# Nikki Cox
**Nikki Cox** (Nicole Avery Cox, born 1978) is an American actress, dancer, and comedy writer best known for playing Tiffany Malloy on the WB sitcom *Unhappily Ever After* (1995–2000) and Mary Connell on the NBC drama *Las Vegas* (2003–2007). She also headlined her own WB sitcom, *Nikki*, from 2000 to 2002, and later worked as a writer and producer on the Grammy-nominated comedy album *Happy. And A Lot.* by her then-husband [Jay Mohr](https://www.edgepedia.org/jay-mohr).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) • [2](https://www.who2.com/bio/nikki-cox/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / birth | Nicole Avery Cox, born 1978 in Los Angeles, California; birth name listed as Nicole Avery Cox[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/) |
| Breakout role | Tiffany Malloy, *Unhappily Ever After* (The WB, 1995–2000), canceled after 100 episodes[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) |
| Eponymous sitcom | Title role of *Nikki* (The WB, 2000–2002), canceled before every episode was aired; 41 episodes[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/) |
| Drama lead | Mary Connell on *Las Vegas* (NBC, 2003–2007), 88 episodes across four of the show's five seasons[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/) |
| Early career | Professional debut as a dancer in *Mac and Me* (1988); first speaking part at age 10 on *Mama's Family*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/) |
| Writing/producing | Writer and executive producer of *Jay Mohr: Happy. And A Lot.* (2015), nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nikki-cox/credits/3000054771/) • [2](https://www.who2.com/bio/nikki-cox/) |
| Marriage | Married comedian Jay Mohr on December 29, 2006; divorced August 14, 2018; one son, Mac Mohr[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/) |
## Early life and dance training
Cox grew up in the Los Angeles area with an interest in show business from age four.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/) Her parents tried to steer her away from acting by enrolling her in dance lessons, but the plan had the opposite effect: a dance agent visited the studio where she trained and asked whether she wanted to dance professionally, and that work led into acting.[6](https://www.tvguide.com/news/nikki-kicks-heels-37576/)
**Dancing came first.** Her professional screen debut was as a dancer in the comedy film *[Mac and Me](https://www.edgepedia.org/mac-and-me)* (1988), and her early dance credits included [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson)'s *Moonwalker* (1988), a Los Angeles Music Center Ballet Tour, the Joffrey Ballet, Paula Abdul's video "Forever Your Girl," the MTV Awards, and *The Arsenio Hall Show*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/) Encyclopedia.com's career profile also lists a stage appearance in a Joffrey Ballet production of *Romeo and Juliet*.[7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/cox-nikki-1978)
Her first speaking part came at age 10 in a guest role on the sitcom *Mama's Family*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/) Through the late 1980s and early 1990s she accumulated one-off television roles on *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (as Sarjenka in the episode "Pen Pals"), *Night Court*, *Murphy Brown*, *Baywatch*, *Eerie, Indiana*, and *Boy Meets World*, and had starring roles in the television movies *The Ryan White Story* (1989) and *The Presence* (1992).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/) • [7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/cox-nikki-1978) A 1993 [Young Artist Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-artist-award) nomination for best young actress guest-starring in a television series recognized her *Baywatch* appearance.[7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/cox-nikki-1978) She also appeared in a small role in the 1991 theatrical hit *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* and, from 1993 to 1995, played Gina Cates on the ABC soap *General Hospital*.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) • [7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/cox-nikki-1978)
The workload as a child performer led her to leave Santa Monica's parochial school after the eighth grade; she earned a high-school diploma at 16 working with tutors on set.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/)
## Unhappily Ever After
Cox's breakthrough came in 1995, when she was cast as middle child Tiffany Malloy on *Unhappily Ever After*, a The WB sitcom about the Malloy family, headed by a father who discusses his problems with a talking stuffed rabbit named Mr. Floppy (voiced by [Bobcat Goldthwait](https://www.edgepedia.org/bobcat-goldthwait)).[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/unhappily_ever_after/s01) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) The show ran for five seasons and 100 episodes, and Cox described it as deliberately absurd: "It was a cartoon, it was slapstick. It was just sheer silliness, but it was a blessing because it got me where I am."[9](https://archive.timesleader.com/article/992183/cox-having-another-hit-on-her-hands-for-the-wb-network) A 2000 newspaper profile credited her five-year run on the show with establishing her as one of television's budding young comedic actors, and noted that syndication success kept the series part of her working life afterward.[9](https://archive.timesleader.com/article/992183/cox-having-another-hit-on-her-hands-for-the-wb-network)
She met two of her subsequent long-term partners on this set: Kevin Connolly, who played her brother Ryan and whom she dated from 1995 to 1998, and Bobcat Goldthwait, with whom she later had a long-term relationship.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/)
## Norm and Nikki
Between her WB sitcoms, Cox joined the cast of the ABC comedy *The Norm Show* (also known as *Norm*) as Taylor Clayton, appearing in 27 episodes from 1999 to 2001.[7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/cox-nikki-1978) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/)
