Former Nickelodeon Star Ashley Argota Shares Swimsuit Photo From Bali Resort

1. Voice Prep

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Argota has a special drink to protect her vocal cords from strain. “I’ve always been a singer first, though, and I’m grateful to Rockwell Table and Stage for the great opportunity to sing,” she says. “And being able to do musical theater allows me to go back to my roots. As far as vocal prep, I’ve gotten stricter about it over the years. I’ve noticed that my voice tires rather quickly. Before shows, I now warm up for about an hour using the MyPurMist steamer and I even stretch my body. I also have a couple concoctions that I drink – one is with honey locust syrup and hot water and another is with hot water, apple cider vinegar, honey, and cayenne pepper.”

2. Starting Her Own Company

Argota and husband Mick Torres started their own production company, Mismo, after feeling pushed aside for roles. “We’re giving ourselves a seat at the table before anyone opens up a chair for us,” she says. “I think just one day that it dawned on me. I was like, oh my gosh it’s because I’m not white. I don’t look ‘American’ in the traditional sense. And it made me angry.”

3. Panto Queen

Argota loves doing pantomime shows. “The Pantos have become a staple of my year,” she says. “My first one was Aladdin six years ago, where I played Jasmine. I was immediately hooked. The shows are so much fun to do, and watching the kids in the audience light up when they see their favorite fairy tale characters come to life, or when they hear their favorite song, or laugh at a funny joke, is just incredible. The Pantos are fun for both kids and their parents, and I love how it brings families together for the holidays. I've also met some of my closest friends doing these shows! I've been so fortunate to be a part of this world for so many years.”

4. Reality Of Work

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Argota says the reality of work on set is not always glamorous. “I just remember being on True Jackson sometimes and we had our taping days on Thursdays and Fridays, but on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays all of us are coming in under-slept, no makeup on, hair is in a bun, sweatpants, reading from a script,” she says. “I remember looking around at one point and being like, ‘Wow, this is not what I thought having a regular job as an actor would be at all.”

5. Manifesting a Dream Role

Argota would love to be involved in an A Series of Unfortunate Events adaptation. “For the past couple of years I’ve played characters that are all over the place,” she says. “I’ve played the mean cheerleader, a rock star girl, a bionics person – I think I’ve covered a lot of the bases here. But you know what I loved when I was little? They already made a movie of the first three books, but I loved A Series of Unfortunate Events. That was my favorite book series ever for the longest time. If they ever remade those movies, I think I’d love to be Violet. “