Nicole Ari Parker-Kodjoe (born October 7, 1970), also known as Nikki Kodjoe, is an American actress and model. She is known for her role as Becky Barnett in the 1997 film Boogie Nights and as attorney Teri Joseph on the Showtime series Soul Food, which ran from 2000 to 2004. Additionally, Nicole co-starred on the short-lived UPN romantic comedy Second Time Around that lasted for one season and appeared in the 2008 film, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.
Parker was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the only child of her divorced parents, health care professional Susan Parker and dentist Donald Parker. After briefly attending the Montessori School, Parker entered Roland Park Country School where she stayed through high school. At the age of 17, she won Best Actress in the state of Maryland's high school competition and then moved to The Washington Ballet Company before applying to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated with an acting degree in 1993.