PARIS — Lancôme has signed Nico Parker on as its youngest global brand ambassador.
The 19-year-old British actress’ breakout performances include roles in “Dumbo” and “Reminiscence” from 2019, and “The Third Day” from 2020.
This year, she was awarded the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for breakthrough performance at the Sundance Film Festival for her role in “Suncoast,” and has also been nominated for the 2024 BAFTA TV Award for best supporting actress for her part in “The Last of Us,” an HBO series from 2023.
“What we loved with Nico Parker is that she has both the freshness and charm of her age, yet already with a lot of maturity,” said Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme’s international brand president. “She’s very committed to everything about women in the movie industry.”
It’s not by chance that the L’Oréal-owned brand approached Parker.
“At Lancôme, we really want to address all age targets, from the very young ones,” said Lehmann, noting other spokeswomen count the likes of Isabella Rossellini, Andi MacDowell and Yseult. The most recent nominations, also including Hoyeon Jung and Aya Nakamura, embody a young generation, said Lehmann.
“We like women with strong, exceptional potential — rising starts that will very soon be megastars,” she continued.
While growing up, Parker’s mother, actress Thandiwe Newton, used numerous Lancôme products.
“The Lancôme mascara really was a pivotal thing in my mum’s makeup routine that was then passed down to me, and I’m sure will be passed through generations of my family,” said Parker.
Lancôme Idôle Lash mascara.
Courtesy of Lancôme
“I was always aware, always conscious of the brand and their work and products,” she continued. “So many women that I deeply respect and admire are involved with the brand and are ambassadors or have been ambassadors.”
From the first meeting, Parker was struck by “how important family and familiarity are to them” — and the brand’s collaborative spirit, she said.
“I was immediately drawn in by that,” said Parker. “I also just think that their ethos is so wonderful and uplifting to women.”
She finds her new role for Lancôme both stressful and amazing.
“I hope to do my best to embody the values of the brand,” said Parker. “What’s so wonderful about beauty is that it’s constantly changing.
“When I was younger, it was always my mom. When I started to grow up a bit, it becomes your friends,” she continued. “Now, I look to my younger brother, I look to my sister, who [years ago] I would have been like: ‘I hate them.’ Now, I think they’re just the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Nature and crying and laughing — every aspect of life, if you take the time and allow yourself to view it in such a way, it can be so beautiful. Feeling is so beautiful. So I try not to pigeonhole [beauty] as one thing, but I think of everything as a collective. I try to find the beauty in everything. That within itself is so beautiful.”
Parker recently embodied Astrid Hofferson, a colead role in an adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon.”
“That was such an amazing job,” said Parker. “I was constantly pinching myself on set, because I couldn’t believe I could be there and playing such an iconic character.”
She also recently wrapped “Bridget Jones: Mad About That Boy,” in which Parker plays the nanny.
“It was so much fun, because I got to work a lot with Renée [Zellweger], who was so brilliant,” said Parker. “But I also got to work with the two actors who play her kids. I was constantly in awe of them — and the whole production.”
Each film, which will be released next year, ticked off a bucket-list entry.
“To be English and be in ‘Bridget Jones’ is the absolute dream,” said Parker, who added before the end of 2024, she will travel to film something in Atlanta, where she’s never before been. The actress remained mum on other details, however.
Parker will first appear in Lancôme’s end-of-year holiday campaign, out in November.
