Beauty and the bugs

Nikki Cox hoofs it, big time, in 'Nikki'

Nikki Cox puts her years of dance training to use in the new WB sitcom that bears her name

October 6, 2000
Web posted at: 1:16 p.m. EDT (1716 GMT)

By Gloria Hillard
CNN Correspondent

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- In the chorus line of high-kicking cockroaches, one particular leggy dancer stands out -- no small accomplishment, since she's clad in a Styrofoam bug body.

But not even a bulbous body can hide the fact that Nikki Cox has that long, Las Vegas showgirl look. Now, if only she can hit the big time.

That's the premise of "Nikki," the new WB show about a Vegas showgirl living her dream to be a professional dancer. But the dream, her character knows, could stand some embellishment: She's dancing in one of those "off the strip," low-rent casinos where performers find themselves competing for marquee space with the joint's breakfast buffet special.

AUDIO Nikki Cox comparing a dancer's life with an actor's ... 192KWAV sound     SCHEDULE 'Nikki' premieres Sunday, October 8 at 9:30 p.m. ET on WB Network

The role seems custom-made for the former star of WB's "Unhappily Ever After." A Hollywood agent discovered Cox while she was attending dance class, and the actress sees the resemblance between the series and her life.

"The character is a lot more like me than anything I've ever played," Cox said.

The California native says she started dancing at the age of 4; by 9, she was dancing professionally. At 14, she gave up dance for acting, but returned to hoofing when WB offered her the showgirl series.

"(I)t's been hard getting my butt back in shape," said Cox, 22. "We did an episode last week about the auditioning process, which is brutal. It brought back some not-too-great memories."

The actress recently took time out between rehearsals to talk to CNN about dancing, bug costumes and the pressures of a show that bears your name.

Nikki Cox plays an aspiring dancer in "Nikki," but instead of making it on the Vegas stage, she takes a job as a disco-dancing cockroach

CNN: Talk to us about a dancer's life.

Nikki Cox: It's incredibly tough. There's not much glory and your career is over by the time you're 30. It's rough and I didn't have the strength it took to be a professional dancer.

A lot of it is good, old-fashioned chorus line: standing in a row, doing your combination. … Its rough, it's real rough. It's not like an acting audition, when you go in on your own. When you're dancing, you fall in front of 50 people.

CNN: Dancing takes center stage in this romantic comedy. Is this a resurgence of dance on the small screen?

Cox: Bruce Helford, our creator, has been a great supporter of bringing dance back to television. He did "The Drew Carey Show" and they've had huge spectacular dance numbers, so he's always been trying to bring that back and give work to dancers.

CNN: Just who is your character?

Cox: She's a young gal who has trained all her life to be a dancer. I think, eventually, she wants to go to Broadway or music videos. In the meantime, she is stuck here.

CNN: How true is that for young dancers today?

Cox: Unfortunately, that's what most people do. There are too many folks looking for too few jobs, so they wind up working in the outskirts.

CNN: Are you feeling any extra pressure because this show bears your name?

Cox: Of course, of course -- not so much (pressure) put on by others; more self-imposed. It's nerve-wracking and flattering and exciting and a whole jumble of things.

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WB: Nikki

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