Actress Marisol Nichols joins Steve Kmetko for one of the most intense and emotional episodes of Still Here Hollywood yet. Known for her roles on 24 and Riverdale, Marisol reveals the shocking double life she led off-camera, working undercover alongside law enforcement in operations targeting human traffickers around the world. She opens up about: Going undercover in dangerous trafficking operations The terrifying mission that made her write a goodbye letter to her daughter Working with ex-CIA and military operatives How acting helped save lives The heartbreaking loss of Luke Perry What it was really like working with Kiefer Sutherland on 24 Growing up in Chicago Hollywood struggles as a Latina actress The dark side of social media and online predators This is one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had on Still Here Hollywood. Subscribe for more legendary guests and untold Hollywood stories. #MarisolNichols #Riverdale #24 #LukePerry #KieferSutherland #StillHereHollywood #SteveKmetko #Hollywood #TrueCrime #HumanTrafficking #CW #FoxTV #TVLegends #Podcast CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:45 Marisol’s Secret Undercover Operations 02:18 Going Undercover For The First Time 04:36 The Most Terrifying Mission Of Her Life 05:50 Why She Got Involved In Fighting Trafficking 08:05 Helping Put Criminals In Prison 10:38 What She Hopes People Learn From Her Work 12:48 The Monsters Behind Trafficking 14:18 Steve Kmetko’s Chilling John Wayne Gacy Story 16:14 How Acting Helped Her Go Undercover 18:15 Discovering Acting In Chicago 20:48 Moving To Hollywood 22:47 Advice To Her Younger Self 23:52 Being Latina In Hollywood 25:02 The Frustration Of Self-Tape Auditions 26:20 Riverdale Becomes A Cultural Phenomenon 27:51 The Role That Challenged Her Most 29:47 What She Learned From Kiefer Sutherland 30:35 Working With Luke Perry 33:31 How Undercover Work Changed Her Acting 35:38 Talking To Her Daughter About Predators 36:44 The Internet And Child Safety 38:51 The Project She Wants To Make Next 39:39 Growing Up In Chicago 41:32 Her Daughter’s Creative Talent 43:01 Dream Actors & Directors To Work With 44:34 Turning Down A Major Movie Role 47:17 The Dark Side Of Hollywood 49:04 Why She Could Never Move Back To Chicago 52:08 Social Media Pressure & Mental Health 53:24 Fashion, Makeup & Being “A Girl” 54:26 Final Thoughts
Actress Marisol Nichols joins Steve Kmetko for one of the most intense and emotional episodes of Still Here Hollywood yet.
Known for her roles on 24 and Riverdale, Marisol reveals the shocking double life she led off-camera, working undercover alongside law enforcement in operations targeting human traffickers around the world.
She opens up about:
This is one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had on Still Here Hollywood.
Subscribe for more legendary guests and untold Hollywood stories.
#MarisolNichols #Riverdale #24 #LukePerry #KieferSutherland #StillHereHollywood #SteveKmetko #Hollywood #TrueCrime #HumanTrafficking #CW #FoxTV #TVLegends #Podcast
00:00 Intro
00:45 Marisol’s Secret Undercover Operations
02:18 Going Undercover For The First Time
04:36 The Most Terrifying Mission Of Her Life
05:50 Why She Got Involved In Fighting Trafficking
08:05 Helping Put Criminals In Prison
10:38 What She Hopes People Learn From Her Work
12:48 The Monsters Behind Trafficking
14:18 Steve Kmetko’s Chilling John Wayne Gacy Story
16:14 How Acting Helped Her Go Undercover
18:15 Discovering Acting In Chicago
20:48 Moving To Hollywood
22:47 Advice To Her Younger Self
23:52 Being Latina In Hollywood
25:02 The Frustration Of Self-Tape Auditions
26:20 Riverdale Becomes A Cultural Phenomenon
27:51 The Role That Challenged Her Most
29:47 What She Learned From Kiefer Sutherland
30:35 Working With Luke Perry
33:31 How Undercover Work Changed Her Acting
35:38 Talking To Her Daughter About Predators
36:44 The Internet And Child Safety
38:51 The Project She Wants To Make Next
39:39 Growing Up In Chicago
41:32 Her Daughter’s Creative Talent
43:01 Dream Actors & Directors To Work With
44:34 Turning Down A Major Movie Role
47:17 The Dark Side Of Hollywood
49:04 Why She Could Never Move Back To Chicago
52:08 Social Media Pressure & Mental Health
53:24 Fashion, Makeup & Being “A Girl”
54:26 Final Thoughts
Steve Kmetko
I Yes, I'm still here Hollywood. Coming up on today's episode, she built a career playing characters who live right on the edge of danger, power and mystery, from high stakes political drama to one of the most talked about teen dramas of the last decade. She has a way of making every role feel sharper, smarter and just a little unpredictable. But what most people don't realize is that off camera, her life has been just as intense, working behind the scenes on real investigations that sound like they came straight out of a movie. This is still here Hollywood. I'm Steve cometko. Join me with today's guest from 24 and Riverdale actor, Marisol Nichols, hi. Marisol,
Marisol Nichols
Hi. Thanks
Steve Kmetko
for joining us.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, thanks for having
Steve Kmetko
me. One of the things we're gonna get to the TV stuff,
Marisol Nichols
okay,
Steve Kmetko
but I'd like to ask first of all, about all this police work. You do tell me
Marisol Nichols
about
Steve Kmetko
it. How did that happen?
Marisol Nichols
I kind of fell into it. I long, like, back in 2012 2013 I started hearing, started hearing all this stuff about human trafficking, to be totally blunt, and it was really dark and really overwhelming. And I my daughter was like, five or six or something at the time, and I was just overwhelmed and couldn't sleep, and kind of freaked out. And I was like, Well, if I maybe I can learn all I can about it, and then maybe I can do something about it, and then maybe I can sleep and I'll feel a little bit better about this. And so I started diving in and literally doing so much research and meeting with anyone who would meet with me all the way from Homeland Security to the State Department to the White House to the McCain institute, like anybody that would sit down and teach me about this. And then once I learned about it, I was like, Okay, well, I don't understand why there's not riots and protests in the streets like I just don't understand how this can continue to go on. And so I was like, Well, maybe if I do an event on it, then I will get the press to come, and then they'll talk about it, and then more people will know about it, and something can be done about it. So I did that. This is a long answer, and I'm sorry, no,
Steve Kmetko
we have plenty of time.
