Barbara Nichols, the iconic blonde bombshell, was born Barbara Marie Nickerauer on December 10, 1928, in Queens, New York. She grew up on Long Island, and after graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School, she transformed her reddish-brown hair to platinum-blonde and pursued a career as a model, burlesque dancer, and beauty contestant.
Nichols won the "Miss Long Island" title and gained fame as a GI pin-up favorite. She made her mark on stage, particularly in the musical "Pal Joey," and in television drama. She excelled in small, wisecracking roles, often drawing both humor and pathos from her characters.
Nichols' film career gained momentum in the late 1950s, with standout performances in "Pal Joey" (1957),"Sweet Smell of Success" (1957),and "The Pajama Game" (1957). However, her film career slowed down in the 1960s, and she increasingly turned to television, appearing in shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Adam-12," "The Twilight Zone," "The Untouchables," and "Batman."
In 1958, Nichols landed her only regular series role in the short-lived sitcom "Love That Jill," where she played a model named "Ginger." She also co-starred on Broadway with George Gobel and Sam Levene in the musical "Let It Ride" in 1961 and appeared in low-budget films like "House of Women" (1962) and "The Human Duplicators" (1964).
A car accident in 1957 led to the loss of her spleen, and another serious accident in the 1960s resulted in a torn liver. Complications from these injuries and a life-threatening liver disease forced her to slow down her career.
Nichols died on October 5, 1976, at the age of 47, due to liver failure, leaving behind her parents, George and Julia Nickerauer. She was interred at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, New York.
