Nicollette Sheridan
A soap opera siren who mastered the art of the deliciously wicked character, captivating audiences for decades as the woman you loved to hate.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American actress·Birthday: November 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Nicollette Sheridan arrived on American television with the sun-kissed confidence of a former model and immediately understood the assignment. As the manipulative, ambitious Paige Matheson on 'Knots Landing,' she didn't just join the show; she stirred the pot, bringing a youthful, scheming energy that perfectly countered the established cul-de-sac drama. For seven seasons, she made selfishness compelling. After 'Knots,' she navigated TV movies and miniseries, but it was her casting as Edie Britt on 'Desperate Housewives' that proved her lasting potency. Edie was Wisteria Lane's unapologetic real estate agent, a survivor whose brassiness and sexual frankness provided both comedy and pathos. Sheridan played her with a winking intelligence, ensuring the character was never a mere caricature. Her career is a masterclass in owning a specific, potent archetype—the glamorous troublemaker—and playing it to perfection.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Nicollette was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nicollette Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Nicollette's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the scheming Paige Matheson on the prime-time soap opera 'Knots Landing' for seven seasons, earning two Soap Opera Digest Awards.
- Played the fan-favorite role of Edie Britt on the hit ABC series 'Desperate Housewives' for its first five seasons.
- Starred as the female lead opposite John Cusack in Rob Reiner's popular 1985 romantic comedy film 'The Sure Thing.'
- Appeared in the iconic music video for Lionel Richie's 'Hello' in 1984.
Did You Know?
She was born in Worthing, England, and moved to Los Angeles with her mother at age six.
Her mother, Sally Sheridan, was an actress and model who appeared in the famous 1960s Noxzema shaving cream commercial with Joe Namath.
She was a successful fashion model in her teens, appearing in magazines like Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
“In this business, you either make the headlines or you're reading about someone else.”
