# Molly McCook
**Molly McCook** is an American actress best known for playing Mandy Baxter on the family sitcom *[Last Man Standing](https://www.edgepedia.org/last-man-standing-american-tv-series)*, a role she took over in 2018 when the series moved to Fox for its seventh season and played through the show's final season in 2021.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/) • [2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/) Born in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, she comes from an acting family: her father is [John McCook](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-mccook) of *The Bold and the Beautiful* and her mother is Laurette Spang of *Battlestar Galactica* and *Happy Days*.[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, Los Angeles, California, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/) |
| Signature role | Mandy Baxter on *Last Man Standing*, 2018–2021, 64 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/) |
| Recasting | Replaced original portrayer Molly Ephraim when the revived series moved to Fox for season 7[3](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/last-man-standing-mandy-recast-molly-mccook-season-7-fox-970718/) |
| Parents | John McCook (*The Bold and the Beautiful*) and Laurette Spang (*Battlestar Galactica*, *Happy Days*)[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/) |
| Film work | *Excision* (2012) and *Trash Fire* (2016), both Sundance premieres; *Excision* is her highest-rated film at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/molly_mccook) |
| Stage | Originated the role of Annette Hargrove in *Cruel Intentions: The Musical* in Los Angeles[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/) |
| Spouse | Actor John Krause, married September 7, 2019[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/) |
## Taking over Mandy Baxter on Last Man Standing
McCook joined *Last Man Standing* in 2018, when the canceled ABC sitcom was revived on Fox for its seventh season. The role of Mandy Baxter, the middle daughter of Mike and Vanessa Baxter, had been played by [Molly Ephraim](https://www.edgepedia.org/molly-ephraim) for the first six seasons. Executive producer [Matt Berry](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-berry) explained at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that Ephraim had committed to other projects during the cancellation and was not able to return; he said the production wanted someone to "come in and play Mandy," not to imitate Ephraim.[3](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/last-man-standing-mandy-recast-molly-mccook-season-7-fox-970718/)
The producers kept the character's continuity rather than rewriting her history or introducing McCook as a different Baxter daughter; the show occasionally acknowledged the change humorously but offered no in-story explanation for the new actress.[5](https://growbusinessmag.com/molly-mccook-biography-career-movies-tv-shows/) McCook played the role for the show's final three seasons, appearing in 64 episodes between 2018 and 2021.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/) A 2018 profile in *Flaunt* described her transition into the part as seamless, noting that recasting a established character is a task many actors have failed at, and credited her with silencing critics of the switch.[6](https://www.flaunt.com/blog/molly-mccook)
## Television and film career
McCook's early television work consisted largely of single-episode guest parts: Emily J. on *Monk*, Stacy on *10 Things I Hate About You*, a sophomore singer on *Glee*, a bridesmaid on *Modern Family*, and roles on *Hot in Cleveland*, *Glory Daze*, *Free Agents*, and *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*[7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/molly-mccook/) She also had a recurring part as Margot on *The Bold and the Beautiful*, her father's long-running series.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/)
Her film career includes two [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival) premieres: Richard Bates Jr.'s *[Excision](https://www.edgepedia.org/excision-film)* (2012), in which she played Natalie, and his *Trash Fire* (2016).[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/) On Rotten Tomatoes, *Excision* stands as her highest-rated film at 85 percent with critics, while *10 Rules for Sleeping Around* (2013) is her lowest at 0 percent.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/molly_mccook) She played Darlene in five episodes of Netflix's *The Ranch* (2016–2018) and Rebecca in six episodes of Freeform's *Good Trouble* (2019).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/)
After *Last Man Standing* ended, she starred as Molly Gallant in the 2021 Discovery Plus and [Food Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/food-network) holiday film *Candy Coated Christmas*, appearing alongside her father John McCook.[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/) • [8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/molly-mccook/) In 2023 she recurred as Charlotte on ABC's *Not Dead Yet* and starred as Taylor in the romantic comedy *Maybe It's You*, later released on Peacock.[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/)
## Stage work
On stage, McCook starred in *Cruel Intentions: The Musical* in Los Angeles, originating the role of Annette Hargrove, which [Reese Witherspoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/reese-witherspoon) played in the 1999 film. The musical ran sold-out for four months, and a highlight came when Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and [Selma Blair](https://www.edgepedia.org/selma-blair) attended together; news of the reunion trended online and led to a cast appearance on *Entertainment Tonight*, where McCook performed the song "Torn."[2](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/) She has also sung on screen, performing "Daydream Believer" on *Glee* in 2010 and holiday numbers on *Last Man Standing* and in *Candy Coated Christmas*, all uncredited soundtrack appearances.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/)
## Personal life
McCook married actor John Krause on September 7, 2019.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/) She stands 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/) In interviews she has credited her parents with inspiring her career, saying she would have pursued acting regardless because it is her passion.[6](https://www.flaunt.com/blog/molly-mccook)
## References
1. [Molly McCook, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2337445/)
2. [Home, Molly McCook official site](https://www.mollymccookactor.com/)
3. [Last Man Standing's Mandy Recast: Molly McCook Replaces Molly Ephraim, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/last-man-standing-mandy-recast-molly-mccook-season-7-fox-970718/)
4. [Molly McCook Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/molly_mccook)
5. [Molly McCook: Biography, Career, Movies, TV Shows & Facts, Grow Business Magazine](https://growbusinessmag.com/molly-mccook-biography-career-movies-tv-shows/)
6. [Molly McCook, Flaunt](https://www.flaunt.com/blog/molly-mccook)
7. [Molly McCook, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/molly-mccook/)
8. [Molly McCook, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/molly-mccook/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Mc to Mi*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license