Marisol Nichols of "Riverdale": Forever a Friend of "Friends"
Long before taking up residence in The CW’s Riverdale, the unscrupulous Lodge couple, Hiram (Mark Conseulos) and Hermione (Marisol Nichols), were making their marks as Friends of Friends. Actor Cole Sprouse (who plays Jughead Jones on Riverdale) started the trend in season six, playing Ross’ son Ben, and as MediaVillage previously reported, Conseulos continued the trend in 2001 when he appeared as Officer Hanson (a.k.a “Handsome”), a cop Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) flirts with to avoid getting a speeding ticket, in season seven's The One with Chandler's Dad. Two years later, Nichols would follow suit, guest-starring in season 9’s The One with Rachel's Dream, playing Days of our Lives character Olivia, with whom Joey’s (Matt LeBlanc) character Dr. Drake Ramoray shares a love scene. “I was so happy to do Friends,” Nichols beamed when MediaVillage asked her about becoming a friend of Friends. “It was at the height of everything and I ended up kissing Joey. I was like, ‘Not bad for a guest star. I’ll take it -- no problem!’ I was a huge [Friends] fan, so when I got the call to do it, I was thrilled.”
However, before stepping foot on stage 25 of the Warner Bros. lot, Nichols had to pass an “awkward” audition. “It was one of those things where you had to audition, then [got the part] right there and then,” she recalled. “[That] was really odd and has never happened to me again. They kind of lined us up against a wall and said, ‘Okay Marisol, you got it.’ I do remember feeling a little uncomfortable as no one likes to see who didn’t get the part. So yeah, right in front of everyone? It was a little bit of an odd situation.
“From there I literally went to the stage from the audition, which is why they did it that way, and immediately had to learn the lines,” she continued. “But I liked that ‘jump into the hot seat approach’ as I do better at that than the alternative. From there it was trial by fire. ‘Hi Matt LeBlanc, I’m Marisol and now I’m going to kiss you.’ He was really great.” (Nichols and LeBlanc are pictured at top.)
Like so many actors who appeared on the show, Nichols admits to still being a Friends devotee. Having experienced life on the set first-hand, she has an insider’s view as to why its popularity endures. “Their comedic timing was impeccable, and that ensemble was just so good!” she said. “Nothing matched it. I still watch it whenever re-runs come on, although, my episode … I usually skip that one.”
As Riverdale gears up for its fourth season, beginning Wednesday, October 9, Nichols admits her Friends experience is one she still takes to work with her. “We are always really welcoming and nice to the guest stars who come to work with us,” she explained. “I know the cast members who have been here a while still have an appreciation for the success we have had so far. Hey, I just hope [like Friends] we get to ten seasons!
“I’m so happy with Riverdale,” she added in closing. “There are so many characters to service, that I get so happy when I have fun stuff to do. We’re all having a blast and are fortunate to be working with the people we are. We aren’t done telling stories yet.” (Consuelos and Nichols are pictured above in a scene from Riverdale.)
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Steve Gidlow
Steve Gidlow, a long-time columnist for MediaVillage ("Behind the Scenes in Hollywood"), has written about television and pop culture since 1994, beginning in Australia. Since moving to Hollywood in 1997, Steve has focused on celebrity interv…
