Nana Visitor
Encyclopedia
Nana Visitor born Nana Tucker, is an American
actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys
in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
(DS9) and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire
.
, the daughter of Nenette Charisse, a ballet teacher, and Robert Tucker, a choreographer; she is a niece of actress/dancer Cyd Charisse
.
stage in such productions as My One and Only
. Her film debut (billed as Nana Tucker) came in the 1977 film, The Sentinel. On television, Visitor co-starred in the short-lived 1976 sitcom, Ivan the Terrible
and from 1978 to 1982 had short-lived regular roles on three soap operas: Ryan's Hope
, The Doctors, and One Life to Live
.
In 1984, she appeared in Season 2, Episode 3 of Hunter
. In 1985, Visitor made an appearance in the TV series MacGyver
, in the season one episode "Hellfire" as Laura Farren, and in the season two episode "DOA: MacGyver" as Carol Varnay. In 1986 she appeared in "Hills of Fire", a fourth season episode of Knight Rider.
In 1987 Visitor appeared as Ellen Dolan in a failed television pilot
for Will Eisner's pulp comic creation The Spirit starring Sam J. Jones
as the title character and Garry Walberg
as her father, Commissioner Dolan.
In 1988 she made a guest appearance on the TV series Night Court
as a mental patient who is obsessed with the movies. That same year she made a guest appearance on the TV series In the Heat of the Night
as the owner of the Sparta newspaper. In 1989 Visitor appeared as a guest on the fifth episode of the series Doogie Howser, M.D.
as Charmagne, a rock star who has a throat nodule removed at Doogie's hospital, and as Miles Drentell's glamorous girlfriend, in "Success", a 1989 of Thirtysomething
s second season.
In 1990 Visitor co-starred with Sandra Bullock
in a short-lived sitcom Working Girl
, which was based on the feature film of the same name.
From 1993–99, Visitor appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
as Major (later Colonel, and eventually, Commander) Kira Nerys
, a former freedom fighter/terrorist for the planet Bajor, who worked to drive off the alien occupiers, the Cardassians, from her homeworld, now forced to work with the Starfleet
contingent brought in by her government to administrate the titular space station built in orbit around her planet during the occupation.
After DS9 ended, Visitor had a recurring role as villain Dr. Elizabeth Renfro on the TV series Dark Angel
and starred as Roxie Hart in the touring and Broadway companies of the musical Chicago
. Visitor was then cast as Jean Ritter on the ABC Family
series Wildfire
, which premiered on June 20, 2005.
In 2008, she appeared as Emily Kowalski, a dying cancer patient in "Faith
", an episode of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica
s fourth season. Visitor had a small role as Pamela Voorhees
in the 2009 Friday the 13th
remake. She has also lent her voice in a few guest appearances on the show Family Guy
, such as Rita in the episode "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag" and as the voice of the Enterprise
in "Extra Large Medium
". In 2011 she had a small part in the hammer horror film The resident playing the realtor. She appeared in Torchwood: Miracle Day episode 7, "Immortal Sins
".
(formerly Siddig el-Fadil) in 1996, and the pregnancy was incorporated into a DS9 storyline, beginning in the fourth season episode "Body Parts", which premiered in June 1996. She gave birth to her son, Django El Tahir El Siddig, during production of the episode "The Assignment", though her character would remain pregnant until the fifth season episode "The Begotten", which premiered in January 1997. Visitor and Siddig eventually married, but they divorced in 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys
Kira Nerys
Kira Nerys , played by Nana Visitor, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Backstory:Per Bajoran custom, her family name, Kira, precedes her given name, Nerys. She has two brothers , and her parents' names are Kira Taban and Kira Meru...
in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
(DS9) and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire
Wildfire (TV series)
Wildfire is a US television series that aired on ABC Family, which was produced by Lions Gate Television, Piller2 and The Segan Company . The show premiered June 20, 2005; its fourth and final season ended May 16, 2008 due to low ratings...
.
Early life
Nana Tucker was born July 26, 1957 in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the daughter of Nenette Charisse, a ballet teacher, and Robert Tucker, a choreographer; she is a niece of actress/dancer Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
.
Career
Visitor began her acting career in the 1970s on the BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
stage in such productions as My One and Only
My One and Only
My One and Only is a musical with a book by Peter Stone and Timothy S. Mayer and music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin.Written to incorporate classic Gershwin tunes from Funny Face and other popular shows into one evening of entertainment, the plot, set in 1927 America, revolves around Capt...
. Her film debut (billed as Nana Tucker) came in the 1977 film, The Sentinel. On television, Visitor co-starred in the short-lived 1976 sitcom, Ivan the Terrible
Ivan the Terrible (TV series)
Ivan the Terrible was an American sitcom that aired on CBS for five episodes during 1976.The short-lived series parodied American attitudes toward the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War...
and from 1978 to 1982 had short-lived regular roles on three soap operas: Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around 13 years of trials and tribulations within a large Irish American family in the Riverside district of New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
, The Doctors, and One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
.
In 1984, she appeared in Season 2, Episode 3 of Hunter
Hunter (TV series)
Hunter is a police drama television series starring Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. However, Kramer left after the sixth season to pursue other acting and musical opportunities. The seventh season saw Hunter partnered...
