Nicola Peltz may come from one of the wealthiest families in America, but she’s spent years carving out her own identity in Hollywood — and doing it on her own terms.
The actress, who is the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and former model Claudia Heffner Peltz, grew up in a tight-knit household with seven siblings: Matthew, Will, Brad, Brittany, Diesel, Zachary and Gregory. Despite her family’s high-profile status, Nicola has often emphasized how grounded her upbringing was — and how much her parents’ long-lasting marriage shaped her outlook on love.
“Anyone who has been married for a long time, it’s such a beautiful thing,” Nicola told Byrdie in February 2024. “My parents, their love inspires me every day. It sounds cheesy, but that’s how I feel.”
While Nicola remains close with her own family, her relationship with husband Brooklyn Beckham’s parents — David and Victoria Beckham — has been the subject of public tension. In January 2026, Brooklyn addressed the alleged rift in a lengthy Instagram post, writing, “I do not want to reconcile with my family. My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn’t stopped.”
Still, Nicola’s career has remained a central focus. Long before becoming a tabloid fixture, she was quietly building an acting résumé — even after her parents initially discouraged her from pursuing the craft.
“I grew up playing ice hockey, and my dad really wanted me to focus on playing ice hockey, he thought it was so cool. I was center-right and right-wing,” Nicola told Coveteur in September 2019. “Then, when I was 11 years old, I asked my mom if I could try acting — it started because I loved my drama class. My parents were very against it [at first]. They didn’t get it.”
Determined to prove herself, Nicola convinced her mom to take her to a single meeting with a manager in New York City. “She was like, ‘Listen, if they take you, great. If they don’t, do not bring it up to me until you’re 18 years old,’” Nicola recalled. That meeting paid off almost immediately.
“So I begged the woman to take me. I think she just felt so bad for me that she took me on as a client. My first audition, I ended up booking, and it was a play at the Manhattan Theatre Club called Blackbird,” she said.
After that early success, Nicola told Grazia that her parents quickly became her biggest supporters. “I think my parents saw how much I really, really enjoyed it, how much I loved it, and how hard I worked at it,” she explained. “Now, they’re really supportive.”
From major blockbusters like Transformers: Age of Extinction to fan-favorite TV roles on Bates Motel, Nicola has steadily built a diverse career across film and television.
Scroll through our gallery to see all the movies and TV shows Nicola Peltz has starred in.
