Nikki Duval is an acclaimed actor who was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is 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 centers 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. Currently, Nikki can be seen returning as fan favorite Rosie Philipps in the final season of Workin’ Moms streaming now on Netflix.
Nikki caught up with K9 Magazine to talk about her dogs, work, and life.
Tell us all about all the dogs you've loved in your life. (this is your chance to tell us everything about your dogs, past or present. Names, ages, breeds - we want to know everything!)
I never had a dog growing up, and to be honest, was kind of scared of them when I was younger. But one of my dearest friends was visiting last summer and she brought her dog, Pancake.
Pancake is an absolute angel of a dog. She is the sweetest, calmest, little companion. She is a 7-year-old mini-size cockapoo. She truly changed my mind about dogs and solved all my fears.
I fell so hard for her that I decided to look into getting my own little pup, which is how Rosie came into the picture! Rosie is my soulmate, my mini-me. She is one year old already! (sad- she’s growing up too fast ) and she is a toy Cavapoo.
You're obviously a huge dog lover. How long have dogs been a major part of your life and how would you explain the importance of dogs to someone who hadn't ever experienced the joy of a canine/human relationship in their life?
I wasn’t always a dog lover! I wasn’t used to having them in my life. But now that I have Rosie, I could never imagine my life without her. She is my best friend, the love of my freakin’ life! She is so silly and quirky.
Full of energy and the sweetest, kindest-hearted little bundle of joy I’ve ever known. I never knew I could love something so much. She has given me so much happiness. Sometimes I look at her and cry a little. lol. Highly recommend!
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What are your favorite things to do with your dog(s)?
I love how active she makes me. She is still a puppy and part poodle, so she has endless energy. She loves being outside, which is a plus. I get outside every day for at least an hour and we play in the park with her ball!
She’s also very social and loves being with me and my friends. And absolutely loves other doggies! I also love when she’s sleepy and cuddles up to me at night. My happy place.
You have a really interesting career... What advice would you give to the many people who wanted to follow your path in career terms? What are the absolute best (and worst) things about your work?
It takes a lot of courage to follow a career in the arts. It is unpredictable and the measure of success has peaks and valleys. This can seem daunting, so my advice is to keep pushing forward.
Never take failure as an ending. Failing is a part of art. It makes us learn, it pushes us to make new choices, dig deeper. Failure causes us to be vulnerable and vulnerability is beautiful. It’s what we as an audience want to see on the screen. So embrace the fear.
If you allow yourself to make mistakes and focus on being open and honest, then I guarantee you, you will flourish as an artist.
Here are our quick-fire questions, are you ready?
Which do you prefer and why?
Big dogs or little dogs?
Little!
Calm, relaxed dogs or dogs who live at 100mph?
Calm, please. lol
Dogs who do as they're asked most of the time or dogs who do pretty much whatever they like whenever they like?
Goals is to have a dog who does as she’s asked! Which happens (almost) most of the time.
Dogs who love to walk by your side or dogs who like to race off and cover ten thousand yards in 3 seconds?
Walk by my side. Unless they are somewhere they can run around, then I love watching them go!
Days off or days at work?
Days at work! Love what I do!
The fastest route or the scenic route?
Scenic Route.
Nighttime or early morning?
Early morning for sure.
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Describe the last time you laughed out loud because of something you saw a dog do.
Oh, literally every time Rosie looks at me after she’s been napping. When her ears are folded up and half her curls are smooched into her face. She looks so cute and ridiculous.
Makes me laugh! Or when she wants attention and she does this little gasp sneeze at me. Her ears flop forward and I die.
What do you like to do in your downtime?
I like to connect with my friends, relax at home with a good show or a good book. Go for endless walks with Rosie. I like to fill my days, but only do things that make me happy, and not stressful.
Let us in on a secret that very few people know about you.
I went through a punk stage in my younger years and got a neck tattoo. I regretted it shortly after, and then years later had it removed. It was way more expensive and painful than getting the actual tattoo.
What is your current favorite…?
TV show?
Succession.
Album?
Everything to Everyone: Renee Rapp.
Film?
Recent- Banshees of Inisherin.
Website?
Does Instagram count?
Animal charity(s)?
Toronto Humane Society
If you had to choose just one, what product or service would you say has most changed your life do you think and why? (can be technology, beauty, food, pet-related, book - anything)
F45! I have joined the cult and I’m obsessed. I love the location I go to, they are all so lovely and supportive. It’s honestly my favorite thing to do every morning. And it keeps me both physically and mentally healthy!
Tell us about some of the most memorable moments from your work.
My favorite scene to shoot on Workin’ Moms was from season 3, where Rosie (my character- yes I named my dog after her) gets fired. It was a crazy scene to film because I basically had to desperately cry for 4 hours.
But it’s a comedy, so although it was emotionally draining, it was really fun to dive into that desperation.
Finish the following sentence, "Dogs are..."...
Dogs are full of love!
And finally, this is always a tough question and often requires some serious thought… If dogs had the ability to speak and you could ask your dog just one question and one question only, what would you ask them and what do you think that they'd say?
Omg! I think I would ask her if she misses her biological family. I often think of how sad it is to separate a puppy from her mother and siblings. And I always imagine one day that we will randomly meet a sibling of hers in the park.
And she will remember them and it will be a heart-wrenching reunion. She also is always drawn to small dogs that look similar to her, so I do wonder if she yearns to be reconnected with her family.
Ugh, truly so sad. Breaks my heart. If I knew where they were in the world, I would help her connect with them!
This is an opportunity to talk about any causes, projects, business ventures, etc that are important to you and you'd like us to tell our readers about.
Keep your eye out for me in this season of The Lake, on Amazon Prime, which premiered in June. And the upcoming Netflix Christmas movie, Meet Me Next Christmas, starring Christina Milian and The Pentatonix!
Thanks, Nikki!
Photo credits: Kristin Ruddick
