While still a student at the company's school in Copenhagen, she danced with the Royal Danish Ballet,[2] debuted as a solo ballerina on the National Theatre in 1922.

In early 1924, she came as a member of a Danish ballet troupe to New York, where she was soon hired to do a larger dance number for George S. Kaufman in the musical Beggar on Horseback.

Among her other films were Lost: A Wife, The King on Main Street, The Love Thief, Ambassador Bill, The Lucky Lady, and Honours Easy.

Nissen was cast as Helen, the female lead in Hell's Angels, originally conceived as a silent film.

Director Howard Hughes incorporated the new technology into the half-finished film, but Nissen became a casualty of the new sound age, due to her pronounced Norwegian accent.

A 1925 New York Times review[12] of the silent film A Norwegian Actress described Nissen as follows:She was graceful in her movements and expressions, with a constantly changing gaze.

Mordaunt Hall commented on her acting, saying, "Miss Nissen gives a sincere and earnest portrayal, always obtaining excellent results with an originality rarely beheld on the screen".