Marisol Nichols
Okay, fine. So I did all that. And at one of the events that I did, I needed a keynote speaker. And so the person who came to be a keynote happened to be former CIA, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY and all he did for 12 years within the government was undercover ops all over all over the place. And so we kind of hit it off. And he was like, Hey, do you want to come with me? And I was like, to watch and he's like, Yeah, to watch you and my sister. And I was like, Okay. And it was a little freaked out, because they were going to Haiti, which is, you know, not a nice, nice environment. And I went, and on the way back, they were stopping over to track an American who was traveling abroad to do bad things with kids, and as they were about to go meet with him, he said, Would you like to go undercover with me? And I was like, What do you mean? And he's like, I could use a woman right now. Like, it'd be actually great. And I'm like, right now. And he's like, right now, okay. And he put a baseball cap on me with a hidden camera and a pen that had a recording equipment. And was like, Okay, here's the story. We just got back from the Dominican Republic, and we just did X, Y and Z, and you're the girl who travels with us. And this is what we want to get from the guy. We want to get this information, this information, this information. Are you ready? And I was like, okay, and off we went. And I made up a character, because I'm an actor. And was like, All right, what kind of person would travel around with men that do this? And we got what we needed, and there you go. And I went home, and then time passed, and hey, are you free this weekend? Because I'm doing it up in California, and I need a female, okay, what do you need me to do? And it just kept going and kept going and kept going and kept going. And there you go. And so working with different law enforcement, you
Steve Kmetko
make it sound pretty simple.
Marisol Nichols
It's not simple, and it's not it what depends, to be totally honest, some of them are simpler than others. When you're working when you're working with like a bunch of policemen, and they're you're in the States, it's a lot more controlled. It's not as free for all as if you're going into a third world country, then it's a that's a totally different story. Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
have you been frightened doing this?
Marisol Nichols
Terrified, 100% terrified in the States, not so much, because I've got the Vice Squad right there. I've got guys with guns right there. You're way more protected in the third world countries, depending on the situation and where I'm going in, terrified.
Steve Kmetko
What's the closest call you've ever had,
Marisol Nichols
being trapped in? Um. Hmm, a sex trafficking resort and during covid in a third world country, and we didn't know that the walls closed and closed us in. We had no idea. And so I was like, and it was at the height of Riverdale. So I was like, okay, and I obviously, I had a disguise on and contact lenses and an accent and different, different, you know, completely different beingness than now. But I was terrified that they're gonna they know who I am, and they're gonna come in at any moment, and yeah, like that one, I was really scared, and I wrote a letter to my daughter just in case I didn't, I didn't make
Steve Kmetko
it back. Come
Marisol Nichols
on, something happens. So that was the that was one of the most scariest. There's other ones, but
Steve Kmetko
I'm frightened just hearing about it.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
what is, how old is your daughter?
Marisol Nichols
Now? She's 17,
Steve Kmetko
and what does she think of your activities?
Marisol Nichols
She doesn't want me to do it anymore. And I've kind of, I've kind of, you know, I think my last one was about a year and a half ago. And other than that, it's kind of triple, tripled trickled off, especially since I talk about so much, you know
Steve Kmetko
what spoke to you originally that made you want to get involved.
Marisol Nichols
I went through some things when I was a kid, and I ran away a lot, and I was like, that girl, right? And if that would have happened now, had I been a teenager now going through what I went through, then I would have end up, ended up, like one of these girls, and just taken and gone. And so it called to me for two reasons. One, for that, and then two, I was like, if anything ever happened to my daughter, I would want anyone within their power that could do anything to help her, to do all they could. So that was why it
Steve Kmetko
almost sounds like it could be a script.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, it does sound Liam
Steve Kmetko
Neeson or Mel Gibson would be
Marisol Nichols
Yeah. That that's yeah. It's a little. It's a little. I remember when the when the article came out, because Marie Claire came and shadowed me on some ops that I did with the sheriff out in Michigan. And I remember when the article came out, I'm like, no one's gonna believe this. Like, it's, it's because it's so even I was like, What am I doing here? How did I get here in some of those situations that I've been and I'm like, my god, it's, a let's it's a little little crazy.
Steve Kmetko
I would think so. Do you expect them to call again at any time? It could happen, right?
Marisol Nichols
It could, um, I don't think so. I think I've kind of played my card. I don't know. You never know. But then it like, then a year and a half ago, I went with the sheriff in Michigan again and did a little, did a little thing over there. So I guess it just depends. Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
is it all about trafficking?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
young people,
Marisol Nichols
women and girls,
Steve Kmetko
women and girls.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah. I mean, not that I shouldn't say women and children, girls and boys, but yeah, yeah, it's a horrible, horrific, dark, dark, human rights issue.
Steve Kmetko
Are you ever called to testify in court?
Marisol Nichols
No, surprisingly, like, my name's on their arrest records in certain areas, but I haven't had to. Usually, we've got, like, video evidence. We've got recorded evidence. You don't, it's right there, like, you can just walk like the judge and the jury just watches it, so they don't really need me, but my name is on the arrest records.
Steve Kmetko
And how do you know when a certain specific situation you're in is done? How do you know when it's time to just, you know, walk away?
Marisol Nichols
Well, I certainly have, I have, like, an objective, right? So depending on where I'm going, it's like, okay, you need to go in. We need to verify that these, like these three criminals, are the ones that are inside. You need to let us know where the exits are, how many girls there are, what the ages are. So it depends on what it is that I'm going after. And then usually it's turning over everything that we found to the authorities, whether that's the military that we're working with or with the police. So it just, it depends on what that op entails. If that makes sense,
Steve Kmetko
do you? Do you wear an earpiece? No,
Marisol Nichols
God, no. I mean, these are, this is the real deal. I can't walk in with an earpiece, not, not in some of these places. No, yeah.
