Childhood & Early Life
Nikki Cox was born Nicole Avery Cox on June 2, 1978, in Los Angeles, California, USA, to Terry Kay Cox and Meredith Avery Cox. When she was four years old, Cox made several appearances as a dancer in TV specials and ballets.
At the age of 10, she appeared in Michael Jackson’s experimental anthology musical film ‘Moonwalker.’ She then started appearing in television films and series and eventually dropped out of ‘St Monica's Parochial School’ to focus on her acting career. She received her high school diploma when she was 16 years old with the help of tutors.
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Career
Nikki Cox made her acting debut in 1987 when she played Little Iola Boyland in one of the episodes of American television sitcom ‘Mama’s Family.’ In 1988, she appeared as a dancer in films, such as ‘Moonwalker’ and ‘Mac and Me.’
Cox was cast in many projects throughout the late-80s and early-90s. In 1989, she played Andrea White in ‘The Ryan White Story’ and then played Sarjenka in the famous science fiction TV series ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation.’ In 1990, she played Carrie Lewis in a television film titled ‘A Family for Joe’ and also portrayed Toni in ‘NBC’ network’s television sitcom ‘Night Court.’
In 1991, she appeared in series, such as ‘Baywatch,’ ‘Eerie, Indiana,’ and ‘Murphy Brown.’ In the same year, she played a minor role in the James Cameron-directed science-fiction action film ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day.’
From 1992 to 1993, she appeared in four television sitcoms, namely ‘Davis Rules,’ ‘Blossom,’ ‘The Nanny,’ and ‘Boy Meets World.’ She also appeared in a couple of TV films titled ‘Danger Island’ and ‘Bloodlines: Murder in the Family.’
Cox received her breakthrough role in 1995 when she was cast to play Tiffany Malloy in ‘Unhappily Ever After.’ She played the role from 1995 to 1999, appearing in 100 episodes. In 1996, she played Kellie in a television film titled ‘She Cried No’ and also played Millie in the John Gray-directed action film ‘The Glimmer Man.’
She made an appearance in the television variety show ‘Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular’ in 1998. In the same year, she was also seen in sitcoms, such as ‘The Steve Harvey Show’ and ‘The Drew Carey Show.’
From 1999 to 2007, Cox played prominent roles in three television series. In 1999, she was cast to play Taylor Clayton in the ‘ABC’ network’s sitcom ‘The Norm Show.’ She played the role of Clayton from 1999 to 2001, appearing in 27 episodes. From 2000 to 2002, she played the title role in the television sitcom ‘Nikki.’ In 2003, she was roped in to play Mary Connell in the ‘NBC’ television series ‘Las Vegas.’ She played the role from 2003 to 2007, appearing in 87 episodes.
Meanwhile, she played minor roles in films, such as ‘Nutty Professor II: The Klumps’ (2000), ‘Don's Plum’ (2001), and ‘Run Ronnie Run’ (2002). In 2006, she became part of the main cast of a TV sitcom titled ‘The Jake Effect.’ Although the series was originally meant to be aired by ‘NBC,’ the television network canceled the series without airing even a single episode. Subsequently, ‘Bravo’ TV network aired six of the seven episodes in its ‘Brilliant But Cancelled’ segment.
In 2007, she played Crystal Stump in a television film titled ‘Fugly.’ In 2008, she played Nina Haley in one of the episodes of American supernatural television series ‘Ghost Whisperer.’ The following year, she played Bambi in the Peter Ettinger-directed comedy-thriller film ‘Lonely Street.’ She also voiced a character named Silver Sable in the animated television series ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man.’
Cox has collaborated with Jay Mohr on many projects. She produced Jay Mohr’s radio show ‘Jay Mohr Sports’ and also helped produce his podcast ‘Mohr Stories.’ She also worked as a writer for a documentary film titled ‘Jay Mohr: Happy. And a Lot.’ In 2016, she was nominated for the ‘Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album’ for her work in the documentary film.
Family & Personal Life
Nikki Cox’s mother Terry Kay Cox worked as her personal manager during the initial days of her career. Nikki Cox is the older sister of actor Matthew Cox who appeared alongside his sister in a couple of episodes of ‘Unhappily Ever After.’
Cox met Kevin Connolly on the sets of ‘Unhappily Ever After’ in which he played Ryan Malloy. Cox and Connolly dated for many years before going their separate ways. Subsequently, Cox started dating comedian, filmmaker, and actor Bobcat Goldthwait who is 16 years her senior. Cox and Goldthwait broke up in 2005 after which she started dating actor, comedian, and radio host Jay Mohr whom she met on the sets of ‘Las Vegas.’
Nikki Cox and Jay Mohr got married on December 29, 2006, in Los Angeles. Upon her marriage to Mohr, Cox became a stepmother to Jackson who was born from Mohr’s previous marriage with former model Nicole Chamberlain. In December 2008, Jay Mohr decided to add Nikki’s last name into his name and legally changed his name to Jon Ferguson Cox Mohr. On May 5, 2011, the couple was blessed with a son named Meredith Daniel Mohr. In 2017, Mohr confirmed that he and Cox have filed for divorce. Their divorce settlement was finalized in August 2018.
