Daniella Monet
stars in
Netflix series
Hollywood Arts
Photography Lily Merriman
Fashion Editor Deborah Ferguson
Interview Deborah Ferguson
Trina Vega is back! Daniella Monet returns to the beloved Victorious universe in Hollywood Arts, reprising her hilariously ambitious character while stepping into a new role behind the scenes as executive producer. This time, Trina is navigating adulthood, teaching, and her everlasting pursuit of stardom.
Beyond Hollywood, Monet champions a greener, healthier lifestyle through her wellness platform and podcast, Daniella’s Digest, sharing her passion for plant-based living, conscious beauty, and sustainable choices.
For Contents Beauté, she talks nostalgia, reinvention, and why living consciously matters more than ever.
Shorts: New Balance
Coming back to Trina Vega after all these years must have felt both incredibly familiar and completely different. When you first stepped back into her world for Hollywood Arts, what part of Trina came back to you immediately and what did you want to reinvent?
Her tone and cadence came back as soon as I opened my mouth one day during a chemistry read Zoom session while casting, which woke me/her up in a big way. She’s such a character, and in my mind she likely wouldn’t have changed too much. That being said, I found this subtle level of maturity that peeks through here and there when warranted, but don’t get it twisted, she’s still very much living in her own world.
Trina was always so fearlessly convinced of her own potential. Now we meet her as an adult, still chasing her ambitions but suddenly responsible for this new generation of students. What was the most fun part of exploring that contradiction?
When Trina gives her showcase spot away to Emmy, that really sets up this idea early on that she’s maybe, for the first time, putting her dreams to the side to support someone else’s. I don’t think she’ll ever be able to hang up her dreams of becoming famous, so I can’t imagine she’ll always step aside, but I did enjoy playing that internal push and pull between putting herself first or helping her students find their way.
What I love about the premise is that Trina comes back to Hollywood Arts thinking she knows exactly what she wants, but teaching begins to give her another kind of purpose. How much does that shift become the emotional journey for her this season?
I’d like to think Trina finding her purpose in the lives of her students coincides with her students finding themselves too. It’s a sitcom with heart.
Sports Bra: New Balance, shorts: Lounge, heels: Paul Andrew
The original Victorious audience has grown up with you, while Hollywood Arts is introducing this universe to an entirely new generation. Did you find yourself thinking about both audiences while making the series?
Absolutely. So much of the reason we are able to make Hollywood Arts is because of the audience who loved Victorious, so they matter a lot to me. I’m also a mom of two who fall into the new generation, so they matter just as much. I feel confident that Hollywood Arts is a show for everyone. There’s just enough lore and Easter eggs for those who appreciated Victorious and a whole lot of new for anyone just tuning in to this universe. It’s a fresh show, but the familiarity is there. The idea that there’s some Victorious audience that may have kids of their own, now or someday, can watch this together is so cool to me.
You’re not only returning as Trina, you’re executive producing this time. How different was it being able to help shape the world from behind the camera while simultaneously stepping back into such an established character?
Very different and in all the best ways. It felt healing to be able to, in so many words, “raise my hand” and be heard. I’ve been in this business almost my entire life as an actor, so to be able to weigh in or set presence and standards for how we do things was as good as it gets. I care so much about the vibe of our set, it matters more to me than ever. This show felt special, everything was aligned from the jump, and that’s a testament to the people involved. Just feels meant to be.
After so much time away, was there a particular day, scene, or moment during production when you suddenly thought, “Oh wow, we really are back at Hollywood Arts”?
Boy, was there. Many. Even thinking about it gives me chills. I’d say in every episode I was laughing out loud, wowed, and moved emotionally. Like the show says, Hollywood Arts really does make stars, and I think we’ve done it again with this cast.
Jacket: Kenzo
Outside of acting, you’ve built such a distinct wellness world through Daniella’s Digest, from plant-based food and recipes to ingredients and cleaner everyday choices. Was there a particular moment when this stopped being simply the way you personally lived and became something you felt compelled to share with other people?
I was fascinated by the connection between lifestyle and health at a very young age.
I struggled with inflammation and IBS for years before healing myself. In addition to my own experience, I’ve seen so many people in my life encounter health conditions, including cancer. When I dove deeper into what intuitively felt right to me, I came out the other side wanting to share that in a digestible way. It can be hard to adjust your lifestyle for more reasons than one, and not everyone is compelled to make a change via the same approach, so coupling my love for animals with my love for people’s wellbeing became Daniella’s Digest.
You’ve been vegan for such a large part of your life, and your approach to wellness now reaches food, skincare and the products you bring into your home. When you look at a beauty product today, what actually earns your trust: formulation, ingredients, cruelty-free credentials, performance?
Nowadays, cruelty-free is more of a baseline for me, after that, I’d say ingredients matter, and then performance and formulation. It’s a luxury to purchase products that tick all the boxes, but while working I choose to let it all go a bit. It’s too tricky and just not my style to micromanage hair, makeup, or wardrobe. I can separate work from my personal life and will continue to use my buying power for the good, the best I can.
Sports Bra: New Balance, shorts: Lounge, heels: Paul Andrew
When we were shooting the cover story with you, we discovered that we both use the Yuka app. How much do you actually use it in everyday life? Are you scanning food, skincare, beauty products, everything?
So funny. I said I am Yuka app. At a young age, my awareness around ingredients was dialed, nowadays, I can take one look at a product and know if it’s clean or not. Especially with food. I’ve never actually used the app myself, but I know people who do, and I love that it exists. Anything to make living less toxic easier, I’m all for!
When you’re working on set, how do you maintain your wellness values around food, beauty, and the products being used on you?
I almost always make and pack my own food, meals, snacks, hydration stick, coffee or matcha, water, and occasionally supplements. That’s a no-brainer for me. When it comes to glam, I’m more go with the flow.
Sports Bra: New Balance, shorts: Lounge, heels: Paul Andrew
Are there any hair, skincare or makeup products you use regularly that really reflect your clean-beauty and clean-living values? What are the ones you genuinely stand by?
I’m loving Froya, I’ve been using their complete system for mature skin almost exclusively since June of this year and have turned so many on to it. I also love Oak Essentials, some Primarily Pure, Uncommon James Beauty, and Kora Organics!
As for makeup, I like Ilia, RMS, and Thrive Beauty.
Dress: Marine Serre, hair accessory: Albert Morrison
Photography
Interview & Fashion Editor
Deborah Ferguson @ Forward Artists
Makeup
Amy Galibut @ Artists Collective Management
Hair
Albert Morrison @ Forward Artists
Web layout
Thank you