In Conversation With US Actress Marisol Nichols On Her TV Return In Riverdale

Three-time ALMA Award nominee, Chicago-born Latina bombshell Marisol Nichols is set to make her prime time television return in the highly addictive new series Riverdale (SUNDAYS, 9pm), the CW’s subversive take on the Archie comic book series which was just picked up for a second season. Set in present time and described as a cross between Archie and Twin Peaks, Riverdale is dark, eerie, and circles around the lives of “Archie” (KJ Apa), “Betty” (Lili Reinhart), “Veronica” (Camila Mendes) and their friends and family, exploring the surrealism of small-town life – the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome façade.

Nichols plays “Hermione Lodge,” Veronica’s upscale mother who has now returned to Riverdale with her daughter, eager to start afresh following the scandalous incarceration of her husband and harboring dark secrets.
Nichols is no stranger to television, having a substantial resume that includes a lead role in the Darren Star-produced ABC comedy series GCB opposite Annie Potts, Kristin Chenoweth and Leslie Bibb and a lead role on Showtime’s groundbreaking series Resurrection Boulevard, where she received media attention and acclaim for her portrayal of troubled teen “Victoria Santiago.” Showing off her versatile acting skills Nichols next landed the role as Pakastani-American “Nadia Yassir,” commanding CTU in season six of 24. Most recently Nichols had a reoccurring arc on the fan-favorite MTV scripted drama Teen Wolf as the elusive and trained assassin “Desert Wolf” and on NCIS as “ATF Special Agent Zoe Keates.”

In addition to her work on screen, Nichols has been fighting for the rights of kids and women for over a decade as the founder of FOUNDATION FOR A SLAVERY FREE WORLD and spokesperson for YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL, non-profit organizations that fight modern slavery and human trafficking. For the third year in a row, Nichols hosted and produced “THE HUMAN RIGHTS HERO AWARDS” this past summer.

Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness catches up with Marisol Nichols on movies, TV and motivational tips.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You are all set to make your prime time television return in the highly addictive new series Riverdale. Introduce us to your character “Hermione Lodge” on the show.

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

Hermione is a complex character. She is fiercely protective of her daughter, Veronica Lodge, and struggles to give her the life that she deserves while juggling through her past and future. She is married to Hiram Lodge, who has been imprisoned in New York after embezzling millions. After having all the Lodge assists frozen and suffering through public humiliation in NY, Hermione chooses to take refuge with her daughter and start their life over again in Riverdale. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone anywhere near as smoothly as she hoped and as she tries to begin anew, she is forced to make decisions on behalf of her daughters wellbeing, her husband’s interests, and finally her own. She definitely struggles with all of it as the season goes on and we see her own calculating chess moves as she continues to protect her family. In addition she comes face to face with her old high school love, Fred Andrews played by Luke Perry. And as much as she tries to hide her feelings and then rekindle that relationship, her past and present with Hiram and the force that is Lodge industries, comes back to haunt her and she can’t turn away.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

How has your preparation been going while preparing for the character?

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

It’s been an interesting ride….I’ve researched different characters in forming Hermione. She’s a bit of a blend of Cate Blanchett in Carol in terms of her wealth and status, Claire from House of Cards for her ruthlessness in business, and my own instincts as a mother raising my little girl. She has had her twists and turns as the season goes on and changes that surprised even me as I read where my character was going and the choices she made. But I believe the core of her and what drives her stays true through all of it.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine that you may wish to share?

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

I have done almost everything so I know what works for my body. I know that HIIT, intensive training is the rage but for me, it doesn’t work. I respond to low weights, lots and lots of core exercises for strength as in Pilates and floor work, and then simple walking for 40 minutes with stretching, 3x a week. I love to work hard and I have to reel myself back from pushing too much, I’m strong. When I do too much I find I get the opposite effect. My body will be swollen and inflamed and won’t let go of anything. So for me, slow and steady while strengthening my core always has worked like nothing else and helped me to not only get to the size I wanted to be but also to stay there.

 

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

I do. Diet is always so important but I don’t like limiting myself either. Again, I’ve gone through so many different trials and errors till I found what worked for me about 10 years ago while I was filming 24, and I’ve stuck to it ever since. I did something called the 1st Personal Diet by this Dr. Cohen, a South African. He was an OB/GYN and he was researching how to regulate a woman’s hormones through food to help them get pregnant. He noticed that certain foods create hormonal signals in the body to either store or release fat. This intrigued me mainly because everything else I tried didn’t work, or I couldn’t stick to it and the hormonal side of things seemed interesting. So I did this and it worked amazingly for me. It worked so well that I can now loosely adhere to the guidelines about 80% of the time and the rest of the time I can enjoy myself. As long as I go back to what worked for 80% of the time then I’m good. It’s been a real relief for me because I struggled for so long yo yo’ing all the time. You can look at pictures me from 2007 and before and see the difference.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Share with us your skincare and haircare routine.