. In 1985, Visitor made an appearance in the TV series MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
, in the season one episode "Hellfire" as Laura Farren, and in the season two episode "DOA: MacGyver" as Carol Varnay. In 1986 she appeared in "Hills of Fire", a fourth season episode of Knight Rider.
In 1987 Visitor appeared as Ellen Dolan in a failed television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for Will Eisner's pulp comic creation The Spirit starring Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones is the stage name of Samuel Gerald Jones , an American actor also credited as Sam Jones.-Early life:Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
as the title character and Garry Walberg
Garry Walberg
Garry Walberg is an American character actor primarily known for his work on television. Walberg has performed in numerous TV shows since the early 1950s, including Johnny Staccato, Lassie, Peyton Place, The Fugitive, The Odd Couple and several other popular American programs.Walberg's most...
as her father, Commissioner Dolan.
In 1988 she made a guest appearance on the TV series Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
as a mental patient who is obsessed with the movies. That same year she made a guest appearance on the TV series In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night (TV series)
In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995...
as the owner of the Sparta newspaper. In 1989 Visitor appeared as a guest on the fifth episode of the series Doogie Howser, M.D.
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American television comedy-drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a 16-year-old doctor who also faces the problems of being a normal teenager. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, ABC aired the show from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totaling 97 episodes.-Plot:Dr....
as Charmagne, a rock star who has a throat nodule removed at Doogie's hospital, and as Miles Drentell's glamorous girlfriend, in "Success", a 1989 of Thirtysomething
Thirtysomething
Thirtysomething is an American television drama about a group of baby boomers in their late thirties. It was created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick for MGM/UA Television Group and The Bedford Falls Company, and aired on ABC. It premiered in the U.S. on September 29, 1987...
s second season.
In 1990 Visitor co-starred with Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
in a short-lived sitcom Working Girl
Working Girl (TV series)
Working Girl is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from April to July 1990. Loosely based on the 1988 film of the same name starring Melanie Griffith, the series stars Sandra Bullock as Tess McGill , in a role that was initially meant for Nancy McKeon.-Synopsis:Tess McGill is a spunky,...
, which was based on the feature film of the same name.
From 1993–99, Visitor appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
as Major (later Colonel, and eventually, Commander) Kira Nerys
Kira Nerys
Kira Nerys , played by Nana Visitor, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Backstory:Per Bajoran custom, her family name, Kira, precedes her given name, Nerys. She has two brothers , and her parents' names are Kira Taban and Kira Meru...
, a former freedom fighter/terrorist for the planet Bajor, who worked to drive off the alien occupiers, the Cardassians, from her homeworld, now forced to work with the Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
contingent brought in by her government to administrate the titular space station built in orbit around her planet during the occupation.
After DS9 ended, Visitor had a recurring role as villain Dr. Elizabeth Renfro on the TV series Dark Angel
Dark Angel (TV series)
Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
and starred as Roxie Hart in the touring and Broadway companies of the musical Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
. Visitor was then cast as Jean Ritter on the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
series Wildfire
Wildfire (TV series)
Wildfire is a US television series that aired on ABC Family, which was produced by Lions Gate Television, Piller2 and The Segan Company . The show premiered June 20, 2005; its fourth and final season ended May 16, 2008 due to low ratings...
, which premiered on June 20, 2005.
In 2008, she appeared as Emily Kowalski, a dying cancer patient in "Faith
Faith (Battlestar Galactica)
"Faith" is the eighth episode in the fourth season of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. It first aired on television on May 9, 2008. The episode guest starred actress Nana Visitor, best known for her role as Kira Nerys on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine...
", an episode of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
s fourth season. Visitor had a small role as Pamela Voorhees
Pamela Voorhees
Pamela Sue Voorhees is a fictional character in the Friday the 13th films, and the antagonist of the original Friday the 13th film. She is a former camp cook and the mother of Jason Voorhees, the main character of the series....
in the 2009 Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th (2009 film)
Friday the 13th is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a reboot of the Friday the 13th film series, which began in 1980 and the twelfth Friday the 13th film in total...
remake. She has also lent her voice in a few guest appearances on the show Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, such as Rita in the episode "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag" and as the voice of the Enterprise
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, is a fictional starship in the Star Trek media franchise. The original Star Trek series depicts her crew's mission "to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before" under the command of Captain James...
in "Extra Large Medium
Extra Large Medium
"Extra Large Medium" is the twelfth episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by John Holmquist and written by Steve Callaghan, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 14, 2010...
". In 2011 she had a small part in the hammer horror film The resident playing the realtor. She appeared in Torchwood: Miracle Day episode 7, "Immortal Sins
Immortal Sins
"Immortal Sins" is the seventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 19 August 2011.-Plot summary:...
".
Personal life
Visitor became pregnant by her Deep Space Nine co-star Alexander SiddigAlexander Siddig
Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig Abderrahman Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Karim El Mahdi is a Sudanese-born English actor, also known as Siddig El Fadil and his stage name Alexander Siddig. He is known for playing Dr...
(formerly Siddig el-Fadil) in 1996, and the pregnancy was incorporated into a DS9 storyline, beginning in the fourth season episode "Body Parts", which premiered in June 1996. She gave birth to her son, Django El Tahir El Siddig, during production of the episode "The Assignment", though her character would remain pregnant until the fifth season episode "The Begotten", which premiered in January 1997. Visitor and Siddig eventually married, but they divorced in 2001.