She is a superwoman fighter who gives back in the kindest way possible. Who is this former Nickelodeon teen actress? Check out my powerful interview with Natanya Ross, best known for her role as Robin Russo on The Secret World of Alex Mack. We discuss kindness, the turning point that led to self-growth and a new chapter, and the fun legacy the hit 1990s show leaves behind in this exciting interview.
When I asked Natanya what the show represents to her now as an adult, she shared, “The Secret World of Alex Mack represents nostalgia at this point, you know? I think it was, like, a family show that the family kind of watched on SNICK together. I think it brings people back to a really special place. And Robin Russo, I mean, as far as my character goes, she was so special. She was the first character on Nickelodeon that was dark and edgy and goth and emo — all of those things — and she was just a very special person. And yeah, so I hold her very dear to me still.”
Ross reflects fondly on her time with the Nickelodeon family and the lifelong connection with her fellow castmates. She says one special element was “the family you create when you’re in a show like that for so long. That’s definitely the most special part.”
Natanya also shared exclusive, exciting life details about her television star friends who continue to inspire her today. “Well, my boyfriend is Nate Richert, so there’s one for you. And then, yeah, some of my best friends are big ’90s stars — Marty York from The Sandlot and Danielle Fishel from Boy Meets World, of course, Marla Sokoloff, and Larisa Oleynik. There’s honestly a lot, you know? So sure. Well, just keep it there.”
Ross and I shared a belief in the importance of kindness, particularly when it comes to the messages young people see in media and television. Although well known for playing Grace in the 1995 film The Baby-Sitters Club, Natanya emphasized that “there’s nothing cooler than being kind.” She laughed, adding, “I should trademark that at this point! I mean, nothing’s cooler than being kind, you know? I think, as a society, we’ve really forgotten about empathy — it’s very sad.” With her signature humor, she joked, “I’d tell those bitches, ‘Shut the fuck up. Don’t you have something better to do? I’ll give you something better to do…’”
Natanya has been open on social media and publicly about her past struggles with sobriety. At one point, she was a young actress on a family show who was suddenly homeless. She shared, “In the height of my addiction, there were years where I lived in a car or I was homeless, and I never forgot that — ever. And as soon as I was able to, I knew I wanted to give back in the most significant way that I could. So that’s how that idea sprang up.”
After seeking treatment, she turned her experiences into a positive mission by teaching through example to others — in service to the mental health industry. “So I founded the nonprofit organization San Fernando Valley Feed the Homeless. Technically, we’re still going. I was very active at Hope of the Valley, and we were able to raise enough funds to get three unhoused people off the street and into the shelter of a tiny home, which is incredible. And currently, I’m the president of the nonprofit organization W.A.A.T. — and it stands for the Women’s Association of Addiction Treatment.”
It was very powerful to hear the actress talk about her experience and how she felt a calling to help others by first helping herself heal from a difficult process. She shared, “You know, recovery is not a straight line. It takes form in many different shapes. I feel like I’ve been in recovery my whole life — well, as an adult — in one way or another, really, with kind of breaks in between, like, using the substances.” She also opened up about her sobriety: “But, you know, I haven’t had a drink in 17 years, and I haven’t done drugs in 15 years.”
She also discussed how the mental health and service industries have helped her hold accountability for her recovery, further explaining, “I hold that very near and dear to me, and I credit all of it to being of service. It’s the really, really simple thought of, ‘The more I think about you, the less I think about me.’ Somehow that has been a saving grace for me, and one day at a time, I’ve managed to stay in recovery. I kind of do it my way, but that’s what’s worked, right? Like, I’m the one who has to do it.”
When I asked Natanya about her work as a brand ambassador for Lynk Diagnostics, she eagerly responded, “It is a toxicology lab that can test for different substances in our clients in the different treatment facilities — what they have in their system. And it could be anything from marijuana to the designer drugs that are out there now.”
As for what comes next for Natanya Ross, she notably shared, “We’re opening a treatment facility as well.”
Thank you, Natanya Ross, for opening up to our readers at Social Lifestyle Magazine about such a poignant topic that affects so many individuals and their families. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please seek professional help. Through stories like Ms. Ross’s, we at Social Lifestyle Magazine hope to help reduce stigma and encourage understanding.
Natanya Ross Instagram Profile
Natanya Ross IMDb Profile
Lynk Diagnostics Website