Pop Culturalist Chats with Niki Koss

It’s official! Niki Koss is Hollywood’s newest “It” girl. She stars alongside Bella Thorne and Carter Jenkins in Freeform’s addictive new series, Famous in Love. Based on the bestselling novels by Rebecca Serle, Famous in Love centers around Paige Townsen (Bella Thorne), an ordinary college student who gets her big break after auditioning for a starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Niki Koss plays Alexis, a confident and entitled actress who tries out for the same role. Can you smell the drama? The show was developed by Pretty Little Liars very own, I. Marlene King. And it promises to be your newest guilty pleasure.

Not only is Niki Koss a talented actress, she also co-created and directed the digital series, Royals which won the “Best Web Series” and “Audience Choice Short Film” awards at the Laughlin International Film Festival. We were lucky enough to chat with Niki about Famous in Love and how she got her start in acting.

Famous in Love Questions

PC: Tell us about your character and the show!
Niki: The show is about a girl who auditions for a Twilight-type movie and gets the part and essentially becomes famous overnight and has to navigate the crazy world of Hollywood and I play a movie star who sort of serves as her competition in the beginning.

PC: Were you familiar with the books before you auditioned and what drew you to this project?
Niki: I was not familiar with the books before I auditioned but I read them very quickly within the audition process and loved them right away. I think I read one twice actually! What drew me to the project specifically was obviously Marlene King. It would draw anyone to it with her name on it alone. I fell in love with the pilot, my character, and the whole show in general.

PC: What was it like working with Marlene and did she have any advice for you or the cast, considering all the success she’s had, especially with Freeform?
Niki: Marlene is amazing. She’s actually a momma bear. She really takes care of all her actors; we’re like her children in a way. It was amazing working with Marlene! She’s inspiring, professional, focused, and so intelligent that even still when I’m around her, I get so excited to see her.

PC: What are some of the similarities and differences that you share with your character?
Niki: I think my character’s career is unbelievably important to her and we definitely share that. She’s also very glamorous, she loves fashion, she loves making a statement wherever she goes. She is also very calculated and determined and when she wants something, she will stop at nothing. She gets it and I think we also have that in common. She’s a little bit more dramatic than I am in real life and it’s kind of ridiculous how she likes to go about doing things sometimes I think I may be a less creative version.

PC: Has it ever been strange being an actress playing an actress?
Niki: It’s super weird, especially when we’re shooting scenes on the show that are supposed to be us shooting a movie within the show. It’s very Inception-like. We all mix up different character names. It’s confusing sometimes but it’s really fun.

PC: Do you remember the first project that you auditioned for?
Niki: This is a crazy story actually. I was on a flight with my mom and I got a voicemail from my manager who said I had an audition and I had to turn back around. Now, if that would’ve happened today, I would say “reschedule it for when I get back”, but I was so new, I had no idea. We literally turned back around and came home and I got to the audition and totally bombed it.

PC: What drove you to become an actress? Was there a specific moment?
Niki: I’ve always wanted to be an actress ever since I can remember and it’s more something I always knew I would do at one point, but there was this one chunk of time in high school when I just stopped and then in my junior year of high school, a homeless guy came up to me in the street and was like “you’re going to be an actress” and I swear to God I was like “yeah, I’m going to be an actress”.

PC: Do you think this show is a good depiction of what Hollywood life is like?
Niki: I think the show in general depicts Hollywood really accurately. Of course, it’s a show – parts are glorified but for the most part, I’d say it’s pretty realistic. The way Paige gets her role is really through a miracle. She goes to an open casting where they let anyone audition; it’s rare. She gets the part and I think that is a little bit more of a miracle than realistic, but the rest of the show is really on point with how it is.

PC: Did you guys know that Freeform was going to make it a binge-from-the-start show?
Niki: We didn’t know! I was so excited to learn that.

PC: Why do you think Famous in Love lends itself to being Freeform’s second binge-from-the-start show?
Niki: I know it was very successful what they did early on with Beyond and I think they have a lot of confidence in our show. They thought it would be the perfect match.

PC: Besides Alexis, is there another character on the show that you would like to play and why?
Niki: I usually say Pepi’s character – Tangey Turner. She’s an awesome pop star. She gets to wear a lot of great clothes. I think also I would love to play Bella’s character, Paige, because she is kind of awkward and goofy.

PC: We want to play a little word association with you. So, what’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of Bella?
Niki: Fireball

PC: Carter?
Niki: Charming

PC: Keith?
Niki: Angel

PC: Georgie?
Niki: Cutie pie

PC: Charlie?
Niki: Mushball

PC: What are you excited for fans to see?
Niki: Honestly, I’m most excited to see people’s reactions to it and to see if they are as in love with it as I am and the rest of the cast is.

PC: What can you tease about Famous in Love?
Niki: It’s gonna get really steamy!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Niki: Sex and the City

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Niki: The Notebook

PC: Favorite book?
Niki: Why Men Love Bitches

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Niki: Jersey Boys

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Niki: Lana del Rey

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Niki: Instagram

PC: Hidden talent?
Niki: Tweezing eyebrows

Make sure to follow Niki on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And binge-watch the entire season of Famous in Love on Freeform.com and the Freeform App after its series premiere tonight at 9 P.M. EST!

Photo Credit: Freeform/Nino Munoz