Steve Kmetko
But you know what to do, or
Marisol Nichols
I'm figuring it out as I go along, faking it till you make it like you become a really, really good actor when, like, everything depends on convincing that person across from you that you are who you are, saying that you are, while you're lying through your teeth like it's, it's and then I'm also relying on the guys around me, like I'm not alone. I have guys. You know, I'm working with EX Navy SEALs here, ex berets, ex military, some current military, like they do. They know what they're doing, so I'm also relying on them.
Steve Kmetko
What's been the most gratifying inclusion?
Marisol Nichols
When they get arrested, when they go down, when the girls get out,
Steve Kmetko
do you get to talk to the girls? Do you see? No, not at
Marisol Nichols
all. Never. I know. I know there was a bunch of girls that were rescued, and they were trafficked from Venezuela to this other country, and when they got rescued and got to go back to Venezuela, I really, really, really wanted to, like, I don't know, just not necessarily. I don't need to talk to them for me, but I'd like to know that they're living their life now and doing well and back with their families and, like, safe now and out of that,
Steve Kmetko
and give them a hug.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah? You know, yeah,
Steve Kmetko
when this is all said and done, what do you hope people say about the way you used your career to do this?
Marisol Nichols
It's funny because it didn't help my career at all, like it was more like more the opposite, because it's such a left turn that people don't know what to make of it, so it's it didn't do me any favors. I would hope that people would, would I don't care what they say about me. I care if they are like, Oh, I would not have known about this subject if you hadn't been talking about it. Like, because normal, normal people don't know about this. They wouldn't know about it unless you're doing these things right,
Steve Kmetko
right?
Marisol Nichols
So when I have a podcast called Marisol Nichols podcast, and I talk about all these things, and I bring in different guys that I've gone undercover with, and different experts in this field, so that the average mom, teenager, teacher, student or whatever, will learn a about this and, more importantly, how to protect themselves, how to protect their family, their sister, their girlfriend, whatever. So that's more what I care about is that I've reached people and helped certain people to not fall into this trap
Steve Kmetko
when you when do people come up and talk to you if they know who you are? I mean, if they recognize you or listen,
Marisol Nichols
sure. And then yeah. And then people who listen to podcasts, yeah, they do, which makes me very happy. Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
were all the folks you were involved in capturing? Were they all convicted?
Marisol Nichols
I don't know some of them, yes, 100% like the ones in the States, yes, that I know that I could follow up on the ones that were in other countries. I I just rely on the data that they gave me, and then that's it. And I move and I'm like, That's it. Like, okay, I'm out because it's dangerous. It's scary. I don't want, you know, I want this much space between me and that. Do you know what I mean, but the ones in the states Absolutely. Do
Steve Kmetko
you have any kind of account how many people you put in prison?
Marisol Nichols
No,
Steve Kmetko
no, I
Marisol Nichols
can find out, but I don't know. I mean, I would guess dozens,
Steve Kmetko
dozens,
Marisol Nichols
at least in the States, yeah, yeah.
Steve Kmetko
Have you learned at all? What it is that makes them do this?
Marisol Nichols
It's you have to have something broken in you to do what these guys do. You have to have something broken like, fundamentally, you don't have that part of you when you can do what these people do to other human beings, to children, like,
Steve Kmetko
is there a word for them
Marisol Nichols
besides pedophile and Monster? Monster is the best word that I can use to describe, and it's, I would say the freak is
Steve Kmetko
sick.
Marisol Nichols
No, because that when you think of sick, I think of sympathy and and these guys don't deserve sympathy. They just don't, you know what I mean. So for me, it's more the term monster, because when you look at them, you they look like normal people, and they do the most like inhumane things that you can think of, you know, so to me, they're, they're, they're monsters disguised as normal people walking around.
Steve Kmetko
I've brought this up on this podcast before, but when I was growing up in Chicago, one of the people I encountered very closely was John Wayne Gacy,
Marisol Nichols
really?
Steve Kmetko
Yeah, I worked at a pharmacy, and he came in. He was doing remodeling there. And now that I've read more about him over the years, he, you know, he asked me if I joined him for dinner once, and I said, you know, he gave me the creeps. Okay, I say to people, he's, yeah, he really gave me the creeps. So you could
Marisol Nichols
feel, you could feel
Steve Kmetko
something, yes,
Marisol Nichols
good, yeah.
Steve Kmetko
But there's a lot of people who didn't like what 41 or something like that in his basement.
Marisol Nichols
Fine,
Steve Kmetko
and I can't imagine getting a police car and actually trying to apprehend or help apprehend these people. I think it's very noble, yeah.
Marisol Nichols
But what if someone came to me and was like, Hey, listen, you have a particular skill set that none of my officers or agents have, and if you could just do this one thing and use what you're really good at to convince this person that you are you. We have, you have, we have a chance to rescue all of these innocents. You might do it.
Steve Kmetko
We still have to identify my skill set.
Marisol Nichols
But you know, is
Steve Kmetko
that? What they said to you,
Marisol Nichols
no, but he was, but you know, they were like, Hey, I could use an actress. And I don't look like a cop. I don't, even with the disguises, I don't look like a cop. And these guys know cops, and they can, they can smell that a mile away. And I just like, it was an accident, like I said, I fell into it, and I just, fortunately, seemed to be good at it. And I know the world, like I'd done, I knew the world
Steve Kmetko
did acting play an important part in
Marisol Nichols
play everything, everything with some of the roles that are the the opposite I'm doing. I'm playing a role of someone who participates in this stuff or is a trafficker. So there's a darkness, there's a deadness, there's a callous brokenness that I have to have while discussing something that would make me want to throw up. I have, like, the only thing that's saving me is the acting. Do you know? Do you know what I mean? That's it. That's it.
Steve Kmetko
I'll bet you never thought you would be doing this when you wanted to be an actor.
Marisol Nichols
Never, million never in a million years. No, no.
Steve Kmetko
Are there many women in that world, or is it just men
Marisol Nichols
are
Steve Kmetko
there? I think
Marisol Nichols
it breaks my heart more when it's woman, it breaks my heart more because it's just such a betrayal. It's such a betrayal like, I remember this one female trafficker, and I would not have known, I just would not have known she's just talking like it's nothing, like it's nothing, and bringing it like, like. And there's many women. And the thing about women is you naturally want to trust a woman, you know, and so they can get away with it even more, because they get kids trust, and young girls trusts. And 100% there's women, it kills me more than the men, because it's such a it's such a betrayal.