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

Wow, well, thank you.

For my skin, I use coconut oil to remove all make-up. I wipe it off and then clean my face again with hot water and a wash cloth to remove any leftover residue. Nothing works better and it doesn’t sting my eyes. If I use something else, I like Bioderma Sensible make up remover.

I recently found this amazing, and I mean that, anti-aging serum and lotion in Canada called Benir Beauty. Nothing like seeing yourself on-camera to mobilizing you to find good products.. Lol. So I have been using Benir products for the last 6 months and my makeup artist on the show has really commented in the change in my skin. I also love Skin Ceuticals as well, especially their Vitamin C and E for skin discoloration and all around protection.

Now, I swear by facials and Laser Genesis. My facialist of 15 years is Svetlana of Svetlana Care For Skin. She is hands down the best! And I’ve gone to more expensive, uber famous facial places and no one compares. She is the only person who can thoroughly clean my skin and afterwards my skin is glowing and I don’t feel like I have to put on a stitch of makeup. My skin is even colored, clean and glowing. I haven’t found that anywhere else, a good facial is everything.

The second, the secret of the universe for great skin…is Laser Genesis. I swear by this! It’s so good! I discovered it at Kate Sommerville in LA, in 2013 and I’ve never looked back. I swear my skin is in better condition now then back then. In Canada I found a place, Beauty Works that does it as well and for less money (yay) and I’ve sent most of my cast there for Laser Genesis. It is my all around, go-to secret weapon. 😉

I’ve been blessed with dark hair. I’ve found with being a brunette, as long as I take care of my hair it will reflect light and be shiny. For me, less is more. Products would build up on my hair I found less shine, bounce, etc. The less I used the better my hair responded. I’m not a once a week wash your hair girl. I find I have to wash every other day, sometimes I can get away with two days in between but overall if I use a good shampoo and keep my scalp and hair clean the better my hair does. I have thick hair as well so I always use a good deep conditioner from the middle of my hair down to my ends. Coconut oil on my hair overnight works wonders! As well as Leonor Greyl, Huile de Leonor Greyl treatment. It repairs instead of just coating the hair with another something…

I could go on with more hair and skin routine and products I love I think with all the answers above I could write my own blog. 😉

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Tell us about your current Top 5 Fashion Must-Haves.

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

• Frame jeans. Man, where did these come from? Love. I have them in high rise, midrise, flare and skinny.
• A good tailored black blazer..currently just bought one from Theory that goes from casual to dress up effortlessly.
• A great pair of heels. Pour La Victorie has some of the best and they’re not only sexy but also comfortable..which let’s face it, is everything.
• Pointy flats. I recently purchased three different pairs at Zara. One suede sling back, one leather ballet with a criss cross ankle and a V-cut leather slide. Thank you Zara. I live in these…
• A great bag. I have a Givenchy bag that I wear often when I’m out and about. It’s black, stylish and classic and goes with everything.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You are best known for your role in the sixth season of 24 as Special Agent Nadia Yassir. How was your experience doing this challenging role?

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

Ah…I loved that role. Nadia was a pleasure to play. I joined in Season 6, right after they won the Golden Globe. It was like stepping on the most successful train and just riding. Working with Jon Cassar and Kiefer was truly, a dream. I learned a lot on that set about not over acting or pushing a moment but rather letting the moment affect you and trusting that the camera will pick it up. My performances after that became more real and grounded and I trusted myself more. I’m always growing as an artist and striving to be better and better. I’ve learned the most by the different directors and actors I’ve worked with and sets I’ve been on over the years. 24 was definitely not only a highlight career wise, but also a turning point for me as an actress.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You also had a reoccurring arc on the fan-favorite MTV scripted drama Teen Wolf as the elusive and trained assassin “Desert Wolf” and on NCIS as “ATF Special Agent Zoe Keates.” What are the key things that you look for while choosing a new role?

