised by how effortlessly she contributes to an A-list ensemble in the best live-action movie of her career.
All About Nina (2018)
Available On Hulu
With a 70 Metascore to go with an 86% Certified Fresh Mary Elizabeth Winstead in one of her best roles), an edgy and acerbic stand-up comedian, who escapes her past by moving to Los Angeles, where she gets swept up in an intimate romance with Rafe (Common).
Playing a fellow stand-up comedian, Byer absolutely owns her performance in the movie as Leslie, giving an undeniable authenticity to the L.A. comedy scene, where Nina is trying to find success. Byer is so refreshingly honest about her personal and professional highs and lows while on stage that All About Nina proves once again how art often imitates life.
The Good Place (2019)
Available On Netflix
One of the most acclaimed sitcoms of the past few years, The Good Place follows a quartet of do-gooders, who suddenly find themselves navigating an afterlife environment that resembles heaven. The 12-time Primetime Emmy nominee is amusingly unpredictable in what it has to say about human morality.
On the show, Nicole Byer plays Gwendolyn, a suspiciously chipper and gullible post-office worker who believes the most obvious lies told by Michael and the others. Perfectly cast for her comedic timing and lovable personality, it's a shame Byer didn't reprise Gwendolyn more often.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2019-2021)
Available On Peacock
Playing the unforgettable role of Trudy Judy on the hit sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, every fan of Byer needs to see her go toe-to-toe with Golden Globe-winner Andy Samberg and the rest of the awesome ensemble cast. As the sister of Doug Judy, Trudy becomes infamous as the Pontiac Bandit who impersonates the likes of Lil Kim and Queen Latifah and steals cars, identities, and more.
Whether teaming with Jake and Doug to return stolen diamonds, trying to bust her brother out of jail, or hiring criminals on Craigslist, Trudy offers Byer a chance to show her wildly irreverent and subversive sense of humor that is tailor-made for such a great TV show.
RuPaul's Drag Race
Available On Hulu
Nicole Byer has participated in several iterations of long-running reality TV show that allows Byer to be her genuine self, which fits like a glove among the fabulous glam queens on the show.
Whether serving as a guest judge or interviewee on The Pit Stop, Byer's witty self-deprecating sense of humor shines through no matter who she interacts with, reinforcing why she's such a consummate professional when it comes to hosting other TV shows.
Bob's Burgers: The Movie (2022)
Available On Hulu
Byer has a wealth of voice-acting credits many will instantly recognize, none more popular or well-received than Bob's Burgers TV show. She proved so funny that she was invited back for an even larger role as Olsen Benner in the big-screen adaptation.
As the Channel 6 news reporter, who drolly comments on the strange happenings in Seymour's Bay, Byer has a ball leaning into the role first portrayed by Pamela Adlon in the TV series. While some of her other voice work may be more substantial, the fact Byer voiced multiple roles in the TV and film versions of Bob's Burgers gives her work a leg up.
The Unicorn (2019-2021)
Available On Paramount+
Currently holding an 85% one of Walton Goggins' top roles) picking up the pieces of his shattered existence following his wife's death. To help him grieve, Wade turns to his friend Ben and his wife Michelle who help him through the most trying year of his life.
Playing Michelle's sister Meg, Byer immediately makes her hilarious presence felt in Episode 2 by confronting Wade over failing to break up with Lizzie, doing so at the behest of Michelle. The way Meg also interacts with Ben leads to some of the biggest laughs on the show.
Grand Crew (2021-)
Available on Peacock
A satirical sitcom in the vein of The Office, Byer gets to display her natural charms and comedic timing with her experience as a food show host to bolster the cast of Grand Crew, a story that follows the personal and professional lives of a group of friends who convene at a wine bar to catch up and offer each other shrewd advice. The show currently holds an 80% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Byer takes her acting chops to a new level as Nicky Koles, a successful realtor who goes out of her way to help her brother Noah navigate his doomed romances. As the clear standout of the show who enjoys all the funniest and juiciest storylines, expect bigger and brighter things on the acting front for Byer in the future.