**Her own show.** *Nikki* (The WB, 2000–2002) was designed around Cox's own star power after *Unhappily Ever After* ended.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) She played Nikki White, one of a pair of newlyweds (with Nick von Esmarch) pursuing career dreams as a Las Vegas showgirl and a professional wrestler, respectively.[9](https://archive.timesleader.com/article/992183/cox-having-another-hit-on-her-hands-for-the-wb-network) Cox told a Times Leader interviewer at launch that "the concept is definitely broad and strange," and the trade press gave the premiere generally favorable marks, with a Metacritic critics' score of 53 and positive notices from Newsday and the Los Angeles Times.[9](https://archive.timesleader.com/article/992183/cox-having-another-hit-on-her-hands-for-the-wb-network) • [10](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/nikki/critic-reviews/) The show ran two seasons and 41 episodes, but it was canceled before every produced episode aired.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/) Cox later said the title bothered her: she had thought the show was about a married couple, and recalled her reaction when producers decided to name it after her character.[11](https://www.tvguide.com/news/nikki-cox-dishes-41215/)
## Las Vegas
After her sitcom vehicle ended, Cox moved into drama as Mary Connell on *[Las Vegas](https://www.edgepedia.org/las-vegas-tv-series)* (NBC, 2003–2008), a series about a casino surveillance team created by [Gary Scott Thompson](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-scott-thompson).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) • [12](https://travelnevada.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mar-Apr-2004-1.pdf) She appeared in 88 episodes from 2003 to 2007, spanning four of the show's five seasons.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) For Cox the role marked the first time she had taken on a starring role in a drama series, after being known mainly as a comedic actress.[13](https://digital.opal-libraries.org/digital/api/collection/p16708coll1/id/2425/download)
The character changed early in production. In the pilot script, Cox said, Mary was written as an escort with "the proverbial heart of gold"; by the first episode the network had recast her as a special-events planner, a switch Cox accepted even though she admitted missing the grittier version of the role.[11](https://www.tvguide.com/news/nikki-cox-dishes-41215/) [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) reported in 2007 that the decision to write out both [James Caan](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-caan) and Cox before the fifth season came late enough that the season-four finale had been designed to persuade NBC to continue the series.[14](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nikki-cox/3000054771/)
It was on this set that she met comedian and actor Jay Mohr, a *Las Vegas* guest star whom she married.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/)
## Later work, writing, and life away from acting
For the rest of the 2000s Cox worked mainly in guest and supporting roles: she appeared on *Ghost Whisperer* (2008), voiced [Silver Sable](https://www.edgepedia.org/silver-sable) and Sable Manfredi on the animated *[The Spectacular Spider-Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-spectacular-spider-man-tv-series)* (2008–2009), and appeared in the film *Lonely Street* (2009).[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/) Her last screen acting credit is the 2011 television movie *A Christmas Wedding Tail*, in which she voiced Cheri.[15](https://celebzune.com/nikki-cox/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/)
Her professional activity after that was behind the scenes with Mohr. TV Guide credits her as screenwriter and executive producer of *Jay Mohr: Happy. And A Lot.* (2015), a comedy special; Who2 records that the comedy album built from the special received a 2016 Grammy Award nomination for Best Comedy Album with Cox as its writer.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nikki-cox/credits/3000054771/) • [2](https://www.who2.com/bio/nikki-cox/) [Reference](https://www.edgepedia.org/reference) filmographies otherwise list no verified screen projects after 2011, and no formal retirement announcement, so her public profile has simply been much lower since the late 2000s.[15](https://celebzune.com/nikki-cox/)
Cox married Jay Mohr on December 29, 2006, in Los Angeles, having met him on the *Las Vegas* set; their son Meredith Daniel Mohr was born in 2011, weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces, and the couple's divorce was finalized on August 14, 2018, after a protracted court case.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/) • [14](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nikki-cox/3000054771/) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/) In a 2006 interview during their engagement, she noted that Mohr had proposed the same night she appeared on the cover of *InStyle Weddings*.[11](https://www.tvguide.com/news/nikki-cox-dishes-41215/)
## References
1. [Nikki Cox - Actress, Dancer, Writer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nikki-cox/)
2. [Nikki Cox Biography, Who2](https://www.who2.com/bio/nikki-cox/)
3. [Nikki Cox - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/bio/)
4. [Nikki Cox, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185178/)
5. [Nikki Cox List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nikki-cox/credits/3000054771/)
6. [Nikki Kicks Up Her Heels, TV Guide (October 6, 2000)](https://www.tvguide.com/news/nikki-kicks-heels-37576/)
7. [Cox, Nikki 1978–, Encyclopedia.com (Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/cox-nikki-1978)
8. [Unhappily Ever After: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/unhappily_ever_after/s01)
9. [Cox Having Another Hit On Her Hands For The WB Network, Times Leader (November 9, 2000)](https://archive.timesleader.com/article/992183/cox-having-another-hit-on-her-hands-for-the-wb-network)
10. [Nikki critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/nikki/critic-reviews/)
11. [Nikki Cox Dishes on Las Vegas and Mohr!, TV Guide (March 24, 2006)](https://www.tvguide.com/news/nikki-cox-dishes-41215/)
12. [Stars Reveal Their Vegas 'Faves', Nevada Almanac (March–April 2004), Travel Nevada](https://travelnevada.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mar-Apr-2004-1.pdf)
13. [Las Vegas' Nikki Cox: As Content As One Can Be, student newspaper feature (February 16, 2005)](https://digital.opal-libraries.org/digital/api/collection/p16708coll1/id/2425/download)
14. [Nikki Cox, TV Guide profile and news](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nikki-cox/3000054771/)
15. [Nikki Cox Biography: How the Actress Built a Successful TV Career and Stepped Away From the Spotlight, Celebzune](https://celebzune.com/nikki-cox/)
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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: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Co to C*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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