Heroes Character Niki Sanders

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The character of Niki Sanders is often listed this way:

Niki/Jessica Sanders

This is because Jessica has had almost as much airtime as Niki Sanders! Jessica is part of Niki.

Whoops - no, that's not quite right.

Jessica - WAS - Niki's sister. Jessica is dead. She died a LONG TIME AGO!

Jessica and Niki had a really rough life. Their father was an alcoholic and there was a little 'accident' back in the past. A little drunken, anger management 'accident' with their father. Jessica was choked to death...by someone - only Niki can't remember. Daddy took off, so nothing was explained to Niki afterward...or was it - or was she there - did she see it?

Niki just doesn't know.

All she knows is that her sister died and her dad took off!

The experience from childhood, including the death of her sister, has been too traumatic for Niki to deal with - so she has blocked it out.

Obviously, the experience, blocked or not, has affected Niki right up into adulthood.

In short, Niki has a lot of problems. Currently on the Heroes series, Niki is clean and sober, but she's had some awful struggles with alcoholism in the past.

The April 24 (2006), Niki attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to honor her first total year of sobriety.

*whew* Well, it's a good thing that Niki doesn't drink anymore because she's got her son, Micah Sanders to look after, her husband D.L. Hawkins has been in jail on charges of theft and murder, her mental health is questionable, and her old, alcoholic lifestyle still has loansharks on her tail!

For more Heroes information (including video links for missed or past episodes) visit:

Heroes TV Episodes and Commentary blog
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Some bits about Ali Larter

* Born February 28, 1976
* Full Name: Alison Elizabeth Larter
* Ali is an American, born, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA
* Mother: Homemaker, Father: Trucking Executive
* Attended Cherry Hill High School West
* Ali is a former model
* Ali took interest in modelling, age 13, and began actually modelling by age 14
* First modelling contract, with Ford Motors, which allowed her to travel extensively at a young age
* Settled in Japan for a abuot a year by age 17
* 1995 (age 18), Ali relocated to LA California, and began taking acting classes
* Has also lived in Miami and New York
* Settled back in LA to dedicate her time to HEROES

Films:

* Varsity Blues
* Final Destination I (2000) & II (2003) ('final girl' Clear Rivers)
* (Teen Comedies) Giving It Up, Drive Me Crazy
* (Horror remake) House On Haunted Hill
* (Comedy) Legally Blonde
* (Western) American Outlaws
* Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
* Confess
* A Lot Like Love
* Crazy

Stage Play: The Vagina Monologues (New York City 2001)

*(2007) Bollywood Marigold (as title character)
* Resident Evil: Extinction (as Claire Redfield)

This is, by no means, a 'comprehensive' list of Ali Larter's appearances, but it will give you an idea of where to start looking for her in full-length movies!





For more Heroes information (including video links for missed or past episodes) visit:

Heroes TV Episodes and Commentary blog
(opens in new window)

Writers have made Niki Sanders one of the most complex personas on the show. Niki is not just Niki Sanders...she has an alter-ego, Jessica who is a very aggressive (if not violent!) personality.

Jessica commits murder and creates chaos while Niki just wants to live a quiet, peaceful life with her son, Micah...(and, at one time, her husband, D.L. Hawkins).

Appearances by Jessica occur in nearly every episode that viewers see Niki. Jessica is never absent, it seems, and this causes Niki a lot of confusion and strife.

Writers have made very GOOD USE of this character - in the way that OTHER characters deal with her (Niki) as well as her alter-ego (Jessica). For instance, both her son and husband treat both Niki and Jessica in humane ways, understanding that Niki has some issues and that Jessica is NOT 'mom' or 'wife.' This is interesting because Heroes is a TOP NOTCH, highly visible show...and it incorporates an actual MENTAL ILLNESS into one of it's most visible leading characters, Niki Sanders.

* Also a character who is meant to be viewed as a HERO!

What is Tim Kring, creator of this show, trying to say?

Is Tim saying that WE ARE ALL HEROES, despite flaws?
Is Tim saying that flaws can create Heroes?

Whatever he's saying is POWERFUL and multi-faceted, I'm sure.