Marisol Nichols

Mother, actress, and activist, Marisol Nichols is the embodiment of a strong woman who doesn't let anyone bring her down, which, not coincidently, perfectly describes Hermione, her beloved character in Riverdale. Adding to her career as an actress, Marisol also fights for gender equality, which represents an important pursuit in her life and something the young Generation Z, the show's target audience, can learn from at this current stage in our society. This fall she is coming out with multiple projects and we at Bello sat down with the star to catch up on what's next.

The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence" – Beyoncé

Blazer THEORY

Q: How was your Bello Mag fashion shoot experience? And do you like playing dress-up ?

A: I had a great time shooting Bello. I’ve loved playing dress up ever since I was a kid and would try on my mom’s heels and her clothes. I'm happy with the clothes that we picked for the shoot and for different shots. I can’t wait to see how the photos turned out. One of the things I love about photo shoots is that you can play around with style. Something that may not work in real life, will look amazing in a photo. So style wise it gives me an opportunity to experiment with different styles of clothing that I may not pick for my every day life. I love that about fashion because you can communicate a mood, a thought and an emotion through another medium.

Top MOLLY BRACKEN | Pants ARMANI

Q: What is your personal style when it comes to fashion?

I feel that you should wear clothing that makes you feel beautiful. I’ll often get dressed depending on my mood and my emotions of the day. Something that shows me in the best light possible. I think clothes should enhance the person that you are. It should be you wearing the clothes and not the other way around. I prefer classics to trends as classics are timeless as I believe all beautiful should be.

Q: Riverdale is such an amazing show. What is the best part of working on it ?

A: The best part about working on Riverdale would be how enthusiastic the fans have been. Knowing that we’re playing a moment that is going to resonate with others is extremely rewarding. I love my cast and our writers. It’s really been such a blessing to not only work on a show I enjoy but to have the fans enjoy it so much.

Q: How did your character Hermione evolved so far , and where do you hope?

A: She’s evolved a lot. We met her in season one coming off a tragedy, extremely humbled and with a chance to start over. She made the best of it and I think was just beginning to enjoy her life when Hiram made his presence felt. That changed who she was as soon as she knew he was coming back. She can’t run from her demons even though she desperately tried to. They eventually caught up with her and she’s had to walk a fine line ever since. I hope that she will finally come into her own without bowing down to Hiram - that she’ll get some power for herself and eventually surprise everybody.

Q: Tell us some of your favorite experiences with cast and crew...

A: The first time we all really met each other and were sitting down to read the script aloud for the first time. That’s the first time I got to hear each character - how they were going to sound and how they would be portrayed. In television it’s so hit or miss. You try not to get too excited because you never know what’s going to happen. I remember after that first read through having to clamp my excitement because it felt we could possibly have something really special there. I think we all felt it.

Q: You posted an Instagram post the other day of a sign with the hashtag #He- ForShe which is a campaign launched by UN women to create gender equality. The post also stated that your costar in Riverdale, Mark Consuelos has partnered with the them. How are you involved in the campaign?

A: I have my own non-profit, Foundation for a Slavery Free World, with a particular focus on sex slavery. To me, as long as women are not equal to men there will always be violence against women, exploitation and in general suppression of women and their unique and incredible abilities. So He for She aligns with keeping women and children out of trafficking. It’s an educational problem. We need to stop seeing women and girls merely as sex objects and instead respect women and all they contribute to society. Women have a strength, an intelligence and a beauty that should not only be respected but revered. He For She is about men standing along side women and supporting them. That’s what we need to start changing the way society thinks.

Q: Are there other projects besides Riverdale you are working on?

A: Yes, I have a film coming out in October in the thriller genre that I’m excited about and I’m branching into production development.I have 3 different projects that are in different stages of development that I’m extremely passionate about. Check back in with me in 6 months . . . .

Q: Any plans for the fall?

A: I’m filming throughout the fall and winter. We start filming in July and don’t end until April so I will be flat out in Vancouver filming Riverdale.

Q: What are your favorite holidays?

A: I love the holidays. Christmas is my favorite. Since I had my daughter, the holidays changed for me because of her. It’s now about creating something special for her to experience. So I really enjoy going all out. I love decorating, baking Christmas cookies, Thanksgiving pies - just really celebrating the holiday and making it as special as I can. I like bringing the magic of he holidays to my home and creating a holiday world for my daughter.

Trench THEORY | Pants ARMANI | Shoes GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI | Earrings ZOE CHICCO

Dress DVF from Saks 5th Ave, Beverly Hills | Shoes GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI

Top LOEWE from Saks 5th Ave, Beverly Hills | Pants MONSE from Saks 5th Ave, Beverly Hills

Jumpsuit ALC from Saks 5th Ave, Beverly Hills | Earrings EF Collection | Scarf dMN

Blazer Stella McCartney from Saks 5th Ave, Beverly Hills

Blazer + Pants THEORY | Shoes TONY BIANCO

Photography TED SUN @tedsun77 | Styling SARA ACEVEDO @iamsaraacevedo | Hair GUI SCHOEDLER for Exclusive Artists using L'Oreal Professionnel | Makeup CRYSTAL TRAN @beautybycrystal for Exclusive Artists using Hourglass Cosmetics | Interview by HANNA VON MATÉRN