Debra Lin — Pg 4 of 4
Q: After winning Miss Asian World did you try your hand at modeling?
A: I was already modeling in Hawaii when I was entering those pageants.
Q: When did you start?
A: When I entered my first pageant, Miss American Train. The directors represented a lot of models. They got me several jobs. I used to work at Kahala Hilton and Hilton Hawaiian Village modeling jewelry with Miss Hawaii and Miss Teen Hawaii. We’d walk around the pool showing off things like $30,000 necklaces.
Q: Were you making a living from your modeling?
A: No. I was still in school then and I still had my sales job. It was on the side.
Q: So when you started here at American college were you modeling?
A: No, I decided to stop. When I left Hawaii, I had no intention of modeling. I wanted to go to school and get my degree and get into business.
Q: Why didn’t you want to model any more?
A: I didn’t think I was different from anyone else because in Hawaii everyone’s Asian. So I came out here to finish my schooling basically.
Q: When did you start modeling here?
A: About five months into school. A girlfriend in one of my classes was taking a design class and they were going a fashion show. It was this girl from London. She asked if I wanted to be in the fashion show. I said it sounds like fun. She said all the models were meeting down in the John Casablancas modeling center. I went down there and they were doing a runway class. There were about 15 or 20 of us there.
The director saw me and said, “Who are you?” At that time the center was like a charm school. He says, “I don’t want to sell you any classes because you don’t need it. I totally am being honest with you. I want to take you to Elite.” He used to scout for Elite. So I thought, Oh my god. I went there. They looked at me. I just had a few snapshots. And this one girl—I don’t want to mention names because I get along with everyone there—she said, Hmmm, I don’t think so. You may not do too good with us.” Four months later, the director [at John Casablancas] Kevin Bradley called me again. He says, “They’re having an open casting and I want you to come.” I thought, If they didn’t like me then, they’re not going to like me now. He convinced me to go. I went there and saw this other lady. She liked me and called me in the next day and said, “Come in, I want to send you out to some clients.”
Q: What kind of work did you start getting?
A: At first I didn’t get that much because my hair was long, down to a little above my waist. I had bangs and just not too fashionable.
Q: What was your first really good job?
A: I modeled for the Amway company for two years. They launched a campaign for cosmetics out of the country. One year they flew me to Michigan to shoot a video for them. Then last year they were out here in Malibu and shot cosmetics to take overseas.
Q: How much did you make?
A: It was basically rate, $2,500 per day. I do a lot of fashion shows and stuff.
Q: So runway work is your bread and butter?
A: Right. The last year and a half I’ve been going out on a lot of commercial calls and got me a few commercials.
Q: What kind?
A: I got a Vidal Sassoon commercial. I think it’s for the Japan market. This fall a London Fog commercial is coming out. Yesterday I found out I got a L’eggs commercial.
Q: Who are your main competitors?
A: There’s about a handful of us and we all know each other. I don’t really have a chance to compare and see who’s working and not working, but I do see a few Asians here and there. The market is so small for us, but I think that’s changing, ‘cause it used to be just Whites and Blacks. In shows there are always basically Caucasian and Blacks and they’ll throw in an Asian here and there. Now I think it’s our turn.
Q: Are there castings where they don’t necessarily have in mind that it’s going to be a black girl or what girl, where it’s kind of a free-for-all?
A: That’s what I do good in. Like this L’eggs commercial, for instance. It was a huge casting, all types.
Q: How many were there with you that day?
A: Fifteen.
Q: Did they see you one at a time or just line you up?
A: One at a time. For a commercial call you go into a room and they can ask you to wear a swimsuit and they can ask you to wear heels and they can tell you what to do and you’re on camera. You give your name, your profile. Basically you do what they want you to do. It depends on what the commercial is. Sometimes they make you drink ice tea or act goofy. For the L’eggs one they just [have you] show off your legs.
Q: I imagine most of the girls there are White and Black. How do you feel as an Asian?
A: I used to feel like, Oh my god, you know. It was like really strange when I got the commercial because I thought, Wow, they’re using an Asian and there are all these beautiful caucasian and black girls.
Q: Do you feel more confident now?
A: Yeah, I do. I really don’t think about it because you have to like psyche yourself out because with every audition you go on, you can’t get every one. Your self-esteem goes down when you keep missing for a while. It’s only natural for you to think to yourself, Oh my god, what’s wrong with me? Am I fat? They don’t like my hair? When you go into these things, you can’t think about it. When I walk out, I don’t think about it at all.
Q: How does your work break down between runway, print, commercials, and of course, movies like Rising Sun and Clean Slate?
A: I think it would be like 30, 30, 30.
Q: And 10% for movies?
A: Yeah. Clean Slate, they hired about ten of us models and we’re doing a fashion show on stage.
Q: Do you have acting ambitions?
A: I don’t think so. I wasn’t born with it, I don’t have that drive you should have. I don’t have that want in me to be an actress.
Q: Do you have a desire to be anything in particular right now?
A: Successful in… I don’t know what!
Q: What about being a top model?
A: That’s what I’m striving for right now. It it doesn’t work out, I don’t think I want to go back and do it all over again [as an actress]. Modeling is hard as it is, but I think acting is even tougher because in modeling you’re basically relying on your looks, whereas acting you have to have the right look plus acting ability.
Q: What do you think made you as successful as you are? Is it purely your looks?
A: I think my attitude too. I’m professional, I show up on time, I get along with the clients and people—the staff, makeup artist, stylist. I know a lot of girls — the people [who] work with [them] — the photographers and what—say they are really hard to work with.
Q: If there’s a model whose success you’d like to emulate?
A: My model has always been Christie Turlington.
Q: But you can’t be like her, can you? Whose career path do you look at and say that’s the path I want to follow?
A: Angela Harry. I’ve worked with her on several jobs. She’s very professional. I would like to get to her level of success.
Q: What commercial would you really like to do? Something you’d be perfect for?
A: [long pause] Cosmetics.
Q: Do you have a beauty regimen?
A: Not really. I do what everyone else does, put on face cream, stay out of the sun. I drink lots of water.
Q: How many glasses a day?
A: Seven. You always see an Evian bottle in my car.
Q: Who are you close to?
A: My roommate. She’s a little blondie. Actually, she’s quite tall. She lived in the Orient for a while and loves my cooking. I like to cook. I’ve lived with her four year.
Q:Any plans for marriage?
A: I want to get married when I’m about 35 and have two kids, a boy and a girl.
"I'm professional, I show up on time, I get along with the clients and people--the staff, makeup artist, stylist."
