Niki Sanders

Niki Sanders
Heroes character
Ali Larter as Niki Sanders
First appearance"Genesis"
Last appearance"Powerless" (alive); "One of Us, One of Them" (corpse)
Portrayed byAli Larter
In-universe information
AliasJessica
Gina
FamilyHal Sanders (adoptive father)
Jessica Sanders (adoptive sister)
Tracy Strauss (sister)
Barbara Zimmerman (sister)
SpouseD. L. Hawkins (husband)
ChildrenMicah Sanders (son)
AbilitySuperhuman Strength[1]
Real nameNicole Sanders
Status(Deceased)

Nicole Sanders is a fictional character portrayed by Ali Larter in the television series Heroes. Niki is the wife of D. L. Hawkins (Leonard Roberts) and mother of Micah Sanders (Noah Gray-Cabey). Niki, a sufferer of dissociative identity disorder, displays superhuman strength. Initially, she is able to access this power only when her alter ego "Jessica" is in control.

Tim Kring, the creator of the show, stated that he created Niki with the power to be in two places at once, which stems from her life as a single mother.[2] Niki was also written to be a showgirl. However, Ali Larter did not fit their original vision of a showgirl, so the character's profession was changed to internet stripper.[3] According to writers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite, Niki was written out of the series and replaced with Tracy Strauss so that Larter could play a different role, as they realised that they could not go further with the character. The change also allowed them to tell an origin story, where the character discovers that she has powers.[4]

  1. ^ Jensen, Jeff (2006-11-18). "Heroes: On the set of the hit that's saving the TV season". EW.com. p. 6. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
  2. ^ Standler (2007-02-07). "Heroes Execs discuss show's future, LOST, more". OgMog. Archived from the original on 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
  3. ^ Caylo, Mel (2007-01-20). "TV Q&A: Heroes-Jeff Loeb". Wizard Universe. p. 3. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
  4. ^ Pokaski, Joe; Coliete, Aron (October 6, 2008). "Behind the Eclipse: Week 2". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2008-11-04.