Nikola was named after his great-grandfather, who was an protoiereus in Mostar. He made his acting debut before he turned 13, with the role of the boy Ivan in the 1980 film "Rad na određeno vreme". During the 1980s, he played notable roles in the film "Igmanski marš" (1983), the TV series "Sivi Dom" (1986), and one of the main roles in three sequels of the very popular film series Foolish Years, which profiled him as one of the most famous actors of the younger generation in the former Yugoslavia.

In 1992, he played the main role in Srđan Dragojević's film "Mi nismo anđeli" (We're Not Angels), for which he remains notable. He starred again in the 2005 sequel Mi nismo anđeli 2.