Nikki DeLoach, one of Hallmark’s most cherished leading ladies (she’s starred in more than 20 movies and counting), returns to Countdown to Christmas in A Grand Ole Opry Christmas—a first-ever collaboration with the iconic venue for its 100th anniversary. Featuring original music by Brad Paisley and co-starring Kristoffer Polaha, the film follows a woman confronting long-buried memories as she returns to the stage that shaped her family’s legacy.
Off-screen, DeLoach is just as committed to giving back as she is to her craft. After Children’s Hospital Los Angeles saved her youngest son, she served as President of its Foundation Board of Trustees and now co-chairs a $1.25 billion campaign supporting the hospital’s mission to provide world-class care to children everywhere—a cause she even designed a custom charm bracelet to support. Her advocacy extends beyond pediatric care, too: she honors her late father through her work with Mind What Matters, serving on its board and co-hosting its caregiving podcast, and she is a Celebrity Champion for the Alzheimer’s Association.
In the midst of it all—and fresh off the Hallmark float for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, DeLoach found a moment to sit down with us to talk beauty, balance and the season that always brings her home.
What are you most excited about as we roll into the holiday season with your shows? The world loves a good Hallmark movie.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited for one of my Hallmark movies to air than I am with A Grand Ole Opry Christmas. It was a dream come true for me as a young girl growing up in the South, knowing about the Grand Ole Opry, loving country music and all the legends who grace its stage. It was such a meaningful place to my father and me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine getting to be a part of something like this.”
I’m not sure how you have time to do all this but, in addition to all of the above, you’re also very involved with the Alzheimer’s Association. How do you have time for all of these really great causes?
“That’s a really great question! I don’t have an assistant. That would probably help a lot. I feel like I never get through my to-do list in a day. What I have learned is that perfectionism is boring. It’s also unattainable. I just wake up every day and do the best with what’s in front of me. The good news is that everything I’m part of and getting to do is so purpose-driven for me. It’s intentional. Being of service in the world brings so much joy and happiness to my life.
I do believe that is literally our point of being here. I will ask people sometimes, ‘What do you think the purpose is of you being in this life and being here on earth? You get that look where people are like, ‘I never really thought about that.’ I’m encouraging people to think about that because I think the idea of being here in this one precious life. Moving through it with the mindset of ‘I’m just here to take everything that I can, get everything that I can and then leave the world.’ What an empty way to move through the world. You’re missing out on so much.
When it comes to finding energy, if what I’m doing feels purposeful, I can always find it. How do I know I’m not doing something that is—if something’s not aligned, I don’t have that drive. Then I’ll know that it’s probably something I should take off my plate.”
Can you tell us about the bracelet you designed for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles—and the larger initiative behind it?
“I launched a collaboration with Taylor and Carrie at Rain Jewelry. We came up with this design for a bracelet: a paperclip chain with a heart attached to it. You can get it in sterling silver or gold, and the proceeds go to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It is part of a fundraising initiative, our largest to date, in honor of the hospital’s 125 years of history.
I’m the co-chair of this fundraising initiative. Part of what I’m seeking to do with these collaborations, which will be the first of many, is to really shine a light on female entrepreneurs with incredible products. And this is just the beginning of many. We call it the Benny Bracelet. The price point is so good, and it’s the perfect gift to give any daughter, niece, mom, sister or grandmother in your life this holiday season. Then you can know that you’re spending your dollars and giving back to such a great cause. I don’t think there’s any greater cause than creating hope and building healthier futures for children.”
I love that. You’ve been in this business for a while—I think I first heard about you in The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. Is there anything from the ’90s, beauty-wise, that you still use?
“I don’t know if there’s anything from the ’90s that I’m still using, but I will tell you this: I believe in a really good product. In terms of how I approach beauty, I give myself a lot of grace. This can be a struggle, but I’m trying to fully adopt that mindset. I’m not sure if you get like this, but you see your lines and your wrinkles, and it’s so hard not to be like, ‘Oh God, make them go away.’
So I’m trying to flip that to: ‘No, there’s a lot of life that I’ve lived.’ Every day that I get to be here, wrinkles or not, what a gift to be able to be with my children and my husband and my friends and be in this world and to make memories and have adventures. I’m trying to strike a balance between having that mindset and taking really good care of myself.
I do Botox. I started that a couple of years ago, and I was probably very late to the game. It all scared me a little bit, but I love it. Dr. Lancer is my dermatologist, and the only person I will see and allow to touch my face that way. I also use Dr. Lancer’s products. For anyone, especially as you age, you put that hydration mask he has on at night before you go to bed. It has literally saved my face, especially with all the traveling I do, working on sets and being in front of lights.
I also drink so much water. I really fight for my sleep. I’m not getting it in New York this week the way I would like because there are so many early call times. I have my kids with me, but I try to prioritize sleep like nobody’s business to get my eight hours. I move my body. I work out. I lift heavy weights. That has been one of the single biggest things that I have done to change my body and to give me longevity.”
You have a routine down!
“There’s more! In terms of hair. I love [COLOR] WOW. I have curly hair, and I straighten it. I use their anti-humidity spray. It is so good.
I also love Oribe, and I am obsessed with ELEVEN’s all-natural, vegan, incredible products. It’s out of Australia. I use their shampoos and conditioners and do hair-conditioning treatments and masks on my hair. I will literally put a hair conditioner on, go read a book and do bedtime with my kid and then rinse it out afterwards.
Another thing is mental health. We’re all struggling. The world is hard. It is not an easy place to be in right now, and you have got to wake up and look for the miracles, big and small, and fight for that joy in your life with every ounce of your being.
Take the time to meet up with girlfriends. Take the time. Dance; that’s something that brings me joy. I try to dance every single day. If I’m mad, I move my body. If I’m sad, I move my body. It moves out those feelings so that I can reset my nervous system and then say, ‘Okay, what’s next? What am I going to do about this if there’s something that can be done?’ These are all, you could say, yes, common sense, but things that we forget to do on a daily basis. Ladies, you are worth it. This is your one precious life. Give it all you’ve got in terms of taking care of yourself.
We talk about that a lot on Mind What Matters, our caregiving podcast. It’s the way caregivers, the lives that they have to live, what they have to do, and how we take care of ourselves as women, because I don’t know of a woman who’s not a caregiver in some way, shape, or form. I really care a lot about women and supporting women and them showing up for themselves and treating themselves the way they deserve to be treated.”
Great message for everyone. And great products, too.
“Yes. I hope so. Oh, wait. You know what? I just remembered something that I still use from the ’90s. Aquaphor! I never leave home without Aquaphor.”
