Biography
Nicola Coppock was born in Rotterdam, Holland, on April 16, 1978. At that time, her parents had relocated there from Jarrow in the North East of England for work. They returned to Jarrow less than two years later, which became the place where Nicola was raised. The Geordie accent altered the pronunciation of Nicola, and she soon became Nikki, as her mother felt it no longer sounded exotic.
At age four, Nikki's parents separated, and she stayed with her mother and her new partner, who became a fun stepfather. She also gained a stepbrother with whom she got along well. Throughout her childhood, Nikki moved between the countryside, farmhouses, and cities but was always drawn back to her small hometown of Jarrow.
Nikki had a strong passion for film and drama, enjoying performances in local youth theatres. Her first teacher, Michael McNally, had connections to TV productions and helped some of Nikki’s peers land roles in Byker Grove and The Bill. Nikki loved drama and also tried dancing and singing; however, she needed a lot of work in dance, and her singing was less fortunate for those around her.
In 2000, Nikki married her teenage sweetheart, Paul, a popular local DJ. Despite her burning ambition to become an actress, her parents and peers encouraged her to pursue a practical career, so in 2001 she joined the police force. She spent much of her service working in Safeguarding, supporting children and vulnerable adults. Nikki gave birth to her son Lewis in 2004 and her daughter Katie in 2006.
Katie shared her mother’s passion for drama, often performing in theatre shows with comedic roles that showcased her quirky sense of humor. In 2018, Katie signed with model agencies in London and also joined a local agency, NE14.TV, to pursue local work. Nikki saw this as a wonderful opportunity for her daughter, something she wished she had done as a child. When Katie asked her mother to join the agency as well, Nikki, thinking she was too old, reluctantly set up a profile—and never looked back.
Nikki’s first role came in March 2018 in the period drama Frontier alongside Jason Momoa and other A-list stars. This sparked her ambition for drama and media, leading to many walk-on roles in productions such as Vera (as a prison officer in series 9 and then a regular PC in series 10), The Bay, and The A Word.
She appeared in cinemas in the Moving On Tyne and Wear advert and became the face of a campaign supporting people returning to work, featuring in posters, promotions, billboards, and on their website. This was only her second role but opened many doors thanks to her bright smile and natural charisma.
Nikki has been cast in main character roles such as Margaret, a mother in series 4 of CAE Education videos, appearing in all episodes in 2019. She starred in adverts for SPSC Security as the main character’s wife, for Barratt Homes as a customer buying a house, and for Octa Support Pillow as a customer. She also appeared alongside Scarlett Moffatt in the Richmond Sausages TV commercial and in the M&S Christmas Food commercial in 2018.
Nikki was cast as the Traffic Warden in Ken Loach’s film Sorry We Missed You, released on November 1, 2019.
Her most recent work, currently in production in 2019, is the role of Mother, the leader of a demonic cult in the web series tentatively titled The Cult. Nikki is excited about this role—a psychotic, cold woman in charge who is unafraid to get her hands dirty.
Nikki looks forward to what the future holds and lives by her motto: "Better Late Than Never.
