Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Nikki Duval Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Elana Cohen

Be supportive. It’s easy to be in competition with your peers. This industry is very hard, and we all want the same opportunities. But choose being supportive over being greedy. There’s room for all of us. And remember that you have what no one else in the whole world can offer as a performer. You are uniquely you. So don’t worry about Joe Shmoe stealing your part! There’s plenty of pie to go around!

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Nikki Duval.

Nikki Duval is an acclaimed actor who was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and currently based in Toronto, Canada. Nikki has amassed a significant body of work in major film and television productions including Imposters, Escaping the Mad House: The Nellie Bly Story opposite Christina Ricci, The Broken Hearts Gallery, Wynona Earp, The Novice, The Lake, and Killer High. Most recently, Nikki starred in the comedy series Strays, a spin-off of Kim’s Convenience, which centres on the character of Shannon Ross as she embarks on a new career in Hamilton as executive director of an animal shelter. The show aired for two seasons on CBC. Coming up next, Nikki can be seen returning as fan favourite Rosie Philipps in the final season of Workin’ Moms set to stream on Netflix on April 26th.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada. A little prairie girl who dreamed about one day moving to a big city and becoming an actor. I stayed in Winnipeg for most of my life, went to University there and studied theatre. Then moved to Montreal to continue my training at The National Theatre School of Canada before moving to Toronto and making my dream a reality.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I always go back to the moment that I realized I was meant to perform. I was a very insecure child, liked to hide myself away from any attention. Until I found a love for theatre in drama class. My first audition ever was for Les Miserable in Junior High. I did not get cast. My first experience of rejection. lol. But I didn’t let that stop me, I decided I needed to perform, so I enrolled myself for the school talent show to perform a dramatic monologue in front of my peers. I don’t know how I got the confidence. But I committed fully to making that monologue land. It was the first time I felt good about being seen. I felt like I found my calling. And it must have been good because the director of the school play offered me a part in Les Mis after seeing my performance. It was a magical moment.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I think the most interesting show I have been a part of, was a limited series on Crave TV called New Eden. It explored the inner workings of a fictional female cult in the 70s/80s. We filmed the show in a remote cabin in North Bay, Ontario. And for the first couple weeks the whole cast was women, in the sweltering summer heat. If you’ve ever been to North Bay, it has a very isolating small town vibe. And so it really felt like I had actually joined a cult. We had a couple of days filming these huge ceremonial scenes until the sun rose, where we were all half naked dancing in the deep bush, high on hallucinogenic honey. It was surreal and such a unique experience.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I started my career in the theatre. I was such a theatre actor. HUGE choices! She was larger than life! I mean you kind of have to be in the theatre to reach those nosebleed seats. So, when I first started auditioning for tv and film, I was kind of just thrown into it. I remember my first audition was for a lead of a show where the character had these huge dramatic monologues. And the theatre kid in me was like… Oh I GOT THIS. And of course, I went for it! So many dramatic pauses, overacting like crazy. I’m pretty sure the casting director was terrified. I specifically remember my agent getting feedback saying that I was way too much and my eyes were too big. lol. So that was a huge learning curve I had to hone. I had to learn how to internalize all of my acting instincts that I was used to externalizing. Slowly I learned. Although, my most repetitive note from directors to this day is “tone it down Nikki” She is, after all, a theatre kid at heart.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

So many wonderful colleagues have crossed my path throughout my career. It’s such a collaborative industry. But I wouldn’t be where I am today without my parents. They are not performers or artists. (Although my dad is a self taught guitar player!) We are a very blue collar family from Winnipeg. The notion of me following my dreams and becoming an actor was so far fetched in their minds, but yet they supported me. Yes, they had their reservations, but they knew how happy it made me and they believed in me. They supported me financially for many years of training, which is a privilege I do not take for granted. They are my biggest fans and I love them so very dearly for all that they have given me.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

Yes, make failure part of the journey. Embrace it. Because as an artist, you will fail. Over and over and over again. But instead of making failure an ending, make it a beginning of something new. Let it motivate you to move forward and to grow. Great art is born out of garbage.

Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?

