In season 2 of the CW hit series Riverdale, we were introduced to Toni Topaz: a pink-haired, badass Serpent, who later becomes the girlfriend of Cheryl Blossom (played by Madelaine Petsch). Topaz is brought to life on-screen by Vanessa Morgan, and while fans have been keeping up with the ups and downs of Choni's relationship this season, it's Morgan's character we should really be keeping a careful eye on.
At Tresemmé's Coachella event, Refinery29 caught up with the actress, who hinted that there could be some changes coming to Toni's signature hairstyle. (Could this mean the big solo moment fans have been asking for is on the horizon?) Ahead, Morgan reveals how her on-screen character influences her beauty look IRL and teases the big haircut she'd like to give Toni Topaz in season 4.
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What's your favorite part of playing Toni? How is your personal style similar or different?
"Hands down — my favorite part about playing Toni is putting colors in my hair. I didn't know how much I loved experimenting with colors until I started playing her. We started off subtle, but I ended up really liking it, and I want to play with my hair color off-camera, too.
"[Toni] has opened me up to so many things. She does burgundy eyeshadow a lot, now I use similar colors when I do my makeup. During my hiatus last year, I even did a temporary pink color because I was so used to it and really liked wearing it. I'm also contemplating trying neon blue in my hair. So, it's safe to say that Toni is definitely rubbing off on me."
Can we expect something new from Toni Topaz as her character evolves? A different hair color maybe?
"I'm actually asking the team if we can incorporate purple into Toni's hair. I want to keep the pink, but enhance it with shades of violet around the frame of my face. I wouldn’t say her changes are totally synonymous with her evolution, but this season she's definitely changing. She would probably be open to something more trendy, like safety pins or beads in her hair.
"Next season, I really want to go back to her being a bit edgier, because I think people really liked that, and it's super-fun. I'm debating chopping her hair next season. I really want to go shoulder-length short. Obviously, Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa] has the final say, but I think it could be really cool."
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Tell us about your tattoos. You have a fake serpent tattoo on the show, but do you have plans for more ink of your own?
"I picked to have [my serpent tattoo] on my rib-cage area because I am just really in love with that placement. However, me and the boys [Jordan Connor, Drew Ray Tanner, and Cole Sprouse] have been debating if we should get a legit tiny snake tattoo because of that.
"Personally, I have about five tattoos. JonBoy has done a few, and this Vancouver-based artist Kaiju has done some, and she's literally the best. I actually plan on getting a new one really soon. I am half African and my dad speaks Swahili, so I want to get my favorite Robert Frost poem, 'The Road Not Taken,' tattooed in my dad's language."