Steve Kmetko
Is there an age range?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, I mean, younger the better in that world
Steve Kmetko
of the people who are perpetrators. Is there
Marisol Nichols
like customers or traffickers? Traffickers, not that I found no. I mean older. I would guess the ones that I've come across, you know, between 30 and 60. Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
what was the moment growing up when you'd first realized acting might actually be your path.
Marisol Nichols
When I love the pivot, it's great. I tried out for a play in a junior college, College of DuPage, and I thought I'd be an extra. I tried out to be an extra because I had nothing going on. I just broke up with a boyfriend, and I was like, yeah, let me see what's what am I gonna do? And they gave me Katherine from A View from the Bridge, and I got on, and I didn't know. I was like, Are you sure? And the second I got on that stage, I was like, oh, okay, I get this. I love this. And that was that was it.
Steve Kmetko
We'll be right back. If you'd like to be more involved with us at still here Hollywood, you definitely can just visit patreon.com/still here Hollywood. You can support us for as little as $3 a month. You can get our episodes a day before they post anywhere else, you can see what guests will be coming up and submit questions for them. You can even tell us what stars you want us to have on as guests. You'll see what goes on before and after the episode, plus exclusive behind the scenes info, pics, video and more. Again, that's patreon.com/still here Hollywood. You've said you didn't take a traditional route to Hollywood.
Marisol Nichols
No, yeah.
Steve Kmetko
What do you mean by that?
Marisol Nichols
Well, I mean, I wasn't an acting class. I never I didn't even take a theater class, like in high school, or nothing, you know, in college. Try to ever play. Got the lead role. Kept going. I was like, what else she got? And they're like, oh, we have a speech team where we compete with theater pieces. And I so they brought me on the team, and in three months, we were at national champion championships, and I won the national championship. I was like, Oh, wow. Okay. I was like, All right, well, why don't I, you know, get a waitressing job and try to be an actor, and then, and so I did, and I did a bunch of plays, because Chicago has amazing theater.
Steve Kmetko
Yes, it does
Marisol Nichols
amazing theater. And then I accidentally, there was a scout that was coming through Chicago, and she asked me to audition for a TV series for CBS that they were casting, and I did, and I ended up getting it. They moved me to move me to LA, and there you go, yeah, and I got on the series.
Steve Kmetko
How do you like the way your life is unfolding?
Marisol Nichols
It's still unfolding. I'm still figuring it out, you know, yeah,
Steve Kmetko
before the bigger roles came along, what was the job or moment that made you think, okay, I can actually make a go of this acting thing. Did you have people who were supporting you along the way? I mean,
Marisol Nichols
I did
Steve Kmetko
psychologically,
Marisol Nichols
like the theater guys, the theater director and the speech team director, those guys were amazing. Like they were the ones that I was, like, I can't do this. I guess you can, like, you can do this. They were great. They were my like, to this day, I still talk to them. They're wonderful people, like they believed in me and they took a chance on me, had I and I never did it before, you know? So they were great. I think that, like, I kept getting surprised, to be totally honest. Like, when I got the series, I was like, Really, okay, and then the series ended, and I was like, Okay, well, that makes sense, you know? And then I ended up getting Vegas vacation, like, within six months or something, or eight months of being in LA. And I never thought in a million years I would get that, because I was like, it's Chevy Chase, and it's Beverly D'Angelo, and they have white kids. Audrey Griswold is, like, the whitest kid in America. Like, these are all American kids. And I was like, this little brown kid from Chicago, like, it's never gonna happen. And I think I auditioned for three months for that role, and then, and then they ended up casting me. And I think every time I was just genuinely surprised, like, genuinely like, Really, okay, all right, okay.
Steve Kmetko
Well, I think that's the kind of attitude to maintain, because you're never disappointed.
Marisol Nichols
Well, true, but it's very hard to maintain that when you're like, Hey, I've been now, I've been doing this for two decades. Let's go, you know, kind of thing, you know, it's still a rough business. It's still like, you know, so many, so many, so many no's, until there's a yes, just is what it is. What
Steve Kmetko
would you tell your younger self? I
Marisol Nichols
would tell my younger self, keep going, keep going. Don't take it so seriously. There'll be another one, there'll be another one, there'll be another one. Every time there's over there. Oh no, you know, don't marry that guy. Don't go on that date. And slow down a little bit. I'd say, take it easy. Slow down a little bit. You're all right. You're all right.
Steve Kmetko
Have you gone too fast sometimes in your life?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, I think so. You know, everything always seems like I'm dramatic. I don't know I'm Latina, I'm a Scorpio, like, I'm dramatic. So to me, it's always all in or like, Oh no, all out. Like, it's, it's, there's been, there needs to be. Like, now, I think now that I'm a little bit older, I'm like, Okay, there's a happy medium here that I can, I can start to live in. But when I was younger, it was, it was all in or all out and devastated if you didn't get it or, you know, a whole whole thing about life, about everything, all of it, relationships, all of it,
Steve Kmetko
tell me, educate me. Tell me what it's like being Latina in Hollywood.
Marisol Nichols
Okay, I'll tell you exactly what it's like.
Steve Kmetko
Okay, all
Marisol Nichols
right. The first half of my career was a lot of like, I'd want to audition for a role or audition for a role, and all I would hear was, we don't want to go ethnic. What the hell does that mean?
Steve Kmetko
I don't
Marisol Nichols
know. And what would be the problem of going ethnic? Whatever that meant. Then the second half of my career, you're not Oh, you're not ethnic enough. You're not latina enough. Like, good lord. So I finally realized, like, they don't know what they're doing for the most part. Like, I've really noticed that they're guessing. And it's, it's such trends like, Okay, now we want, now we want, you know Latinos, or now we want you know, people with different colored skin, okay, and then next week they may not like it, just it goes with the winds and all that. And I can't control any of that. So I can only control, like, what I do in the room or now on tape. And it pisses me off to no end
Steve Kmetko
we've talked about. About that a lot here, that's come up a lot.
