Nicole Marie Pacent is an American actor and bi activist.
Born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Pacent developed an interest in the performing arts from a young age, studying opera and musical theater from the age of 13. She went on to graduate from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a master’s degree before diving into the world of professional acting.
Pacent is best known for her roles as Aster in the LGBT series Anyone But Me (2008–2015) and Rebecca Wilson in Criminal Minds (2005–). She has appeared in more than 30 films and shows, such as Space Guys in Space (2012), Murder in the First (2014–2016), CSI: Vegas (2021–2024), Good Trouble (2019–2024), Call Me Kat (2021–2023), Black-ish (2014–2024), Stumptown (2019–2020), and Westworld (2016–2022).
Nicole Pacent is openly bi, and has been involved in bi activism for many years with her podcast Coming Out with Lauren & Nicole (now called Coming Out Pod), in interviews, with her impassioned posts on social media, and on her YouTube channel.
In 2017, Pacent married Gustav Lindquist, a film/TV editor and visual effects artist. In 2018, she felt moved to publish the video “Bi Visibility: Married & STILL Bisexual!”, addressing the misconceptions and backlash she has faced as a bi woman married to a man:
“Since I got married in October, I have had a shocking number of things said to me related to my continued bisexuality that I wanted to debunk. Several people have asked, since I married a straight cis man if I am now straight. I am not straight. I have never been straight. It doesn’t matter who I’m with, I will never be straight. […]
I have had an unfortunate number of queer women say things like, ‘Well, you’re bisexual, so, of course, you ended up with a guy’ […] I’ve legitimately had to argue with people about [how those remarks] negate who I am and make me feel unseen — and it’s just simply not true […] This is a topic I’ve actually been very nervous to talk to you all about because I know that I have a largely queer lady audience, [and] I have always worried about falling out of favor with my LGBTQ family if I were to be in a relationship with a straight cis man. And I don’t want to feel that way anymore […] When it comes down it, #LoveIsLove, isn’t that what we all want for each other?”
You can also read our interview with Nicole Pacent, where she discusses some details about her acting career, polyamory, her interest in the ministry, being a proud bi woman, and how the Coming Out Pod came to be, among many other interesting topics.