Legend has it that in 1969, among the half a million at the song and celebration of
Woodstock,a child was born, between the improvised lyrics of Richie Havens, and the wordless anthem of Jimi Hendrix.
It remains a legend to this day. However, another child came into the world around this time (actually, December 25th) at its intended site in upstate New York. A small town nestled among the foothills of the Catskills, Woodstock was an established artists' colony of nearly 6,000 residents. It had a long tradition of arts and music festivals, and by the late '60s, was host to increasingly larger rock and roll gatherings. More and more people attended, enjoying the freewheeling atmosphere of pop music and nude bathing. The township, however, balked at the proposal to increase attendance to nearly a quarter of a million, and the festival relocated 50 miles away, outside Bethel,near the border of Pennsylvania.
Noëlle was born to a family with more creative aspiration than wealth. Her mother, stage actress Rocky Parker, now an agent and acting coach, raised her children in New York's theater world (She is seen here shrieking in horror at the sight of Patrick Dempsey, in a bit part in the film "In the Mood", a romantic comedy set in the 40's). 
Older brother Corey was already helping to make ends meet, starring in commercials as a child. Later, he was drawn to the stage, and the family relocated downriver to a part of Manhattan officially known as Clinton, but better known to us as "Hell's Kitchen".
Once a quiet sea port facing New Jersey, Clinton absorbed many of the Irish immigrants from the potato famine, and after the Civil War, became home to increasingly lawless youth, immortalized in films like West Side Story and On the Waterfront. Eventually, like other parts of New York with a colorful history, prosperity came, and thanks to Hell's Kitchen's proximity to New York's Theater district, and the rejuvenated Times Square,today's residents are now more fearful of restoration-minded Baby Boomers and real estate 
developers looking for unclaimed "air space", than they are of raucous gangs of youths.
Corey joined the Esemble Studio Theater in Clinton,while Noëlle attended the High School of the Performing Arts, landing roles in "Ryan's Hope", and a TV movie with Blythe Danner. After graduation, she followed her older brothers to Hollywood, where she quickly found parts where she could draw from her roots: girls who were wayward and precocious.
This experience served her well in 1992, when all three major networks, for the first time ever, decided to face each other in direct competition over the story of Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco.
Drew Barrymore was the first choice of all, a real-life Lolita who felt a personal need to play the role. Next up was TV star Alyssa Milano, who already demonstrated a familiarity with Long Island in her show, "Who's the Boss", and was eager for a sexier image. However, to actually portray Amy's side of the story, a girl who saw herself as "the female James Dean", they needed an actress who could be both tough and tender.
Noëlle Parker had not even heard of Amy Fisher at this time, a story which got little coverage in Los Angeles while it was happening. Even though she worked regularly with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood,the nonfrivolous roles she looked for were hard to find,and she was waitressing in a Santa Monica restaurant when she auditioned for "Amy Fisher:My Story". To her, it was just another "Woman in Peril" TV movie. While auditioning, she read through her lines in a straight delivery, when the producer interrupted her: "Can't you do a New York accent?" "What are you kidding, I'm FROM New York!" she replied, and finished off in authentic Long Island-ese.
She told her friends she got the part in a movie about some girl in trouble called Amy Fisher, and they were shocked. "You mean THE Amy Fisher?" They couldn't believe she was playing one of the most talked about people in the country, and would go head to head with Drew Barrymore and Alyssa Milano!
There never was a three way competition, however. NBC trumped the other two networks by appearing a week in advance, the last week of 1992. "Amy Fisher: My Story", with no competition, became the highest rated TV movie of that year. Critics hailed Noëlle's portrayal as the most authentic of the three movies. The other two also garnered high ratings, yet despite this, all three stars found themselves out of work for a year, having been identified with the Networks' crass exploitation of what was regarded as a minor incident of no national importance.
Even though Noëlle went on to receive an emmy nomination for her part in "Different Worlds" an Afterschool special about race relations, she found herself back looking for work in small projects. A few years later, NBC called back. They wanted to reintroduce a character on their nighttime drama, "Sisters", the troubled daughter of one of the sisters, formerly played by Ashley Judd. Noelle brought a new interpretation to the role, and a liveliness that was infectious, prompting the show's executive producer to describe her as "a terrific actress with charm you don't see a lot of. She's really inspired the show's writers to write for her. She's a little dynamo!"
"Sisters" ended a year later when star Sela Ward announced she was leaving. Noëlle went on to appear opposite Michelle Pfeiffer's sister, DeeDee, & Charlotte Ross (currently on "NYPD Blue"), in "A Kiss So Deadly", a TV movie for NBC. She played against type, a shy, hopeless romantic who falls prey for an older man. She has remained active since then, making appearances on television and movies. A unique actress, it will no doubt only be a matter of time before another big project comes her way, but for now, take a tour through the colorful career of Ms. Parker.......
