Page 22 - Real Style Fall 2019

Marisol Nichols
of him was that he’s not one of those actors who just phones it in. He cares deeply about the story and where his role fits into it. Working with him meant making sure whatever scene we were doing meant something. Making it the best we could within the confines of the story. You don’t always get that, and with Luke it was always about putting your heart into the performance and nothing less.”
During the downtime from filming Riverdale, Nichols has been hard at work on another project, a reboot of the Saw franchise as re-imagined by star Chris Rock. The film isn’t due to hit theatres until 2020, but it’s already a highly anticipated project. In it she plays Captain An- gie Garza, who is Rock’s boss. “The role was originally written for a man,” Nichols says, “and offered to a very well-known actor who turned it down, so here I am. In this age of women’s rights and gender equality coming more to light, I love that. We need more roles for and about strong female characters.”
Nichols would know a thing or two about strong female characters--she is one. The founder of the Foun- dation for a Slavery Free World, Nichols is an advo- cate against human trafficking. She balances her work on screen with her humanitarian efforts, and uses her status as a celebrity to help bring attention to the cause.
“I started hearing about human trafficking about 12 years ago but it seemed like a rumour,” Nichols says, “like a whispering campaign that wasn’t real. As I started hearing more about it, I began to be shocked and wanted and needed to learn more. When I dive into something, I dive into it wholeheartedly no matter what it is. I began meeting with the heads of different or- ganizations that were working in the field. Organiza- tions that had been dealing with this issue for a while, and I began to learn how big, how prolific it really was. After educating myself and seeing with my own eyes the issue first hand, I began to get the idea of forming my own foundation to be able to do something about it. I wanted to partner with those individuals and groups that were effective in this fight and use my voice in any way I could. But it was more to me than a spokesper- son, a celebrity endorsement or whatever, this was my own. I own this problem and therefore my own founda- tion was the next step.”
Over the years Nichols has met with government officials, Congressmen and Senators, law enforcement agencies and the Executive Branch of the White House.
She has even spoken before the United Nations. For her efforts Nichols has received several awards, including being recognized with the President’s Distinguished Volunteer Service Award under Barak Obama. In order to get that far though, she had to convince people she was there for a reason.
“When meeting with Congressman and Senators for the first time I think it took some of them a moment to get that I wasn’t there for a photo op,” Nichols says. “Once it was past the ‘Aw, isn’t she sweet’ phase we could actually get down to real communication on the issue.”
For both of her roles, as an actress and a humanitar- ian, Nichols has found inspiration in the form of her daughter Rain, whom she gave birth to almost 11 years ago. “Once you become a parent everything changes,” Nichols says, “you start looking at the world differently. I care very much about what I’m contributing to the world my daughter will inherit. Everything I do, not only in my humanitarian work but also in my career, will affect in some way her life. When I put things on social media, the roles I take or don’t take, are my de- cisions and I have to take responsibility for what I’m putting out there. Not only for my child but for other children as well.”
With role models that include Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, Nichols has a clear sense of the kinds of people she admires. “People who stand up for justice and what’s right and don’t sit back in silence wondering and hoping someone else does something,” Nichols says. “More than anything else, I admire those individuals that had and have the courage to be the voice that says NO to injustices, inhumanity and hu- man rights violations.” She also has a clear sense of the kinds of people she likes to work with when it comes to her career.
“I like to work with talented, giving, professionals in my field, whether that’s actors or directors,” Nich- ols says. “In an ideal world you have both. Acting is a collaboration and so it’s important who is part of that group and who you are depending on and who you can share that intimacy with.”
Whether she’s working with fellow actors or fight- ing for the rights of others, Nichols exhibits an admira- ble outspokenness and desire to be the best at what she does, making her an inspiration for other people to give their best as well.
22 Real Style Fall 2019