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Sam Morelos can appreciate a healthy dose of nostalgia. When she sits down with us to spill about her Netflix hit, That '90s Show, she immediately confesses she's spent the morning reliving old mems—admiring (and occasionally cringing at) pics from a photo album. Relatable. 

It only makes sense that Sam would indulge in a little blast from the past, especially given that she's leading a show set in the heart of the '90s (think: grunge music, mom jeans, butterfly clips). In the popular spinoff to That '70s Show, Sam graces the screen as the driven, dry-humored and darling Nikki. 

Returning to the fictional town of Point Place while filming this second season was a major win for Sam, who scored her role following an open casting call (translation: she had no agent, no manager—just sheer talent). "Right when we were starting season two, the whole gang was back in the same set again and all of the fun nostalgia just came flooding back," she says with a smile. 

Game for a walk down memory lane? Read on for the inside scoop on Sam's acting secrets, her genuine love for her character and her inner theater kid. 

Girls' Life: When Season 2 begins, where do we pick up with Nikki and the gang?

Sam Morelos: The moment that the season starts, you see Leia coming home for the summer. It's really in the middle of this conflict that we left off with last season. [It's awesome] being able to jump in right where there's tension under the surface of all the gang's interactions—especially for Nikki, Nate and Leia.  

GL: And can you tease anything that might be in store for your character Nikki?

Sam: Well, I'm biased because she's me. But she honestly has the best character arc of the season. We got a taste of how ambitious she is: She's laser-focused and knows exactly what she wants. In this next season, you see Nikki faced with the conflict of being a teenage girl. She goes through this cycle of: I want to be my own person. I want to focus on my friends and have fun. It's a story that all teenagers know too well. 

GL: Is striking that balance something you struggled with in your own life?

Sam: I totally lived it. I had just graduated high school when we shot this season. I had friend drama, I had work and I was also doing college applications. You're expected to put yourself under this microscope, and, like, tell everyone who exactly Sam Morelos is in about 800 words. Having just come off that experience, I was able to just sit with Nikki and hold her hand and be all like: Okay, let's do this together.

GL: Awh! Pretty sweet to think about you and Nikki braving things together. 

Sam: I see a character of mine as my best friend. There's a relationship there between me, Sam the actor, and Nikki the character. I care about Nikki and I care about what she wants, and I'm never gonna judge her.

GL: Outside of That '90s Show, what other projects get you excited?

Sam: Theater will always be my first love. It's a different kind of thrill, being live in front of an audience and being immersed in the show, because you have to memorize two hours' worth of lines, cues, things like that. My favorite thing about theater is the intimacy and the urgency of it, because you are relaying a message to the audience right then and there. 

Photo by Raen Pelagio Badua

GL: So you're drawn to that "The show must go on" mentality? 

Sam: Completely. In theater, you can't just say, "Excuse me, director. I can't go on tonight." One time, I was in a production of Newsies, and we were rehearsing the fight sequences minutes before the audience came in. I was too into it and got pushed to the ground. My head hit the stage hard, and I got this gnarly concussion. They had to call in someone from the dance ensemble to fill in. But there's a beauty of everyone being so committed to the production that whatever happens— rain, shine, concussion—we will tell this story.

GL: Do you have a dream role you'd love to play someday?

Sam: My dream role doesn't exist because it hasn't been written yet. I will say, I've always had this pipe dream of being in an action movie. It's my secret dream to do my own stunts. On the other hand, I've always wanted to be Rizzo in Grease because I come from a musical background. I like to sing and Rizzo is, of course, an alto queen.

💚 Four fast faves with Sam 💚 

The first song on her summer playlist: "Chappell Roan. I've been listening to 'Red Wine Supernova' at least three times daily."

The next item on her bucket list: "I'm going on a trip to Hawaii, and I really wanna paraglide."

The flick she wants to make someday: "I've tried writing things with some of my friends—coming-of-age, road-trippy movies. Like Lady Bird-esque or Little Miss Sunshine."

The most-loved item from her closet: "I've always been a jorts person. Jorts all the way."

Catch the second season premiere of That 90s Show on Netflix rn! 

Top and slider image: Raen Pelagio Badua

by Madelon Basil | 6/27/2024