I would like to see even more diversity represented. Women of all ages, people of colour, people with disabilities, larger bodies. I want to see every single type of human represented on the screen. Huge movements have been made in this direction. But I still see limitations. There are so many stories not being told. And it’s ridiculous. I’m honestly sick of seeing cookie cutter people screen. I find it so disinteresting. I want to see people that I see in my everyday life. I want to see variety! The world is filled with it, so why isn’t the entertainment industry?

You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?

I have been so blessed finding a voice in the comedy community. I love doing comedies so much. It brings me so much joy to make people laugh. And to make myself laugh! But I would love to explore more than just comedies. I find that this industry tends to pigeon hole actors. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful to be recognized for the work that I have done. But I am craving change. I am craving variety. I would love to do more dramatic work. Represent the raw, messy, complicated side of life. I am inspired by shows such as Swarm, Succession and Starstruck, to name a few.

We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?

It is vital for our industry to have more diverse representation. The entertainment industry represents the elite. We look up to our favourite performers. We idolize them. We put them on pedestals. If the entertainment industry only represents one group of people, then that same group of people in the real world will inherently have an advantage in life. We need to include every type of human into this eliteness. Everyone deserves a seat at the table. We need to hear a variety of stories that represent all cultures in the world. It creates understanding and familiarity. It creates equality. I would say that most of the hatefulness in this world is produced by fear of the unknown. If the entertainment industry represented every walk of life, then it would be the most powerful form of education. We need diverse stories being told to change the world.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. You need to believe (or at least pretend to believe) that you have a seat at the table. That you belong to be here. I would say I am just starting to realize this now in my career. I had major imposter syndrome for many years. But if you believe you are important. Others will also believe. You set the tone of how you want to be perceived.
2. Treat failing as part of the process. Treat it as a guarantee. This is very important. It will free you up to make bolder choices. And to keep going afterwards. It’s the only way to have peace in your heart in this business.
3. Don’t be ashamed of having a side job. Success in this industry is not a straight uphill line. It’s hills and valleys. You can have financially stable years and then you can find yourself struggling and need to seek out financial support. It is a part of being an artist and it does not mean you are unsuccessful. The fact that you are open to doing whatever it takes to sustain a career as an artist is beautiful.
4. Everyone is just an insecure as you are. We are artists. We are the most vulnerable people on this planet. Realizing that we all experience this self-loathing, even the most famous celebrities, should unite us. It makes us equal. Just remember that we are all insecure losers, and the industry will seem more reachable.
5. Be supportive. It’s easy to be in competition with your peers. This industry is very hard, and we all want the same opportunities. But choose being supportive over being greedy. There’s room for all of us. And remember that you have what no one else in the whole world can offer as a performer. You are uniquely you. So don’t worry about Joe Shmoe stealing your part! There’s plenty of pie to go around!

Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.

I struggle with self love. So to keep my mind positive, I do put a lot of effort into self care. Self care, to me, is working out everyday, eating primarily healthy balanced meals, drinking enough water, limiting my drinking and getting enough sleep. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I indulge. Which I also think is important for self care. It’s all about trying to maintain balance. If I am craving chocolate, then i’m going to eat chocolate! Listen to your body and your mind. And know your patterns of coping. I also strongly recommend therapy. It is a vital part of self care for me. I have a better understanding of what will bring happiness into my life and what tends to be an “easy fix”. Knowing yourself is the key to finding peace.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Beautiful things grow out of sh*t”

I think this applies to being an actor, but also has helped me find happiness in life. It means that you have to have moments of living in the shit. Being sad, depressed, unsettled, anxious. These are a part of life. And after all that crap, beautiful flowers will grow. Quite literally, flowers grow out of dirt. And it is a beautiful metaphor for being an artist and for life in general.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I think ways in which we can all be better, is to be open and listen to each other. I think change can come from small individual choices. If we all decide to take the time to listen and to be open, then it would reduce the amount of hate in this world. It starts from within. We all have judged others in some way. We all have looked down on people in another way. But if we can acknowledge that we are all flawed and have compassion around that, accept our mistakes and learn from them. I think that would contribute to huge positive change in this world.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

Oh wow! HUGE QUESTION! I look up to so many artists! Right now, in this moment, I’m going to say Pedro Pascal. He just seems like the sweetest little angel in the biz right now. Truly the most unthreatening man. But also so hot. It’s a great balance. So cute. So charming. And an extremely talented actor.

Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow me on instagram @nikkiduval

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!