Dana Wheeler-Nicholson (born 1960) is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in the films Fletch (1985), Tombstone (1993), Fast Food Nation (2006) and Parkland (2013). She is also known for her roles on television series such as Friday Night Lights, Seinfeld and Nashville.
Personal life Wheeler-Nicholson was born in New York City, the daughter of Joan (née Weitemeyer) and Douglas Wheeler-Nicholson. She is the granddaughter of pioneering American comic book publisher Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, who founded DC Comics under the original company name National Allied Publications. Wheeler-Nicholson has been married to film director Alex Smith since 2011 and lives in Austin, Texas.
Career Sometimes credited as Dana Wheeler Nicholson, she has appeared in numerous feature films, but is perhaps best known for her role in Fletch (1985) as Gail Stanwyk, the love interest of the title character. She is well known for her performance in Tombstone (1993) as Mattie Earp. Wheeler-Nicholson has also appeared in the films Bye Bye Love (1995), Denise Calls Up (1995), Fast Food Nation (2006), and Parkland (2013).
On television, Wheeler-Nicholson has guest-starred in Seinfeld, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The X-Files, Sex and the City, Boston Public, and Boston Legal. She starred in the short-lived comedy Beverly Hills Buntz from 1987 to 1988, and in 2001 was cast on the daytime soap opera All My Children. In the mid-2000s, Wheeler-Nicholson moved from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas. From 2007 to 2011, she had a recurring role in the television drama Friday Night Lights as Angela Collette. In 2014, Wheeler-Nicholson played the role of character Scarlett O'Connor's abusive mother on the musical drama series Nashville. In 2015, she had a supporting role in the independent drama film 6 Years.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1984 The Little Drummer Girl Katrin 1984 Mrs. Soffel Jessie Bodyne 1985 Fletch Gail Stanwyk 1990 Circuitry Man Lori 1993 My Life's in Turnaround Rachel 1993 The Night We Never Met Inga 1993 Tombstone Mattie Blaylock Earp 1995 Bye Bye Love Heidi Schmidt 1995 Frank and Jesse Annie Ralston 1995 Denise Calls Up Gail Donelly 1995 The Pompatus of Love Kathryn 1997 Nick and Jane Jane Whitmore 1997 Living in Peril Linda Woods 1997 Jamaica Beat Lori Peterson 2001 Sam the Man Woman 2001 What's the Worst That Could Happen? Gallery Hostess Uncredited 2003 The Battle of Shaker Heights Mathilda Bowland 2006 Fast Food Nation Debi Anderson 2010 Dance with the One Mary 2011 5 Time Champion Danielle 2011 Blacktino Moon 2011 Dadgum, Texas Bettie Crawley Magee 2013 Angels Sing Maggie 2013 Winter in the Blood Malvina 2013 Parkland Lillian Zapruder 2015 6 Years Joanne Mercer2018Miss ArizonaMaybelle2020On the Line Tricia Bisbee
Television Year Title Role Notes 1986–87 Crime Story Marilyn Stewart 2 episodes 1987 The Hitchhiker Belinda Haskell Episode: "Secret Ingredient" 1987–88 Beverly Hills Buntz Rebecca Giswold 13 episodes 1991 N.Y.P.D. Mounted Donna Lee Wellington TV film 1991 Palace Guard Apache Episode: "Pilot" 1994 Fortune Hunter Cristina Episode: "The Frostfire Intercept" 1995 Seinfeld Shelly Episode: "The Doodle" 1996 The X-Files Det. Angela White Episode: "Syzygy" 1997 The Single Guy Erika Episode: "Like Father..." 1998 Sex and the City Laney Berlin Episode: "The Baby Shower" 2000 NYPD Blue Jenny Peters Episode: "The Man with Two Right Shoes" 2000 Law & Order Maggie Callister Episode: "Mega" 2001 Big Apple Joan Kellogg 3 episodes 2001 All My Children Ilene Pringle 9 episodes 2002 Without a Trace Sarah Pritchard Episode: "Midnight Sun" 2003 Boston Public FBI Agent Monica Price Episode: "Chapter Seventy-Four" 2005 Grounded for Life Arianna Episode: "Tom Sawyer" 2005 Boston Legal Stephanie Rogers Episode: "It Girls and Beyond" 2005 McBride: Anybody Here Murder Marty? Victoria Caine TV film 2006, 2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Hilary Marsden, Tara Black Episodes: "Slither", "Reunion" 2010 The Deep End Judge Reyes Episode: "White Lies, Black Ties" 2010 The Good Guys Meredith Episode: "Old Dogs" 2007–11 Friday Night Lights Angela Collette 22 episodes 2012 A Gifted Man Jayne Reinhart Episode: "In Case of (Re)Birth" 2014–15 Nashville Beverly O'Connor 12 episodes 2014 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Donna Evans Episode: "Producers Backend"2019Chicago MedChicago MedEpisode: "Can't Unring That Bell"2019EmergenceVanessa CoxEpisode: "American Chestnut"2020Grey's AnatomyDana HamiltonEpisode: "Sing It Again"2021WalkerJoy CaldwellEpisode: "Four Stones In Hand"2022Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLilah JonesEpisode: "Mirror Effect"
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