Nicole Scherzinger, 45, was born in Honolulu and raised in Kentucky. She started acting age 14 and studied musical theatre at university. She has sold more than 60m records worldwide as lead singer of girl band Pussycat Dolls and as a solo artist. She voiced the character Sina in Disney’s Moana, starred in ABC’s remake of Dirty Dancing and is a judge on the US edition of The Masked Singer. She now stars as Norma Desmond in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.
What convinced you to return to theatre after a decade away?
I grew up loving musical theatre and went to a performing arts school, so it’s always been in me. Music is the best way that I know to communicate. Why not do it through theatre, where you have the liberty to communicate the fullest way possible? Jamie [Lloyd, the director] knew I’d been itching to come back, and asked to meet in London 18 months ago. He said: “I’ve got this vision of you as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.” I was like “What?” So I read the script, listened to the music and there was no looking back. Jamie was bold enough to see me in this daring, iconic role. I grew up wanting to be Miss Saigon. I never dreamed I’d be playing someone like this, but in a batshit crazy way it makes complete sense.
