Rachel Nichols
I love the physicality side of roles, I really do, And when I get to do my own stunts, it's that much cooler. I'll do anything the production safety people will let me.
One of the great things about the sci-fi genre is that you can kind of get away with a bit more when talking politics, making social references or dealing with very hot-button topics because it is sci-fi.
I started dealing with weapons on the first show I ever did, 'The Inside,' but I didn't really do any physical stuff until 'Alias.'
Fight scenes are like learning a dance. You learn it move by move, and then you put it all together and it looks awesome when you edit it together. It's great!
It's a confidence booster for me to be known as a female who can take on any action, which is nice, to have that reputation, because then people know that when they hire me, I can actually do the physical stuff.
I'd like to do a little bit more adventurous TV. Maybe Showtime or HBO or just a little bit edgier. But I would go back to NBC, CBS, whatever.
I'd like to do a comedy, actually. I think it would be great to do a sitcom or something like that. I'm pretty much open to anything.
I've seen 'Silence of the Lambs,' like, fifty or sixty times. That's my favorite movie of all time.
I love the action that I'm able to do. I grew up in Maine, outdoors and playing with the boys and shooting skeet. I have my girly side, too. But, I do like playing the strong female roles, especially now with something as simple as Twitter, where you've got young women following you.
I have a lot of Twitter rules. I never swear on Twitter, and if anybody's inappropriate, I block them. I have young followers.
I'd like to think, if I was ever in a fight, I'd win, although I'd probably run in the opposite direction.
You don't want me to sing. I could do a really bad karaoke scene, if I had to, but I'd probably choose to rap.
When you get to the point where you're established enough that people link you with something, especially being an action hero babe, it's awesome. Because then you can fight the battles and have the crossbows and wrestle with swords and ride the horses because you're already believable; people see you in that genre.
The first thing I learned about weapons is respect, and that carries into movies as well. If you're on set and you're dealing with weapons, live or not, you respect the weapon; you know how to handle it appropriately.
Sci-fi fans are awesome. They're very smart, they like to be involved, they like to ask questions. I've been asked questions I don't even know the answer to. I've never had any aggressive interactions. I've had lovely interactions.
'Alias' was very action-packed. 'G.I. Joe' and 'Conan' were very action-packed. It's been established that I can do action, which is great, but now I may just want to make out with a really hot guy.
My first modeling job in Paris, the photographer said, 'Tue es belle,' which means, 'you are pretty,' and I thought he said, 'Tu es poubelle,' which means, 'you are the trash can.' I burst into tears. He was not happy about that.
I'd love to do a movie where I actually get to be kind of quirky and odd and dorky and all that stuff. My parents would like to see some movies where I'm not in peril. They'd appreciate it.
I spend an extraordinary amount of time in my car, so I can justify the expense. That's the only extravagance in my life - it's my car.
I love to personalize things. I love to make things my own. I like to name everything - from cars to iPhones to the socks I just lost.
I've always driven big SUVs. I'm from Maine, and there's a point to driving a big SUV in Maine. I don't really need a 4WD in L.A., but on the 405, people are crazy, and you need a tank. I like the visibility factor.
I'd love to drive a Bugatti - something totally ridiculous but super fast.
I normally work out six days a week. I'll do Pilates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and I'll do cardio on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
I love having wine with my meals. And if I splurge, I'm going to splurge big, because if I deny my cravings, it just ends up backfiring on me, you know?
I used to hate working out - until I learned how to do it properly.
I never pile a plate to the point where it overflows. I'd rather have a small plate with small portions and then get up for more if I'm still hungry.
I do love my wine. I'd opt to drink my calories rather than eat them every time, so I cut out the breads, potatoes, pastas, cheeses and desserts in an effort to get my healthy angel and unhealthy demon to compromise.
Kudos to you for generating enough sweat that it actually drips off of your body - and all over the machine you are using at the time. If you sweat a lot, that's fine, but wipe down the damn machine when you're done... or I will confront you, and it will not be pretty.
Look, maybe I'm just not good at multi-tasking and am, therefore, jealous of those of you who can get in a workout while yammering on your cell phone, but for the love of all that is good and pure, shut your yap!
Apparently, despite my awareness of its pejorative connotation, procrastinating is something I fall victim to quite frequently. I'm not proud of it; I'm just being honest.
Everything you've heard about Canadians apologizing profusely for things they shouldn't be sorry about is absolutely true. It is both sweet, endearing and worrisome at the same time. Having someone apologize for no reason actually makes me feel as though I should apologize for their need to apologize.
I adore anything Michael Alexis writes.
Hockey seems completely lawless and, therefore, inexplicably sexy.
There's something about the darkness that I find unavoidably intoxicating. The knowledge that other people are sleeping and, therefore, unavailable to ruin my solitude, makes me more peaceful than I am during the day.
Yes, I was the child who would sneak into her closet and read 'Nancy Drew' for hours after the designated 'lights out' time of night.
I am much more productive late at night because I have no one to look to for entertainment aside from myself.
I think that being read to every night is the reason why I was plowing through volume after volume of 'Nancy Drew' books all by myself by the time I reached the first grade. I loved stories. I loved the escape. I had a vivid imagination.
I remember thinking that people were crazy for reading the same book more than once, but I now have a new-found appreciation for the re-discovery of literature. The lessons we learned from books in the school curriculum are reinvented and updated when we read as adults.
My house is filled with books, most of which I have read, some of which I intend to eventually get to. I'm always reading at least one work of fiction and one work of non-fiction simultaneously. Whatever mood I'm in, there's always a book nearby to suit it.
Don't get me wrong, I love watching episodes of my favorite shows on Hulu and reading the daily trash on PageSix, but I also embrace the opportunity to settle down with a good book and let my mind travel to another place and time.
I don't care what size you are or how old you are - once you see the results brought to you by regular exercise, you'll wonder how you survived without it.
Once your body is in workout-mode, a few days off won't hurt. Muscle memory is magical. If you work out consistently, you can afford to miss a few sessions and your body will gladly pick up where you left off.
There's nothing I hate more than gritty, linty, mysterious pocket schmutz in the cap of my lip moisturizer - or, even worse, on the applicator itself. I shudder at the thought.