For more than a decade, Veronica Nichols honed her craft as a producer prior to earning her current title as a director. Nichols’ credits include producing and directing an episode of Carl Weber’s BET series, “The Black Hamptons” as well as several episodes in season 5 of Weber’s hit series, “The Family Business.”
Nichols was also tapped to direct an episode of the forthcoming spin-off, “The Family Business New Orleans,” all of which were adapted from Weber’s immensely popular books.
Growing up, Nichols always loved writing and wanted to pursue a career in entertainment; however, with her mother being a college president and her father a college professor, she was encouraged to do something more “practical.” Upon graduating from FAMU with a degree in business, Nichols worked as an assistant buyer at Neiman Marcus, but it wasn’t what she expected.
“I thought, this is cute, I’ll be shopping for a living but it definitely wasn’t that,” she told the Sentinel.
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“You’re actually doing calculations for a living. The buyer goes to fashion shows, but the assistant buyer is mostly crunching numbers, which wasn’t my jam. I’m more of a words’ girl than a numbers girl. So, I knew right away that I wasn’t going to stay there long.”
Upon learning that her former college classmates were working on a film, Nichols got to shadow the director by becoming the production coordinator which allowed her to segue into entertainment. Nichols would go on to work on over 20 independent films as a producer for Tri Destined Studios.
Amid the pandemic, Nichols wrote and directed her first short film, a romantic comedy entitled “Perspective.”
“Some amazing actors came out to work on it with me. We had a great time and it’s a film I’m really proud of. We did the festival circuit for a while, and I wanted to show my team at Tri Destined that I’m passionate about storytelling and they loved it. They showed it to the powers that be, and I got approved to be folded into the system as a director,” said Nichols.
In a day and age when many series are canceled within their first season, “The Family Business” reaching five seasons is an incredible feat and a testament to the series’ loyal fanbase. The show follows the Duncan family, owners of a luxury car dealership who are also entangled within a seedy underworld.
The BET series has been a launching pad for many up-and-coming actors as well as a haven for industry legends including lead actors Ernie Hudson and Valarie Pettiford. Nichols, who has been a producer on “The Family Business” since its inception, gives insight into its longevity.
“It’s multi-generational, so it has something for everyone, which makes people connect to it. It draws people from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds. It’s also multicultural, even though the central family is African American, and we love to live in that blackness, there’s a lot of other cultures involved and it’s a really interesting vista of the world and everyone can feel seen within this show,” she said.
“From the casting perspective, what’s cool is that a lot of actors get to do something that the rest of the industry might not see them doing. We get to counter-cast and allow talent to grow, stretch, and show what they can do without constantly being typecast.
“Actors run into that a lot because, across the industry, people want to take the most calculated and mitigated risk possible. So, if they know a certain actor is good at playing a villain, then they want to cast them as a villain. But on ‘The Family Business,’ maybe they’ll be cast as the hero or a compassionate lover,” noted Nichols.
“Actors like working with us because we allow them to show off their range. And oftentimes after being on ‘The Family Business’ they’re seen in a different light and different doors of opportunity open up for them.”
When asked what advice she would share with up-and-coming creatives Nichols emphasized the importance of being multifaceted. “You’re stronger when you’re proficient in multiple areas. The things that I learned during the time when I was exclusively producing helped me so much when I directed my short because I knew the steps I needed to take to build the framework to direct the story I wanted to tell.”
She continued, “A lot of times people think you need to pick one thing but oftentimes, several things work together and it makes you stronger as an artist to be able to shift and step into multiple lanes and get things done.”
Nichols leaves readers with the following takeaway, “Don’t be afraid to try it all. If you have a passion and desire for something, go for it. Life is all about growing and continuing to evolve. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to achieve and accomplish thus far but I feel like I’m just getting started and I’m excited to keep working.”
