With roles in fan favorites such as The Practice, Party of Five, Friends, Desperate Housewives, Full House and Fuller House, Marla Sokoloff has worked full-time as an actress for the past 27 years. (Fun fact: When she was 12 years old, she made her first appearance on Full House as Gia, a friend of Stephanie Tanner’s.) Recently honing in on her love of writing and directing, she has a very holiday season–specific project out this week with her latest film, The Merry Gentleman, which she wrote and acted in. Starring Britt Robertson and Chad Michael Murray, the romantic comedy streams on Netflix on November 20 and, as Sokoloff hints, there are some moments “millennials and beyond” will love.
We’re fully into the holiday season. What are you most excited for fans to see with the film? Anything new that’s streaming on Netflix is a big deal.
I think the best part about this for me, personally, is that we’re reliving our early aughts. We have Chad Michael Murray coming in hot and taking off his shirt. I know that there are a lot of millennials and beyond that are really excited about that! I would say that that’s the part I’m really the most excited about—the different take on Christmas.
We all love Christmas movies, but it was time to do something different. They can sort of start to be the same. I didn’t really have to even get into character. I wrote the movie, but I didn’t think I would be a part of it; I had no idea. When they offered me Marie, I realized that I literally wrote it for myself. We are very similar, so it was pretty easy to step into the part.
That’s fun. You have three kids; how do you get back into mom mode after work?
To be honest, it’s hard to do both at the same time well. I’m good at being a mom and I’m good at being a director, writer, actor, whatever. They’re very different mindsets for me. I feel like one is always feeling that lack of me. With this one, it actually came at a perfect time because they were in school. I would just write until they would get home and then focus on them, then sometimes go back to writing. It’s hard, but we get it done.
When you are writing, what is your process like?
For me, there’s nothing more frustrating than when you can’t write, which, as you know, is like hell on earth. I step away when that brain isn’t working. You just have to say, “Okay, this cannot be forced.” Again, when you’re in that flow and everything’s coming to you, it’s so much easier and exciting. When I’m in that mode, I get obsessed. And, if I’m at home, it’s hard, it is hard to work because I feel like I keep going back to it. I think writing is just one of those things that you’re either in it or it’s working against you.
Totally. That’s a great way to put it. There’s nothing worse than fighting it when it’s not coming out.
Yes, literally.
You’ve had some super iconic roles. When you think back to the glam of getting into character, is there anything that really sticks out to you beauty-wise?
Not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty good at makeup—mainly because I’ve been watching someone do my makeup all these years! My daughter’s bat mitzvah is coming up and I’m not even going to hire someone to do my makeup. I know that I got that part covered. I think I became obsessed with all things beauty pretty young and not in a way that was unhealthy. When a makeup artist does my makeup, I want to talk about all the new products and I’ll probably go and buy them. I love skin care, all of it. I think in another life I might’ve been in the beauty space.
That’s funny. What are some of your favorite beauty products?
For my skin care, I’ve realized that in my 40s, I have to just stick to what works for me. When I was trying all these new things, my skin was super reactionary. I’ve been going to Sonya Dakar for facials since I was 20 years old. I’m obsessed with her products. I strayed for a second and now I am back in full swing. I love them so much.
I’m really into things that just look like your skin when it comes to makeup products. Anastasia has this great stick foundation; it’s really light. You don’t really look like you’re wearing anything. What else do I like? Oh, I love the Merit blush. That cream blush is so great for every day. I’m just into keeping it natural and letting my skin shine through; I don’t have to put so much on.
You already mentioned Sonya Dakar, but are there any other LA wellness or massage places or spas that you really like?
I really love Squeeze, which is right down the street from my house. I’ve never had a bad massage there. I probably should go there today. You walk in and no matter who you get, it’s great. It was created by the woman who did Drybar. I’m sure you know that. It’s like that same process. You book online, you tip online and you pay online. You don’t really even need to speak to anybody, so it really speaks to me. I love that. I’m really also into Korean skin care right now. I love going to get a good body scrub and just being roughed up.
That’s awesome. What do you do for yourself at the end of the day? Are you a bath person? Do you take walks to unwind?
I need to do all of it more, to be honest, because I’m just such a neurotic ball of anxiety. I think a bath would probably be really good for me. I do love to walk. Right now, walking has been my main form of self-care and taking the time to go and get my steps in because I’m realizing how important that is. Then, I can listen to my podcasts and Marco Polo my friends. It’s just a great way to do all the things.
