Nina Arianda

Early life and education

Nina Arianda Matijcio was born on September 18, 1984, in Manhattan, New York, to Lesia, a painter and teacher of English as a second language, and Peter Matijcio, a logistics expert for the Department of Defense. Her parents were born to Ukrainian refugees in Germany after World War II. She grew up in Clifton, New Jersey, and Heidelberg, Germany.

Arianda became interested in acting as a child, declaring at age 9 that she wanted to become a professional actress. She attended LaGuardia High School for one semester before her father’s job took her family to Heidelberg, where she finished high school. As a teen, she got involved with Roadside Theater, a community theater at U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg.

She returned to New York for college in 2002, beginning her studies at American Musical and Dramatic Academy, earning a bachelor of arts at The New School, and a master of fine arts in acting at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2009.

Career

Arianda made her Broadway debut in April 2011 in the lead role of Billie Dawn in the Broadway production of Born Yesterday, with James Belushi and Robert Sean Leonard. She appeared Off-Broadway as Vanda Jourdain in the comedy-drama play Venus in Fur in 2010. The play then transferred to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway in early November 2011, and her performance received critical acclaim.

She starred in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Tales From Red Vienna in 2014. She has appeared in several films including Win Win, Tower Heist, Midnight in Paris, Rob the Mob, and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. She was cast in January 2015 for Hannibal season 3 as Molly, the wife of Will Graham (played by her former Broadway co-star Hugh Dancy).

Arianda starred in Fool for Love at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in July 2014 with Sam Rockwell, directed by Daniel Aukin. Arianda and Rockwell reprised their roles on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in 2015. Arianda played Agnes Stark in the film Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) and appeared in the film Stan & Ollie (2018) as Ida Kitaeva, the wife of comedian Stan Laurel.

Arianda co-starred in all four seasons of the series Goliath from 2016 to 2021, as well as in the fourth season of Billions.

In 2019, she appeared with Sam Rockwell in the Clint Eastwood film Richard Jewell.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theater

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

1. Lahr, John. (November 7, 2011). "The Natural". [[Condé Nast]].
2. Blank, Matthew. (June 7, 2011). "Born Yesterday Tony Nominee Nina Arianda".
3. Lahr, John. (2011-10-31). "The Natural". The New Yorker.
4. Goldman, Andrew. (February 17, 2012). "Nina Arianda Is Fueling Fantasies". [[The New York Times]].
5. Kennedy, Mark. (2011-05-31). "Fast Rise of Broadway's Nina Arianda Turns Heads".
6. "Tisch alumni nominations at the 2011 Tony Awards".
7. (May 1, 2012). "2012 Tony Awards Nominations Announced; Once Earns 11 Nominations".
8. Healy, Patrick. (February 7, 2010). "Back From the Depths, Rebuilding a Career".
9. Isherwood, Charles. (January 28, 2010). "One Object of Desire, Delivered".
10. Haun, Harry. (January 31, 2010). "Nina Arianda: A Star Is Born".
11. (20 January 2015). "Nina Arianda cast for third season of "Hannibal"".
12. Hetrick, Adam. (July 24, 2014). "Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell Heat Up Williamstown's ''Fool for Love'', Opening Tonight".
13. Gans, Andrew. (September 15, 2015). "''Fool for Love'', Starring Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell, Steams Up Broadway Tonight".
14. "Nina Arianda {{!}} Actress".
15. "Breaking News - Venture Bros. Fans Rejoice with All-New Original Film "The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart" | TheFutonCritic.com".
16. Hammond, Pete. (2024-08-21). "'Greedy People' Review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Loopy Cop Tops Black Comedy That Somehow Escaped The Coens' Grasp".
17. Gans, Andrew. (April 29, 2011). "56th Annual Drama Desk Nominations Announced; ''Book of Mormon'' Scores 12 Nominations".
18. (May 16, 2011). ""War Horse", "The Kid", Benanti, Gad Among Outer Critics Circle Winners!".
19. Lang, Brent. (10 June 2012). "Tony Awards: Nina Arianda Wins Best Actress in a Play for "Venus in Fur"".