Marisol Nichols
Which part
Steve Kmetko
the doing self tapes?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, I love it and I hate it. I have a love, hate relationship with it. I love it because I get to give my best take which I love but I hate it because there's no I can't walk in the room and see the director. I can't feel that energy in the room, if what I'm doing is landing or not,
Steve Kmetko
no feedback, no interaction, no facial reaction,
Marisol Nichols
no and acting is such a it's a communication. It's a two way communication. It sucks to not have that on the other side. I miss that a lot. But in other things, I'm like, well, at least I get to give my best take, you know, and you're just guessing that that's, there's just, there's no acting is such a give and take communication. And I miss that other half
Steve Kmetko
well, and then too, even if you're not an actor, I know that. You know, people have asked me, Why don't you stay in Chicago and do this on Zoom? Not the same.
Marisol Nichols
No, it's not
Steve Kmetko
seeing someone and meeting someone face to face. Yeah, what you're giving off what you're receiving?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
it's completely different.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, you need that, that energy like you feed off of that whether, whether you're interviewing or acting or performing, or whatever it is at the end of the day, it's communication at the end of the day,
Steve Kmetko
bingo. Riverdale became kind of a cultural phenomenon almost overnight. Yeah, did you have any idea it was going to hit that big?
Marisol Nichols
No, we had no idea. But I will tell you, when we did the table read, and we were all like sitting around that table, and I was hearing Archie for the first time, be Archie or Jughead. Be Jughead. I was like, Am I crazy, or is this good? Like, I remember, because Luke Perry was, you know, a part of our show, I remember, like, telling Luke, like, this is good. He's like, this is good. I was like, Huh? And then you just hope you get the right time slot, you get the right lead in show that people will actually find your show and watch your show. And it's so like, it depends on so many other factors. But at the time, I could tell that there was something, something working about it. It's
Steve Kmetko
funny, when I was a kid growing up, we watched TV every night.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
and you know, Tuesdays is this? Wednesdays is that? Thursdays is friends. But now I'm finding when I meet young people and talk to them, they don't watch TV at all. I
Marisol Nichols
don't get it.
Steve Kmetko
They'll, they'll look for what they want to see on YouTube or, you know, something like that.
Marisol Nichols
But somebody must be, because Netflix is making a lot of money, so somebody's watching TV,
Steve Kmetko
right, right? What role stretched you the most as an actor?
Marisol Nichols
It's a good question. Riverdale stretched me a lot because I wasn't. She was such a I was so used to playing cops like and agents and this and that and the other. And there's, like, a street wise thing you get from Chicago and growing up in the city and stuff like that, right or outside the city and Riverdale, she was so, how do I explain it? She had, like, I couldn't do the role without really long nails, and, like, perfect hair and and she was so feminine and so different than how I was, right, that was a stretch. And then 24 for me was was like learning a new skill, because 24 was like this, like when they filmed you, it was extreme, extreme, extreme close up. And so I had to learn to not really act,
Steve Kmetko
turn it off, turn
Marisol Nichols
it off, and just be and trust that that everything that I'm doing is reading on that camera. And I loved it, I loved it, but it was a new skill set.
Steve Kmetko
Were you were you ever surprised then when you watched it, how much you communicated on camera?
Marisol Nichols
Well,
Steve Kmetko
what you conveyed?
Marisol Nichols
I get critical of myself when I watch it didn't work. That didn't work. Like, okay, that works, that doesn't work. So I try. You know, I just wanted to fit into that machine that 24 was, because 24 was an ongoing machine, and when you're the new kid on the block in a very successful show, I just wanted to do my job and fit into what's already working kind of thing and not mess it up, as opposed To, like a Riverdale when you're creating something from scratch.
Steve Kmetko
What did you learn on the show on
Marisol Nichols
24
Steve Kmetko
Yeah,
Marisol Nichols
I learned a couple things. Like one, I said, How to not act and just be be there, which I loved, and how to create tension. Like Kiefer told me this actually. He's like. He's like, I've learned so much just about creating tension. He's like, you create tension by where the camera is and how it moves. And almost the entire show was shot on Steadicam and was almost voyeuristic. If you remember the shots on that, you know they'd shoot like on the side of a chair looking up as if you're peeking into this world, which I loved. And so the camera would help so much with creating tension. It wasn't always on your shoulders. So I just learned to, kind of learn the other aspects of storytelling, as opposed to just my job. You know,
Steve Kmetko
how was Luke Perry to work with?
Marisol Nichols
Oh, he was great. I mean, Luke, I don't know why. Like Luke, you know, he's kind of Hollywood royalty. He was in so many things I didn't even realize. But he's such a good person. He was such a good guy, and knew so much. And, you know, we played sort of that he was, like, the one that got away, that was our storyline, right? That we were high school sweethearts, and he was the one that got away. And my character was now married, and couldn't be with him, but wanted to, and, like, a lot of different layers to things. And he was so good at, like, Hey, how can we make this better? What can we do? How can we do? He was such a partner in that which you don't always get, you don't always get that. And he was so there and present, and such a great scene partner and such a great guy in real life. It was, that was, that was a tragedy, losing him, yeah, and
Steve Kmetko
kind of unexpected.
Marisol Nichols
That's why it was such I mean, you were like, wait, what do you mean? I just talked to him, like, What do you mean? I just, I was just on the phone with him. What are you talking about? Like, like, on something so out your normal reality, and so sudden. That's, to me, what makes it so tragic.
Steve Kmetko
He had a heart attack, right?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah.
Steve Kmetko
And what about working with Kiefer?
Marisol Nichols
I loved working with Kiefer. I loved working with Kiefer. He was such a pro and such a pirate like I was describing. Was like a pirate, but he's kind of like a pirate. He was great. He wrote a fight scene for me, which I loved. He was, he was great, like he was. It was really nice to see he because he was so in command of that whole show. He was so much more than just a star of a show. He had his hands and in the storylines and in in all of it. And to see someone at that level, at the top of his game, was a like goals for me as an actor, but also to watch his professionalism and how great he was with the crew, with the guest stars, with the people, with the camera, with everyone. It was, it was really great to see, and you really saw that he earned that spot.
