Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Scherzinger was born on June 29, 1978, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Alfonso Valiente, who is of Filipino descent, and Rosemary, who is of Native Hawaiian and Russian descent. Her father left the family when she was two years old, after which her mother married Gary Scherzinger, a German-American welder who adopted Nicole and gave her his surname. The family relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, when Scherzinger was six, where her mother worked as a clerk. She describes her upbringing as financially difficult, supplementing the household income through waitressing, local modeling jobs, and performing with an entertainment troupe at Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. Raised Roman Catholic by a family that included a grandfather who was a priest, she attended church twice a week. She has a younger sister, Keala.

Scherzinger began her performing career at fourteen when she joined the Actors Theatre of Louisville and was cast in her first professional production, La Bête. She graduated in 1996 from the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School, where her roles included Alice in Alice in Wonderland. In 2007, she was inducted into the DuPont Manual Alumni Hall of Fame as one of its youngest honorees, and since 2013 she has funded a yearly $2,000 namesake scholarship at the school. After earning a scholarship, she enrolled at Wright State University, majoring in theatre arts with a minor in dance, during which time she took on lead roles in regional productions of Chicago, Guys and Dolls, and Show Boat. In her final year, she was hired by Days of the New bandleader Travis Meeks to contribute vocals on the band's self-titled second studio album and subsequently joined its supporting tour, a commitment that led her to leave college before completing her degree. In 2018, Wright State University's Alumni Association honored her with its 2017 Alumna of the Year Award.

Her path into the music industry began in 2001 when she auditioned for the WB's reality competition Popstars USA, singing Whitney Houston's recording of "I Will Always Love You." She was selected alongside Ana Maria Lombo, Maile Misajon, Ivette Sosa, and Rosanna Tavarez to form Eden's Crush, a group signed to London-Sire Records. The group's debut single, "Get Over Yourself," released in March 2001, debuted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the first female act to debut at number one on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. Their debut album, Popstars, opened at number six on the Billboard 200. The group disbanded by the end of 2001 after their label went bankrupt, following a tour with 'N Sync and Jessica Simpson. After the dissolution of Eden's Crush, Scherzinger guest-starred on television programs including My Wife and Kids in 2002 and appeared in the independent comedy Chasing Papi in 2003.

In December 2003, following a recommendation from will.i.am to producer Jimmy Iovine, Scherzinger auditioned for a new recording group being assembled around Robin Antin's burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls, which had entered a joint venture with Interscope Records. She joined Melody Thornton, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt to form the recording group. As lead singer, Scherzinger performed the majority of the vocals and holds the distinction of being the only member with songwriting credits on the group's debut album PCD, released in September 2005. The album was preceded by "Don't Cha," which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and also produced the singles "Stickwitu" and "Buttons." "Stickwitu" received a nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. With two studio albums and over 55 million records sold worldwide, the Pussycat Dolls became one of the best-selling female groups in history. In February 2006, Scherzinger signed a global publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group covering her future songwriting.

Alongside her work with the Pussycat Dolls, Scherzinger developed a solo recording career. Her solo albums include Killer Love, released in 2011, and Big Fat Lie, released in 2014, with hit singles that include "Right There," "Poison," and "Don't Hold Your Breath." She also built a substantial television presence as a judge and personality, serving on The Sing-Off in 2009 and 2010, The X Factor USA in 2011, The X Factor UK in 2012–2013 and 2016–2017, Australia's Got Talent in 2019, and The Masked Singer US from 2019 to 2023. In 2010, she competed on Dancing with the Stars and won the competition.

Her screen credits include a role in the Disney animated film Moana in 2016, the ABC television film Dirty Dancing in 2017, and the NBC special Annie Live! in 2021. On stage, she appeared in a production of Cats in 2014 before taking on the role of Norma Desmond in the 2023 West End revival of Sunset Boulevard. That performance earned her the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. When Sunset Boulevard transferred to Broadway in 2024, Scherzinger reprised the role, marking her Broadway debut. The production brought her the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2025, as well as a Theatre World Award the same year. Throughout her career she has received nominations for a Grammy Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards in addition to her wins. Her additional ventures include clothing lines, a fragrance, and work as an ambassador for the Special Olympics and a supporter of UNICEF UK.