Actress Portraying Nia Nal on Supergirl
The character Nia Nal on the television series Supergirl is portrayed by actress Nicole Maines. Maines, born in 1997 in Maine, gained wider recognition for her role as the first transgender superhero on a major network series. The show Supergirl aired from 2015 to 2021 on The CW, and Maines joined the cast in the fourth season, which premiered in 2018. Her casting was widely reported by industry outlets and is considered a milestone for representation in mainstream superhero television according to Forbes.
Maines is credited as a series regular for the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons of Supergirl. The series finale aired in November 2021, concluding the show's run on The CW network. Her character Nia Nal works as a journalist and later becomes a superhero known as Dreamer. The CW is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which acquired the network in 2022 per SEC filings.
Nicole Maines Career and Earnings
Before Supergirl, Nicole Maines appeared in the television series The CW's The 100 and in the recurring role of Lisa in the series Tiny Pretty Things. She has also worked as a writer and advocate, focusing on transgender rights and visibility in media. Industry reports indicate that television actors on cable networks like The CW typically earn per-episode fees that vary by season and contract, though specific figures for Maines have not been publicly disclosed in regulatory filings.
Maines has also taken on roles outside of acting, including public speaking and advocacy work with organizations focused on LGBTQ+ rights. Her net worth and income streams from acting, endorsements, and media appearances have been discussed in financial and entertainment publications, though exact salary figures for her role on Supergirl remain private per Forbes reporting.
Supergirl Series Overview and Network Context
Supergirl is a superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El. The show was developed by Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, and Andrew Kreisberg, and it premiered on October 26, 2015. The series was produced by Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and DC Entertainment, and it aired on The CW for six seasons totaling 126 episodes.
The character Nia Nal, played by Nicole Maines, was introduced as a new lead in the fourth season, which focused on themes of identity, journalism, and heroism. The show's viewership and ratings declined over its run, a trend common among cable superhero series in the late 2010s and early 2020s according to Forbes. The series concluded with a two-hour finale on November 9, 2021, and its content is now distributed on streaming platforms including HBO Max