He is also known for his role as Papa Pete in the CBBC children's programme Hank Zipzer (2014–2016) and as the voices of Lorenzo and Beppe in Thomas & Friends (2019–2021).
His television appearances include Rome, Dalziel and Pascoe, Dempsey and Makepeace, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Mr. Selfridge, EastEnders and Foyle's War.
[3] He played a crime boss in the Christopher Nolan superhero film The Dark Knight, featuring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.
In 2020, Nicoli appeared as the mobster known as Vincenzo Murgida in the Father Brown episode, "The Folly of Jephthah", which aired on 10 January 2020.
Nicoli's character Vincenzo Murgida is considered the most notorious Italian mobster who wants Hercule Flambeau (John Light) to choose his fate.