Nikki Duval lives to move audiences through entertainment. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to learn more about others.“I love telling stories and making an impact on people,” she says. “Whether that be to touch their hearts or to make them laugh, I am always motivated to create change in people. I love exploring humanity and I’m always curious as to how much I can learn about it through art.” She immediately knew Workin’ Moms was the project for her. Never before had she seen such an honest portrait of what the early months of motherhood are like. “When I first read the scripts, I just thought that the writing was so funny and at the same time was telling a narrative about new motherhood that I hadn’t seen before. It was a real, raw, unedited exploration about the honest struggles of being a new mom. It was refreshing to see women being represented this way and I knew I needed to be a part of this project!” The show achieved incredible success. The fact that it has made such an impact on mothers was the cherry on top. “It is such an honor to be a part of something that is so impactful and beloved by so many. I receive countless messages from fans, specifically new mothers, sharing that this show has helped them get through the first months of being a new mom stuck at home, not knowing what the hell they were doing! I am so in awe of women going through childbirth and then entering motherhood. They are the strongest humans on this planet and I am very grateful to be recognized for my work that has inspired comfort and entertainment for these women.”
Her character Rosie’s evolution has paralleled her own. “I think she has had such an interesting journey from the first season. She started off as just a little assistant to Kate, super new to the job. Then slowly became a designer and then to become a partner at the firm at the end of season 6! I was such a newbie actor when I started season 1, I was fresh out of theater school and kind of thrown into the world of film and tv. So I am very proud of how far Rosie has come in the show and I definitely feel the parallels of my own personal growth as an actor throughout the series too.” Nikki is so honored to have shepherded Rosie to this point in her life. “I think for the first time, we see Rosie have more confidence and really take her space in season 7. She finally has agency at the firm and follows her gut, takes initiatives. So I can totally see her heading in that direction even further. Perhaps even starting her own PR firm one day! But I also think she is very loyal to Kate and would happily work beside her until the end of time.” The cast has an unbreakable bond. Nikki feels wistful about the end of the series. “I have been so lucky to work with such amazing people over nearly a decade of my life. Throughout the years I have become very close with Kevin Vidal, who plays Mo, and Peter Keleghan, who plays Richard. These two talented men are my family. I will miss working with them tremendously. I love being on set with them, making them laugh, and being stupid together. The vibes on set are always so fun and we have great chemistry, we always know what each other is going to bring to the table. It’s very special to be excited to go to work and feel supported and safe every day.”
Workin’ Moms provides comfort through the complications of parenthood. “Life is messy and it’s okay. I love that the show highlights the struggles of motherhood and the everlasting support of friendship. And that it truly takes a village to get through these struggles. We all make mistakes in life and we all learn from them and I love shows that aren’t afraid to be ugly, and expose that life is never picture perfect. This is so important in mainstream media because we all go through these experiences. It’s a nice reminder that we are all in this together. There is support in numbers.” Nikki is happily awaiting her next acting adventure. “I will always strive to push myself as an artist. I want to be in projects that excite me and challenge me. Take on roles I have never done before. I love doing comedy so much, but I also feel a desire to explore more genres of film and tv. I am also currently filming the Netflix Christmas movie, Meet Me Next Christmas, starring Christina Milian and The Pentatonix. It’s a super charming and funny love story with all the warm holiday fuzzies!” There’s joy to be found in every season.
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Nikki Duval Says Farewell to “Workin’ Moms,” Photo Credit: Whitney Erin Smith. Hair/MUA: Brittany Sinclair.
