Stephanie Lynne Niznik (May 20, 1967 – June 23, 2019) was an American film, television, and theatre actress, most famous for her role as Nina Feeney on Everwood.
Niznik grew up in Brewer, Maine, and was co-valedictorian of the Class of 1986 at John Bapst Memorial High School where she was an exchange student to Paris, participated in genetic research at Jackson Laboratory, and was a National Merit Scholar.[1][2] She intended to become a geneticist and gained early acceptance to Harvard University before entering and graduating magna cum laude from Duke University where she was an Angier B. Duke Scholar. At Duke Niznik changed her goals, majoring in theater and Russian.[3][1] She then graduated from the California Institute of the Arts.[4] Besides Everwood, Niznik's television roles include guest roles on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Profiler, Sliders, JAG, Frasier, Epoch, Star Trek: Enterprise, Traveler, and Diagnosis: Murder, in addition to being a series regular on the mid-1990s action drama Vanishing Son and the 2007 drama Life Is Wild. She also appeared in the films Star Trek: Insurrection and Exit to Eden. After retiring from acting in 2009, Niznik focused on volunteerism.[1]
She died in Encino, California on June 23, 2019, at the age of 52,[3][5] from chronic liver disease and alcohol use.[6]