Steve Kmetko
Do you think his father had an impact on him,
Marisol Nichols
I would, I would think so, just as much as I think I have an impact on my daughter, I would say his father did. I'm sure he grew up on sets and grew up in trailers, trailing his father around and seeing seeing that world. Yeah, his
Steve Kmetko
father is such an excellent was such an excellent actor. Yes,
Marisol Nichols
yeah.
Steve Kmetko
We'll be back for more in a moment. Tell me, did your experience undercover change the way you approach acting?
Marisol Nichols
It's funny, yes, but only because I've been around those high, high, high, high stakes. And so then when it's written in a TV show or written in a film, I'm like, like, it's almost like, I know it too well, and they want the TV version or the film version of that, where it's just like, like, do you understand what's actually happening here? Like, this is life or death. This, this cop who's being a cop like, that's not like when it's in real life. It's a different fucking story. But pardon my French, I don't, didn't mean to swear. I don't know if I can swear on this or not, but, but it's a different fucking story. You know when it's when the stakes are real and like I said, it's a very, very dark subject, and I'm very fortunate that I could go in and out, like, back out of it, as opposed to law enforcement that's in that every single solitary day, like you get why I get why cops like drink, and you get why cops like have, like, you know, short lifespans, and you get the heaviness that They carry around with them, because these guys are completely are confronting this stuff every single solitary day. It's, it's a it's a rough job. And so to me, if I'm playing a detective or want to, want to play detective, there's got to be that toll that it takes on you. It's not all clean and this. And let me invest. Investigate like it's not that it's dark. You have to have that heaviness, you know?
Steve Kmetko
Could you do that on a daily basis? Work as a cop?
Marisol Nichols
I'll tell you when the first time I did this in we did it up in Sutter County, California, and we started arresting these guys. I was like, Oh, I could do this all day long. Really, there was something about just taking down like a real bad person and bringing that justice to them that makes you feel like I made a difference. I care about that. I care about that stuff. So, yeah,
Steve Kmetko
so being a mother,
Marisol Nichols
yeah,
Steve Kmetko
had something to do with you. Wanting to get involved,
Marisol Nichols
yeah.
Steve Kmetko
What have you talked to your daughter about? Did you have a sit down with her and say, if anybody ever comes up to you and does this,
Marisol Nichols
yeah? You have no idea.
Steve Kmetko
Oh,
Marisol Nichols
she's so had it. Are you kidding? Of what to do, what to look for, like I had to and and I had to do it when she was young. So I'm like, How do I do this? And how do I educate my kid to be safe, but not scare the living Jesus out of it, out of her, right? And not tell her why? So I would just, you know, well, bad guys, and they do bad things, and that's all you need to know. Like, you know, take
Steve Kmetko
my word for it,
Marisol Nichols
yeah,
Steve Kmetko
they do bad things,
Marisol Nichols
exactly. But it was like, like, I would, I would tell her, like, okay, so if you're ever lost, don't like, used to be like, you find an adult Absolutely not. Find a mom with kids. Find a mom or dad with kids. Go to that person. They'll know what to do. You can't just go to some random adult anymore. It's a different world now. You know, things like that,
Steve Kmetko
I'm learning,
Marisol Nichols
yeah, things like that, yeah, and she actually helped. I actually very proud of this, but she helped her friends online who were basically talking to this person, bad person out there that was trying to gather information and, like, sent a stuffed animal to her friend. I'm like, right? So now, now she has her address things like that, because these games are just designed to let anyone talk to anyone. And she actually ended up telling two of her friends to get away from this particular predator that was on there and block them and get rid of them. Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
do you see that the internet can be a real problem 100%
Marisol Nichols
because you're giving you're giving bad guys just access to kids all day long. All day long, there has to be parameters. It can't just be left up to parents to educate their kids. Most parents don't know. Most parents have no clue, or, or, or, How do I protect my kid? Right? So, you know, I know meta and some other companies are catching up to this, but these predators, you know, they've got, you know, 10 computers and 10 phones that they're working on all day long, on these chat rooms trying to get access to kids. Do
Steve Kmetko
you feel like you have the wherewithal now to go and speak to children in high schools? Yeah? Do you?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah? Makes me very proud. I like talking directly. That's why I did the podcast. Actually, was because Riverdale had a young audience, and so I was like, Okay, if I have this young audience, maybe I can make a better difference by educating them rather than putting my life at risk in these crazy situations. Because as heartbreaking it is as it is, it's whack a mole, like, Okay, you put one guy in jail. Doesn't matter. There's 15 more that'll pop up. That's not the way that we're going to solve this. So I was like, Okay, well, maybe my niche is taking my audience and educating them and giving them some information and some tools that they can use out there. You know, yeah, what
Steve Kmetko
would you like to do next?
Marisol Nichols
I mean, I'd like to do a project as an actor that blends sort of both of these worlds, but not in a dark way, in a way that sneaks in that education. Do you know what I mean? Because people learn by stories. You learn by stories by watching great TV shows or great films. If we could take a great film or a great TV show and a great story, but also use it to educate people out there and keep them safe. How great would that be to meld those two things in entertainment and use it for good? You know, I'd like to do something like that.
Steve Kmetko
Do you feel like that was missing in your life when you were growing up, that kind of awareness?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, I come from that school of hard knocks where you figure it out too late and you learn from it. Yeah, I didn't know any of that. I didn't know I. Anything you learn it, you know, like, I tell this thing about Chicago, right? Because one thing that I figured out because I would walk home, and, you know, in some neighborhoods in Chicago, it's not the best for a young girl to be walking home at two, three in the morning. And so what I learned was, I was like, Huh? I think I was, I was pissed off of my boyfriend one time, and I was, I was like, I'm going for a walk. And I left, and I was, like, talking to myself, like, loud that asshole. And I didn't realize that there were, like, you know, there was some gang bangers on the corner, and I'll never forget they were like, Whoa. And they like, backed away from me, and I was like, Huh? And then I kind of realized I'm like, they're just like, I just remind them of angry girlfriends and angry moms and angry, pissed off girls and women. So I realized, and so I would do this all the time. Then when I walk home from, you know, bars or whatever, at late hour, I would like pretend that I was pissed off and talk loud, as if I was angry, and how dare he? What does he think? And they would leave me alone. They would just leave me alone. I was like, huh, kind of cool. So you learn, you learn things on the way.
