Honestly, if you only know Nia Sioux from that "bottom of the pyramid" drama on Lifetime, you're missing about 90% of the story. Most people still associate her with the pigtails and the stressful rehearsals at the ALDC. But it's 2026. She’s a UCLA grad now. She’s a New York Times bestselling author. And her filmography? It’s actually way more diverse than the reality TV bubble would have you believe.
Nia didn't just "try" to act after the show ended. She stayed in the game. While some of her former castmates leaned strictly into TikTok or music, Nia took the slow-burn route of a professional actress. We're talking soap operas, indie sci-fi, and heavy-hitting Lifetime dramas that actually require serious range.
The Breakout: Nia Sioux Movies and Shows on the Small Screen
You can't talk about Nia Sioux movies and shows without starting with the one that changed the trajectory of her career: The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2018, she landed the role of Emma Barber. This wasn't just a cameo or a "social media influencer" guest spot. She was a series regular.
For a girl who grew up in the chaotic, unscripted world of reality TV, a soap opera is a whole different beast. You’re memorizing 30 to 60 pages of dialogue a day. It’s a grind. She played Emma for over a year before her character met a pretty dramatic end (classic soap stuff, really). But that role proved she could handle a professional set without a reality crew hovering over her shoulder.
From Brat TV to Lifetime Leads
After the soaps, she jumped into the "Brat" universe. If you have younger siblings or kids, you know Sunnyside Up. She played Lily McKay, the new girl on Sunnyside Court. It was light, it was fun, and it solidified her as a teen idol.
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But then came Imperfect High in 2021. This was the turning point.
In this Lifetime movie, Nia played Hanna Brooks. It wasn't about dancing. It was about substance abuse, anxiety, and the brutal social hierarchy of high school. Starring alongside Sherri Shepherd, Nia had to go to some pretty dark places. She’s spoken openly about how she channeled her own experiences with "performance anxiety" from her dance days to make Hanna feel real.
The Big Screen and Beyond
A lot of fans forget she’s done film work too. She had a small part in the 2024 Mean Girls musical movie as a "Social Media Friend," which felt like a nice full-circle moment for a girl who basically grew up on the internet.
Then there’s I Am Mortal (2021).
This one is a bit of a curveball. It’s a sci-fi flick set in a future where humans have achieved immortality. Nia plays Sonitas. It’s definitely not Dance Moms. It showed she was willing to take risks on genres that aren't typically "brand-safe" for former reality stars.
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- Runnin' From My Roots (2018) - She played Zoe Whitfield in this country-music-themed drama.
- The Lies I Tell Myself - A more recent project where she plays Ally.
- Zombies 2: The Collab - A short-form project that kept her connected to the Disney/musical crowd.
Why the "Bottom of the Pyramid" Label No Longer Fits
It’s kind of ironic. For years, she was told she was the "weakest link" on national television. In 2025, she released her memoir, Bottom of the Pyramid, and it basically broke the internet. She didn't just talk about the shows she was in; she talked about the racism, the body shaming, and the psychological toll of being the only Black girl in a very white, very competitive space.
She’s basically spent the last five years deconstructing the character the producers built for her. When you watch her in Imperfect High or even her voice work in The JoJo & BowBow Show Show, you aren't seeing a "dance mom kid." You're seeing a professional who survived one of the most toxic environments in entertainment and came out with a degree and a career.
What’s she doing right now?
Right now, she’s balancing her book tour with new auditions. She’s been very vocal about wanting to do more "gritty" roles. After UCLA, her perspective on storytelling changed. She isn't just looking for the next "teen" role. She’s looking for projects that have weight.
Finding Her Work: A Quick Reference
If you're looking to binge-watch her evolution, here is where most of her work lives:
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The Reality Era
Dance Moms and Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition are the obvious ones. They’re still all over Hulu and Disney+. Honestly, they're hard to watch now knowing what went on behind the scenes, but they're the foundation.
The Scripted TV Era
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS/Paramount+) and Sunnyside Up (YouTube/Brat TV). This is where you see her actually start to act.
The Feature Film Era
Imperfect High (Lifetime/LMN) is the must-watch. If you want to see her do something totally different, find I Am Mortal on VOD. It’s weird, but in a cool, experimental way.
Nia Sioux has basically rewritten the playbook for reality stars. She didn't fade away. She didn't lean into the drama for clicks. She just worked. If you’re tracking nia sioux movies and shows, you're tracking the career of someone who is just getting started in the "adult" phase of her life.
If you want to support her latest work, the best thing you can do is check out her memoir Bottom of the Pyramid. It gives context to every acting choice she’s made since leaving the ALDC. From there, keep an eye on Lifetime and independent film circuits; that’s where she seems to be finding her voice these days.
Next Steps to Follow Nia's Career:
- Watch Imperfect High: It's currently her strongest acting performance and is often available on the Lifetime Movie Club or Prime Video.
- Read the Memoir: Bottom of the Pyramid (released late 2025) provides the "why" behind her transition from dance to serious acting.
- Follow her YouTube: She still posts behind-the-scenes content that isn't as polished as her Instagram, giving a more "human" look at the auditioning process in 2026.