Like most people, I first took notice to the wonderful actress Nicole Ari Parker in the Showtime series “Soul Food,” where she portrayed Teri Joseph, the feisty corporate lawyer and high-and-mighty oldest sister of Bird and Maxine. However, much to my surprise, Parker had been tip-toeing around the big screen long before she got her big break on “Soul Food.” She first burst onto the scene with the leading role in the indie film “The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love” where she plays a young lesbian. That role was followed by a long string of starring roles in other independent films, such as “Harlem Aria,” “Sebastian Cole,” and “Mute Love.” She also appeared in more well-known movies, like “Boogie Nights,” “Divas,” and “200 Cigarettes” before she landed her gig on “Soul Food.”

Not only is Nicole Parker an established actress, she is also a published poet, with work including in an anthology of young poets entitled “New Breezes.” She also has an extensive background in theater, having performed in incredible Off-Broadway productions such as “Chicago,” “House of Lear,” and “Romeo and Juliet.” Parker is a participant of nonprofit organizations as well, such as Habitat for Humanity and Sheila E’s Lil’ Angel Bunny Foundation.

Nicole Parker is such a talented actress as well as a phenomenal person, and she is not given the credit she deserves. Hopefully, one day Hollywood will see what I see when I watch her movies and her television shows — a gifted young actress who has yet to reach her peak. And maybe then she will receive the respect she has been entitled to but denied for far too long.