Danielle Vasinova is stepping back into the spotlight in a major way, starring in The Madison, the highly lauded expansion of Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s hit universe, which premiered March 14 on Paramount+. The Emmy-nominated actress takes on the role of Kestrel Harris, an Indigenous woman navigating life in Montana, and her role is about to heat up in upcoming episodes. Already familiar to fans of Sheridan’s world through her appearance in 1923, Vasinova brings both on-screen depth and off-screen versatility, balancing a dynamic acting career with work as a model and accomplished equestrian.
To be in this Taylor Sheridan portfolio seems very special. How does it feel to know so many people are talking about this show?
“It’s incredible. I started off in 1923, and then I really did not even think it was possible to book two shows within a short period of time. This is a really special and unique show because it’s told from the point of view of a matriarch rather than a patriarch. It’s very much for the girls.”
To get into character seems pretty specific. Are there any beauty things—hair, makeup costume—that helped you step into the role?
“Less is more, girl. Less is more, 100 percent! In this show and in life, really. When we are young, we want to put on all the makeup and all the hair and all the things, and this is really stripped down—I love that. In 1923, I was only allowed to wear dirt. I would literally wear zero makeup. On this show, they let me wear a little bit, but it’s very natural.”
Do you have anything at the end of the day that you trust to remove the dirt?
“Yes! Have you heard of ARCONA? Their stuff is all-natural. It’s really good. They cold-compress everything, so everything is really active. You can feel it working on your skin. It feels really potent, even though it’s all completely natural. And it works! I love Arcona.
Then, there’s this other new line. It’s called Young Goose. You must look it up! Literally, that’s my latest obsession. I would like to try to be a Young Goose forever. Their serum is amazing. Their moisturizer is really lightweight and ultra-hydrating. It doesn’t leave any film. You can just feel it absorbing into your skin. It’s really lovely. Check them out. I cannot say enough good things about the line.”
Sold.
“I think you might like it. I use their sunscreen as well. I really like it. It has a really nice, fresh scent.”
I’ll definitely look that up. When you are filming something like this, I’m sure the days are long. I’m sure it’s physical. How do you reset when you wrap?
“I always wash my makeup off before bed. I’m a very simple person. Like I said, less is more. But I always wash my face. I like this new red light therapy. It’s a mask from Joovv. I’ll put that on my face. I’ll keep it in the car and wear it while driving home. [Laughs] Hopefully nobody’s looking at me in the car. In the evening, I just take all my makeup off, wash everything, do the red light therapy, read a book, try to do no cell phone, try to just shut everything down at least an hour before bed and just meditate and be.”
That sounds great. Looking back on all your roles that you’ve had, what advice would you give to the young actress starting out—knowing what you know now?
“In terms of life…I am very much an overthinker. If you think about all the things that could go wrong, what about thinking about all the things that could go right? It’s like that old adage, ‘Let go and let God.’ Just put the good mojo out there. Just be. You don’t need to stress about things too much. You don’t need to overthink. Just trust the process. Hold the vision. Trust the process and release and let go.”