Not many long-time actors also have undercover informant on their resume—but not everyone is 47-year-old Marisol Nichols. The new definition of multi-hyphenate recently sat down with us to discuss her very serious crime-focused podcast, “The Hollywood Vigilante,” all while sharing what helps her unwind after dealing with some heavy-hitting subjects.
Why is your podcast such an important project for you?
“My podcast is about a subject which I’m very passionate about, which is putting an end to human trafficking, particularly the sex trafficking of women and children. It’s an extremely egregious human rights abuse and when I first learned of it 10 years ago, I couldn’t sleep until I did something about it. I have been fortunate enough to be trained and deputized as an undercover informant and have seen firsthand how dark this issue is. Marie Claire first broke the news of my work in this in 2019 when they came on an OP I did with law enforcement in Michigan. So, the podcast was about bringing more awareness to the situation and because of Riverdale and other projects I’ve done I have a large audience to share this with.
The problem has been…good people usually don’t want to hear about dark things like trafficking, but if good people don’t hear about it and don’t know about it, then they can’t do anything about it.”
The topics can be pretty heavy. How do you unwind and clear your head?
“It is a heavy subject, so I can’t spend 24 hours a day dealing with it. I dive in and then I have to withdraw a bit. I have to still balance normal life, ya know? I’m a mom, I’m an actor, I’m a girly girl. I still love fashion, makeup, hair, going out shopping, dining and I love my daughter more than anything. So, I find ways to have a good time, be a good mom and continue my acting career, work on projects, and do the podcast, etc. It’s a balancing act.”
You’ve had a lot of notable roles. Anything that sticks out to you beauty-wise?
“Out of the roles I’ve played, Hermione Lodge on Riverdale was the most enjoyable beauty-wise. Loved her fashion sense, loved her makeup, loved her style so it was really fun to create this character from a physical standpoint. I actually did my own hair most of the time on set because I truly love doing that stuff. I love doing hair and makeup on myself and learning new things from others.”
Any holy grail beauty products?
“A ton! Let me share:
- Joanna Vargas’ exfoliating mask ($75) is in my opinion the best on the market.
- Swissline’s Cell Shock Luxe Lift Rich Cream ($250) feels like you’re bathing your face in collagen.
- La Mer’s “The Concentrate” ($220) is so smooth and the texture is unbelievable.
- Embryolisse is my go-to everyday moisturizer, always a staple.
- The “In Your Face Cream” by In Your Face Skincare ($97) is an amazing deep moisturizer that I am never without.
- Nuxe Paris has my favorite dry oil for hair, face and skin and the scent is the only thing I wear.
- Oribe Dry Shampoo ($48) and their Dry Texturizing Spray ($49) is unmatched.
- Honest Beauty makes the best hair de-tangler ($7) I’ve ever used.
- And I can’t leave out makeup: Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal eyeliners ($28) are my new holy grail, so is pretty much anything Pat McGrath makes—she can do no wrong.”
Any treatments you love?
“One of my absolute favorites is Joanna Vargas Triple Crown Facial ($250). It’s absolutely amazing, my skin has never looked better. I try to get into her before any photo shoot or press event I have. My go-to forever all around treatment is Laser Genesis, Laser Genesis, Laser Genesis! I travel on planes quite a bit so a good Hydrafacial can be a god-send. It’s like an IV of moisture directly into your skin.”
What beauty “things” do you leave to the pros?
“I’m always learning new tricks from the pros. Up-doss are not my favorite things to do, as I can’t really do them. Letting go of doing my own hair and having a pro put it up is always a big thing for me. Makeup artist Tina Turnbow is constantly trying new things on me, recently colored eyeliner pencils, which I would never try on my own. It’s her favorite! I leave new tips and tricks to the pro’s as I trust they know better than I do!”