Steve Kmetko
Yeah, Chicago does have some tough areas,
Marisol Nichols
yeah, like, you can't be the quiet one walking like this. Are you kidding? You're screaming target. So I tell my kid that I'm like, No, you got to be angry. You got to act like you're pissed off. Just act just do it, and then you'll get home.
Steve Kmetko
Does your daughter act at all?
Marisol Nichols
No, she doesn't. She has no desire to be in front of the camera.
Steve Kmetko
None.
Marisol Nichols
I know, no. But she creates everything behind the scenes. She writes stories and writes music and has all these characters that she's now finally posting on social media and getting she's got showrunners reaching out to her of like, how great of an animator that she is, but she won't, she won't put her face out there, which in some ways, I'm very happy. You know,
Steve Kmetko
well, you've seen the other side firsthand.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah,
Steve Kmetko
I shouldn't have done that tangent, because my mind just took well,
Marisol Nichols
here, let's switch places. Do you have kids? No, no,
Steve Kmetko
no. Still dealing with being gay.
Marisol Nichols
Okay,
Steve Kmetko
that takes a while.
Marisol Nichols
That does take
Steve Kmetko
a while.
Marisol Nichols
Chicago's come a long way.
Steve Kmetko
Yeah, yeah. Boys Town,
Marisol Nichols
yeah. I lived in bullstown.
Steve Kmetko
Boys
Marisol Nichols
Oh, yeah. How said in Clark
Steve Kmetko
very close to Wrigley Field.
Marisol Nichols
That's right, I was actually on the on the Pride Parade.
Steve Kmetko
Oh, we're
Marisol Nichols
in Boys Town, yeah, throwing Fruit Loops with my friend. It's fun. Always
Steve Kmetko
have a pretty good turnout for that.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, it was actually really great. It's fun.
Steve Kmetko
Have you on the flip flip side? Have you ever taken a role thinking it was a small part and it completely changed?
Marisol Nichols
I've taken the role that I thought was a big part, it changed it to the small part. I've done that, which isn't fun, but it happens, it's fine. Yeah, no.
Steve Kmetko
Who would you like to work with?
Marisol Nichols
Oh, God, I'd love to work with Tom Cruise,
Steve Kmetko
really,
Marisol Nichols
absolutely. He's the biggest movie star that we have, like, and he's such a pro. And the guy does things that you're like, how does he do that? Like, how's he I was just talking to someone the other day. How does he run that fast? Like, I can barely jog down the block trying to get here when I was late. I'm like, I'm kidding, I'm coming. I'd like to be around that level of professionalism and that level of work ethic. You know, I'd also love to work with Martin Scorsese, because he just creates iconic characters and iconic stories, and I love every single thing that he does. I think it'd be just incredible or Spielberg, who just does these incredible, incredible, larger than life films, like everything that you love about film. To me, Spielberg does?
Steve Kmetko
He does. He's a very talented storyteller.
Marisol Nichols
I know I'm really looking forward to just what is it? Disclosure Day coming out. I think that's the name of the movie. I can't wait to see it.
Steve Kmetko
Yeah,
Marisol Nichols
like, I want to work with people like that, that that I can learn from. I'm still learning. You know, that excite me to go to work every day.
Steve Kmetko
You feel like you're still learning,
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, completely. I think if I ever stop learning, I'm done. No, there's so much. I mean, I think we're always getting better and always improving and always figure things figuring things out. It's a journey. I think, yeah,
Steve Kmetko
what's the biggest risk you've ever taken professionally that paid off?
Marisol Nichols
Well, it's not that big of a risk, but I didn't want to audition for 24 I'd never seen the show, and I had already auditioned for them four times, and they never hired me. And I was like, they're not going to hire me. I was like, Why do I have to go and they're not going to hire me, and I don't want to do this again, because they're just going to tell me. Me know. And, and my manager is like, you're going, like, Okay, fine. And then I went, and I was like, oh, okay, maybe I, maybe I didn't have to have a chip on my shoulder, and I should have gone too hasty, yeah, I got it, okay. Like, you learn. Like you learn. I'm like, oh, okay, fine. So I'd say that. I would say that one, yeah, yeah.
Steve Kmetko
Have you ever turned something down that didn't feel right?
Marisol Nichols
Yeah, and then you learn like, Oh, damn, that was dumb. I turned down, you know, the movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. They just did the TV show, and I turned down her role, and I really liked the role, but at the time, Sony was developing a TV show about me going undercover, and we had a script, and we had everything, and we were just about to go out and pitch, and my manager at the time told me I couldn't do both. And I was like, oh. And I was like, but if my TV show goes then I have to watch another actress playing me and going out and doing these things that I've done. And so I was like, and it was with the TV shows with Mick, G, like, it was good people, and I really liked the role. But if I had to choose, it was like, Well, this one is entertainment and this one is entertainment with my purpose. So I said no. And then nobody bought this. Everyone was like, It's too dark. We don't want to do a show about trafficking. No one's gonna watch it. And I was like, oh. And then I ended up with nothing. And I was like, Oh, God, so that one,
Steve Kmetko
it's very funny. There's a clip online, yeah, tribute to Meryl Streep,
Marisol Nichols
that
Steve Kmetko
the late Nora Ephron was,
Marisol Nichols
oh,
Steve Kmetko
taking part in, okay? And she was telling the crowd, you know, if you, if you ever, if they're ever going to do a story of your life, make certain, Meryl plays, you'll do a better job,
Marisol Nichols
right?
Steve Kmetko
And it was, it was, it's a very funny routine that she does,
Marisol Nichols
I bet.
Steve Kmetko
And we'll be right back. Do you think being in this industry makes it easier or harder to trust people?
