Nickel, a trained road builder, came to the stage in 1981 and was a member of the theater group
Theaterpathologisches Institut in
Hattingen and
Lünen until 1987. He gave his television debut in 1988 in the
Breakfast for Enemies by Norbert Kerkhey and Jochen Baier. In 1993 he was seen in
Joseph Vilsmaiers anti-war film
Stalingrad as
Unteroffizier Rohleder. In the same year, Nickel had a supporting role in ''
Schindler's List as Hauptscharführer Wilhelm Kunde''. Numerous roles in film and television followed, where he often played the role of villains, robbers or striking
Ruhrpott characters, but also comedic roles are not uncommon. He was in a relationship with
Sonja Kirchberger from 2001 to 2012 and lives in
Witten. ==Filmography==