Jul
17
Nichole Galicia is one sexy Afro-Latina!
Galicia has been all over the world modeling and during all of that she was also starting her acting career. One of her biggest roles was playing Sheba in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.
She has now moved on into the future with her new show on Syfy, Defiance. The show takes place in the future on a completely transformed Earth and is well into it’s third season. The hot Panamanian American actress took a break from her galatic adventure to catch up with us about her role on the show, her love of art and more.
EXCLUSIVE: Nichole Galencia Talks Wish I Was Here, Her Top Beauty Tips More!
Read it all in our exclusive interview below:
Tell us about your character in Defiance?
Kindzi is every character I’ve ever wanted to play rolled up into one. She’s tough, smart, sexy and has plenty of attitude. It was an adrenaline rush playing such a physical, aggressive role.
What is it like playing a fierce warrior from an alien race?
I loved being powerful and feared. It’s like playing the Godfather, but painted purple with fangs. It was epic. Kindzi is always unexpected, she is tough and she is highly skilled. I’m forever spoiled, I don’t know how I will ever play another pretty girlfriend after breathing Kindzi’s air.
You play an alien on Defiance did you have to learn an alien language?
I speak plenty of English on Defiance but I do also speak the native tongue of the planet Omec called Kinuk’aaz. Created by conlanger David J. Peterson. This man is brilliant. David created the language Dothraki for Game of Thrones among other languages including all of the languages on Defiance and has said that Kinuk’aaz is his most challenging language to date. It is a mixture of Zulu, Georgian and German. There are lots of growls and aggressive consonants that one must master to speak Kinuk’aaz fluently but I hope fans give it a try. So I am officially a part of Kinuk’aaz forever!
The characters of Defiance are very impressive to look at. How much time took it to transform into Kindzi everyday?
My Kindzi transformation takes about 3 – 5 hours depending on what I’m wearing. Most days I only have to have my face, neck and hands painted so that takes three hours. My whole body takes five hours with two make-up artists working simultaneously. The wig, the strategically placed sound pack, the makeup, the contact lenses, teeth and wardrobe…it takes a village of humans to create an alien. I’m a bit biased, but visually the Omec are the most stunning aliens on Defiance. There is so much detail in our make-up, so many layers and colors went into creating Kindzi. The prosthetic teeth are so realistic, my painted contact lenses really bring everything together and Simonetta Mariano our amazing costumer outdid herself with the wardrobe. The Omec are a visual feast from head to webbed toe!
What do you do to get prepared for your role?
I auditioned and less than two weeks later I was on set so I didn’t have much time to spare in my preparations. And just to make things complicated, I was in New Zealand at the time, 16 hours and one day into the future away so I auditioned, did my callback, went to producers and tested for the network all by taping myself. This role was meant to be mine because that never happens. In additional to creating a character, I needed to get my body in the best shape ever so I worked out with G Force Home Training in Toronto and had a personal trainer come to my house 5-6 days a week. If you can survive a workout with Gidon, you can survive anything! I also went to Pilates, yoga and ballet barre classes and did some boxing. To be a warrior, first one must look like a warrior.
How do you incorporate your Latin roots into your character Kindzi?
Kindzi is basically my Aunt Meerze. Meerze is a Pedro Almodovar character: sexy, scheming, smart and extremely loyal to her family. You go to Meerze when you need someone to keep your secrets, help you hatch a plan or bail you out when your plan is going bust. She might even eat you if get on her bad side. The women of my family had a lot to do with Kindzi’s tone. The Galicia girls are all characters, they wake up in hair and makeup, they are all smart, they are all loyal, they stick together and if you have a problem with one god help you because you have a problem with all of them. I didn’t need to look far to find the basis for playing a strong woman. I come from strong women.
Defiance is a hit for the Syfy Channel, what was it like jumping onto a series that has already had two successful seasons?
Joining the third season of Defiance as a series regular I felt like a foreign exchange student on her first day of class. I was literally in a new country, entering into a TV family that was clearly close knit, hired in the 11th hour, and just like magic it all worked out. The stars of our show Grant Bowler and Julie Benz went out of their way to show me the ropes and welcome me into the Defiance family. The exceptionally talented Jamie Murray (who plays Stahma) and I will be friends forever. She and the rest of the cast basically said “whatever you need, call anytime”. My only complaint was the bitter cold; filming outdoors in the weather was beyond brutal. Other than that I could not have asked for a better role, a more talented cast, or more supportive crew.
Talk to us about your modeling.
Models get a bad rap for being stupid, but you show me another 16 year running her own business, navigating Europe, Asia, America and Africa, impacting the major brands and creating art that one would refer to as a dummy? None of the models I know are stupid. They are all well traveled, small business owners with an appreciation for fashion and a firm grasp on their self-value. I loved my modeling career. It has been a vital part in my education of the world and it’s what leads me to acting. I had a family that set boundaries and rules for me that saved me from many of the stereotypical pitfalls of the industry. And should I break one of those rules I had swift and certain consequences whether I had a $4000/day catalogue booking or not. You don’t mess with my mother, what she says goes in our house. Period. Discipline, respect and a healthy dose of kept my head on straight. I was with one of the biggest modeling agencies in the world, I worked for some of the biggest magazines and brands and I loved every minute of it.
You collect art and you love Formula One car racing, how did both of those happen?
I had an Italian boyfriend who basically ignored me every race. So I could either watch with him or wonder why he was screaming at the screen. I grew up with art. My very first expensive gift to myself was a painting. Some girls buy shoes but I buy art.
Can you tell us what is to come this season of Defiance?
Season 3 of Defiance is the best season yet. The writers have really out done themselves. The season is full of action, twists and brilliant storylines. I’m obviously sworn to secrecy about the plot points but I can tell you a lot of Votans will be saying Kindzi k’uttemaz!
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