With a long and prolific career in television and film, Marisol Nichols has become a familiar face to many. In recent years, she may be the most recognizable thanks to her tenure on The CW’s dark and weird Archie Comics reimagining, “Riverdale.” Nichols co-stars as Hermione in the series, Veronica Lodge’s (Camille Mendes) resourceful mother. Throughout her time on the show, Hermione has been a sympathetic character as well as a villain. Formerly married to Veronica’s corrupt and mob-influenced father, Hiram (Mark Consuelos), Hermione is often at the center of shading dealings going down in Riverdale.
The teen drama is full of twists and turns but it isn’t the only experience Nichols has had on the villainous side. Her long acting career has featured many TV guest-starring roles, including one episode of “NCIS: Los Angeles.” Nichols puts her acting talents to use in the memorable episode from an early season of the series.
In Season 2, Episode 6 of “NCIS: Los Angeles,” titled “Standoff,” Marisol Nichols portrays Callen’s (Chris O’Donnell) old CIA partner who has found herself in hot water. Tracy Keller (Nichols) first appears holding a Navy Recruitment Center hostage at gunpoint. When Callen arrives, she tells him that she actually needs his help because a white supremacist group is after her. Though she seems convincing at first, the team soon comes to realize she has spun a complicated web of lies so she can escape to the Cayman Islands with a cache of money.
There is no white supremacist group. As it turns out, the entire story was a plot concocted by Tracy as a coverup for her deal with an arms dealer. Along the way, Tracy kills FBI agents and tries to use her past relationship with Callen to manipulate the situation to her advantage, making her the prime antagonist of the episode. Nichols demonstrates her great propensity for complicated characters who are out for themselves. She sells each lie that she tells effortlessly and although she is found out in the end, she makes for an interesting and captivating villain.
Link to original article from Carolyn Jenkins, Looper