Julia Nickson is a film actress. She first came to the attention of worldwide audiences in the 1985 action film Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone. She also appeared in the 2004 film Ethan Mao and in the 2008 independent film Half-Life.
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Early years
Nickson is the daughter of a British father and a Chinese mother. After her father's death in an automobile accident when she was six, Nickson and her mother had to live in a house with three other families. Her grandmother often watched Chinese operas on television, and that kindled Nickson's interest in performing.
When she was 17, Nickson left Singapore to study at the University of Hawaiʻi. Her successful audition for a play while she was there led to a shift in interest from business administration to drama. After two years, she left the university to work as a model, study acting, and perform in community theater productions.
Career
While attending the University of Hawaiʻi, Nickson was a model in Honolulu, where she appeared in her first play, The Winter's Tale. After acting classes, community theater, and roles on Magnum, P.I., she appeared as the female lead in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). She appeared with Chuck Norris in Sidekicks (1992).
Her other film appearances have included roles in Glitch! (1988), China Cry (1991), K2 (1992), Double Dragon (1994), White Tiger (1996), Devil in the Flesh (1998), Ethan Mao (2004), Half-Life (2008), Dim Sum Funeral (2008), and One Kine Day (2011).
Nickson guest starred in the final episode of seaQuest 2032 as Lieutenant Commander Heiko Kimura, a role that would have been a main character had the series continued, and in two Star Trek series: The Next Generation episode "The Arsenal of Freedom" as Enterprise-D crewmember Ensign Lian T'su, and the Deep Space Nine episode "Paradise" as Cassandra, a villager who attempts to seduce Commander Benjamin Sisko. She played Catherine Sakai, Commander Jeffrey Sinclair's love-interest, in the first season of Babylon 5.
She had a recurring role as Dr. Susan Lee on the television series Walker, Texas Ranger (reuniting her with Chuck Norris), and as Princess Aouda in the 1989 miniseries version of Around the World in 80 Days opposite Pierce Brosnan and Eric Idle. She had a supporting role in the television version of the novel Noble House, again opposite Brosnan.
Julia retired from acting for personal reasons on March 29, 2025
Personal life
Nickson was married to actor/singer David Soul. They have one daughter, China Soul, a singer/songwriter.
She was a practising Scientologist, having joined the Church of Scientology in 1996. She credited the organization with helping to improve her health.
