Dragan Nikolić studied at Dramatic Arts Academy in Belgrade. In 1967 he starred in classic film Kad budem mrtav i beo, which was the beginning of a prolific career that lasts to this day. Dragan Nikolić has since appeared in many films of different genres and portrayed various characters, becoming one of the most iconic and recognizable actors in Serbian cinema.

Of all of his roles arguably the best known is Prle, wisecracking World War II resistance fighter whom he portrayed in cult 1970s TV series Otpisani and Povratak otpisanih.His wife is the popular Serbian actress, Milena Dravić with whom he co-hosted popular 1970s TV variety show "Obraz uz obraz".
Filmography:

Kad budem mrtav i beo (1967), Tri sata za ljubav (1968), Horoskop (1969), Bube u glavi (1970), Mlad i zdrav kao ruža (1971), Poslednja stanica (1971), Uloga moje porodice u svjetskoj revoluciji' (1971),  Otpisani (1974), Kičma (1975), Devojački most (1976), Povratak otpisanih (1976), Tren (1978), Nacionalna klasa (1979), Ko to tamo peva (1980), The Falcon (1981), Lov u mutnom (1981), Neka druga žena (1981), Sezona mira u Parizu (1981), Idemo dalje (1982), Nešto izmedju (1983), Balkan Express (1983), Čudo neviđeno (1984), Groznica ljubavi (1984), Život je lep (1985), Miss (1986), Obećana zemlja (198), Protestni album (1986), Lutalica (1987), Čavka (1988), Migrations (1988), Happy End (1989), skušavanje đavola (1989), Poslednji krug u Monci (1989), The Meeting Point (1989), Original falsifikata (1991), Tito i ja (1992), Velika frka (1992), Tri karte za Holivud (1993), Biće bolje (1994), Ni na nebu ni na zemlji (1994), Seobe (1994), Podzemlje (Underground) (1995), Urnebesna tragedija (1995), Cabaret Balkan (1998), Belo odelo (1998) The Dagger (1999), Ona voli Zvezdu (2001), Virtualna stvarnost (2001), Zona Zamfirova (2002), Noć uz video (2002),  Lavirint (2002), Pljačka Trećeg rajha (2004),  I Have Something Important to Tell You (2005), Ivkova slava (2005), Zvezde ljubavi (2005), Potera za Sreć(k)om (2005), Šejtanov ratnik (2006), Crni Gruja i kamen mudrosti (2007), S. O. S - Spasite naše duše (2007), Promeni me (2007), Na lepom plavom Dunavu (2007), Selo gori, a baba se češlja (2007–2010), Četvrti čovek (2008), The Tour (2008), St. George Shoots the Dragon (2009), Zona mrtvih (2009), 72 Days (2010)