Cox was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Meredith and Terry Cox, who is a personal manager. She has one brother, Matthew Cox, who is also an actor. Cox's career as an entertainer started at the age of four, as she appeared as a dancer in several ballet productions and TV specials. She began acting at the age of ten, making appearances in several movies and guest starring on shows such as Baywatch, Webster, California Dreams, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Blossom. She also starred in General Hospital from 1993 to 1995. She apparently appeared in the Badder section of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.

Her appearances on various TV shows would lead to her first prime-time starring role as Tiffany Malloy on the sitcom Unhappily Ever After, which ran on the WB 1995–1999.

After Unhappily left the airwaves, she would portray former prostitute Taylor Clayton on the sitcom The Norm Show and star as Nikki White in Nikki, a sitcom vehicle that would last for le