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

Great question. I judge mainly on interest level. Is this something that interests me, that I can get into, is it a challenge? For the Desert Wolf, what drew me was she was, to put it plainly, an evil woman. I had never played that before. I’ve done many characters who were strong, fierce and confident women but never on the wrong side and that interested me. Her sick desire to end her daughter’s life for power….I mean what kind of person wants that, desires and fights for that. She was blinded and driven by power and that was something I felt I could explore and sink my teeth into, no pun intended.

For NCIS, I liked her charisma. I like Keates’ personality, that she was sort of a tomboy growing up and working in a boys club, a male dominated field and she could hold her own amongst that. She was tough and was even cocky and flirty without losing her edge or her femininity and didn’t take shit from nobody…and I like that. Maybe I can relate. 😉

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have been fighting for the rights of kids and women for over a decade as FOUNDER of FOUNDATION FOR A SLAVERY FREE WORLD and spokesperson for YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL, non-profit organizations that fight modern slavery and human trafficking. What goals do you wish to accomplish through these endeavor of yours?

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

It truly is impossible to give you a short answer. Human trafficking. Selling a human being to another for profit. I thought we ended slavery. It turns my stomach that millions more people are enslaved today than when Lincoln abolished slavery back in 1862 with the Emancipation Proclamation. And when it comes to selling children… I couldn’t learn of this, what goes on and sleep at night. I couldn’t stand by and do nothing or say, “That’s too bad” and go on with my day. It consumed me. So I formed my non-profit with the goal to end this, what I believe is one of the biggest Human Rights abuses of our time. It is my passion and fuels me…always. The good news, I found, is that there are many other organizations working towards the same thing. All working from different angles to attack this problem. Whether through lobbying and legislation, education, rehabilitation, technology to give law enforcement the tools they need, or simply raising awareness. Every one of the organizations I met with or work with have the same goal but not everyone has the same skill set. It’s an enormous heartbreaking issue and it takes all of these angles to make a dent in it.

I didn’t understand why there weren’t protests in the street against this. When you talk about children being sold for sex…why is there not enormous public outrage and a demand to end it? I realized that people don’t know, they just haven’t been aware of it. So one of the first things I did was try to handle that barrier. So I formed the Human Rights Hero Awards and I brought Hollywood and the media that goes along with it to the issue and the organizations that are on the front lines. I feel if I have been blessed with a career that puts me somewhat in the spotlight, then I have a responsibility to use it wisely. So many of the millions of people who are literally trapped in the trafficking world have no voice. I feel it is part of my responsibility, if I can in any way, to give them one. And to give the heroes who fight this, who risk their lives rescuing these kids.. a voice. And the heroes who rehabilitate and bring these kids back from the hell they were forced into and show them hope again…a voice.

The heroes who work alongside law enforcement to track down the traffickers, change the laws so it’s an actual reflection of what’s needed, form rescue hotlines that victims can reach out to….a voice. And a voice in Hollywood, so then that can hopefully reach a large number of people in the world. So I held red carpets and got my fellow friends to come who have great careers in the business and I knew the media would then follow and as a result…give these organizations, these heroes more attention and more of a voice and hopefully more support. I feel it’s working. Now other actors and industry people have partnered with these organizations and lent their support and their voice. It’s a work in progress and I’ve spent my own time and my own money with all of it, and I can tell you it was worth everything. But one person can only go so far and as I’m also on set and raising my 8yr old daughter…it’s been an interesting juggle keeping all of it afloat.

We have expanded now to not only the media events but to private briefings where we highlight one aspect of the issue and then bring influencers, law enforcement, fellow performers, and anyone else to hear from the front lines not only what’s going on but more importantly what they can do to help. We have highlighted such organizations as The National Center for Missing and Exploited Kids and Operation Underground Rescue.

Also, I found raising awareness just wasn’t enough for me. So, through the relationships that have been forged with law enforcement through all of this, I’ve gone undercover several times now. I’ve helped to gather evidence against traffickers. And I’ve used my acting skills to lure active pedophiles into the hands of law enforcement where they can no longer hurt another innocent.

Lastly, we are working on rehabilitation centers and beds where a rescued girl can sleep safely and get nutrition, education and real help. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and are continuing to accomplish and I welcome any and all support.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for our readers?

Ms. Marisol Nichols:

As women, we live in a world where it’s important as women, to share information, support each other, and be as strong, healthy, and as informed and intelligent as we can be. Whether we are raising our children or having career or both. Both and all are noble endeavors and we deserve all the support we can get. Women fitness provides women with the latest health news to keep us healthy, fashion and tips, to make us feel and look our best, and of course fitness, to keep our bodies strong so we can continue to do what we do to the best of our ability. Thank you for all you do.

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