NIKKI ESTRIDGE

Children’s book author Nikki Estridge was born a storyteller and an entertainer. Since she was a child, she’s loved to perform. An award-winning actress, director, and screenwriter, Nikki found the COVID pandemic to be an opportunity to nurture her brimming creative side, leading to her debut children’s picture book, Hoo’s Driving the Bus?.

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Nikki believes a good book is one that combines interesting characters with conflict, keeping readers on edge about the story’s resolution. She hopes young children and families come away from her book having experienced a humorous and memorable reading time together while also introducing them to fun linguistic elements like alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia.

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As an advocate for autism awareness and a person of multi-ethnic background, diversity, inclusion, and equality are of the utmost important to Nikki. She is an ardent supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Second Harvest Food Bank, Knoxville Humane Society, Susannah’s House, Association for Science in Autism Treatment, Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach, Childhelp, and Autism Tennessee. She also serves on the University of Tennessee Alumni Board. 

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In addition to her acting, writing, charitable work and her full-time job in corporate America, Nikki is also the CEO of several enterprises including a science-based nutrition, strength, and conditioning company, Fit Diesel; Tier One Tactics and The L.I.V.E. Program, which provides self defense, survival, preparedness, and active shooter response training; and Safe Schools, the nonprofit arm of L.I.V.E., which empowers youth, educators and communities with lifesaving knowledge.

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A member of SCBWI and SAG-AFTRA, Nikki is a sixteen-time IMDb-qualifying festival award winner most notably for the comedy short, Don’t Make It Awkward, which she directed, produced, cast and appeared in as Kate. She is also the winner of several film festival awards for “Best Actress, “Best First Time Director,” “Best Writer,” “Best Female Filmmaker,” and “Best Comedy.” Nikki is best known for her roles on Sweet Magnolias (NETFLIX), Queen Sugar (OWN), Law and Order: SVU (NBC) and House of Cards (NETFLIX). She lives with her husband, two sons, and a goldendoodle rescue in Knoxville, Tennessee.