Marisol Nichols
Harder
Steve Kmetko
also,
Marisol Nichols
this industry can break your heart. I mean, it can break your heart and and it can also, like, soar your heart. You get the ups and downs with it, right? But I think this industry attracts the best and the worst, you know. And I think people that I feel like the ones that are the bad ones over here, really are attracted to this industry, and don't think twice about hurting someone or or backstabbing them or lying about them, and you've got all the press and that whole shebang. And so it can be you learn to have your guard up. You know, I've seen interviews with me where they're quoting me, and I'm like, I never said that, and you have it in quotes, like, there's no you have to have your guard up where I think, growing up in the Midwest, it's not like that at all. You've got people that work for a living. You've got guys that are, I don't know, let's take a waiter. That waiter has been a waiter for 30 years, and they have pride in taking care of their customers and and they they care about the people and their regulars, and they're this, and there's a pride in their work, where in LA you got a waiter who's also a writer, who's also a songwriter, who's also a this, and could care less, and is like whatever, and doesn't have that work ethic and that pride that you get from the Midwest. So I think it's two very, very different worlds. You know,
Steve Kmetko
would you ever return to Chicago to live?
Marisol Nichols
No, but only because it's cold. I love Chicago. Good reason. I love the city, I love the food, I love the people. It's just freezing. It's freezing, and there's no reason any Latino should be anywhere near Chicago in the winter months at all.
Steve Kmetko
After I lived out here for 30 years, I went back to Chicago because my parents were in failing health, and I wanted to help them out, and I couldn't find work out here. And I remember people were saying you'd be able to handle the cold I grew up there? Are you kidding? God, the first winter was miserable. Your
Marisol Nichols
blood
Steve Kmetko
changes, and the car I was get stuck in, you know, snow drifts and that
Marisol Nichols
whole cycle. Like, people don't understand. I'm like, no, no, you don't understand. Like, you got to go to the car. You got to get the de ICER for the lock first, before anything. So you get. De ice the lock and crank open that door. Then you got to put the defrost on. Then while that's defrosting, you got to take your ice pick, and then you got to scrape off all the ice. And then you got to dig your car out of the snow drift. And then you can get in your car, and then you can drive
Steve Kmetko
it, and then, with luck, go down the street.
Marisol Nichols
Exactly I
Steve Kmetko
know now some cars. I was so surprised when I bought a new car and found out, found this out, you can start it from in the house, you know, you can press a button.
Marisol Nichols
Could you imagine? No, oh, that would have been amazing.
Steve Kmetko
Oh, we still, I remember we used to have to, you know, put a light bulb under the hood, cover the hood with a blanket, you know, in the garage. I remember growing up right miserable, waiting for a bus. It was awful. I
Marisol Nichols
remember I had a choice. One time I was working. I worked at Bloomingdale's, and I lived on Grace and Pine Grove, if you know where that is right. And I had two choices, or three choices. I could walk six blocks to the L, freeze on the L platform. No, right, take the L to work and then walk whatever it was like, four or five blocks to Bloomingdale's, or dig my car out, do that whole cycle, find parking somewhere there, and then walk anyway, or walk to the edge, which was right on Lakeshore drive with all the wind, but there's an express bus to get You there. And this was when there was like, state, a state of emergency. And I ended up doing the Lakeshore drive express bus. And then on the way home, they closed out. No one was shopping. There was a state of emergency. But for some reason, Bloomingdale's was open. And I remember coming home and there was like, I think it was like the 141 to I think it was Sheffield, was what I needed to take. And apparently I got on the 141 to Belmont.
Steve Kmetko
Didn't go far enough,
Marisol Nichols
and I had to walk from Belmont to Irving Park. And I think at the time it was 50 below zero.
Steve Kmetko
Yep, it
Marisol Nichols
was a state of emergency. And I remember having to take a cold bath to slowly warm up my
Steve Kmetko
extremities,
Marisol Nichols
and then soon after that, I was in. La, Okay, we're done.
Steve Kmetko
Yeah, it's here.
Marisol Nichols
Yeah.
Steve Kmetko
On social media, you have millions of followers.
Marisol Nichols
Thanks, Riverdale, but yeah, thank you.
Steve Kmetko
Is it a fun fun, or is it part of the job? Now, how do you view it?
Marisol Nichols
Both, both more part of the job, more part of the job, because you have to keep that up and you drop it out, you feel very I felt very disconnected. I dropped it out for a little while, and I was like, I don't like that. But at the same time, like on my phone, I have my apps, and it says anti social media, so I remember when I'm posting Hang on, because the ones, what I tell my daughter all the time is the ones that are sitting there going, those are actually the minority, but they're the loudest, and the ones that are
Steve Kmetko
the ones that stick with you
Marisol Nichols
exactly, and they're loud, where the People that are like, Oh, that's nice. Just keep going. They don't make any noise. So I always have to remember that when I'm communicating of like, okay, hold on. How is this going to come across? Let me make sure I'm not going to, like, say the wrong thing or have it be taken the wrong way. And I just have to, it's a job. You know, you have to be careful.
Steve Kmetko
How do you mostly use Instagram. You sell cosmetics there too, don't you?
Marisol Nichols
No, but I'd like to, well, I'll tell you, I like being I love being a girl. That sounds funny, but I love being a girl, right? So I really like fashion. I like skincare and hair and makeup. And when I was in Chicago, actually, one of the jobs that I did was I taught hair and makeup and skincare and fashion at John Casablancas on La Salle Street to, like, wanna be up and coming models. So I learned all that stuff, and I really liked that side of things, and so I like sharing that stuff on social media. Like, hey, here's my new favorite product, or here's what I like about this. Or this mascara is insane. I just like sharing that stuff because to me, it's like talking to my girlfriends. I really like that stuff, and I also like watching that stuff and hearing about that stuff and people that I maybe like the way that they look or do things. I'm like, Oh, how do you do that? And what did you do? And it's just, it's just interesting. It's, it's like a nice especially from the other stuff that I do. It's like, it's a nice bubble gum breath of fresh air of life, rather than,
Steve Kmetko
yes,
Marisol Nichols
exactly, exactly.
Steve Kmetko
Well, it's really been fun sitting here talking to you. Thanks.
Marisol Nichols
It's nice to talk to you.
Steve Kmetko
I thank you for all the information. It's you lead a fascinating life.
Marisol Nichols
Thank you very
Steve Kmetko
much. Very busy one.
Marisol Nichols
Thanks for having me.
Steve Kmetko
Still here. Hollywood is a production of the still here network all things technical, run by Justin zangerly, theme music by Brian sanoshin, and executive producer is Jim Lichtenstein.