Up Close & Personal: Shayna Lee

I do know one thing for sure: In this particular interview, I was flying blind. I had no idea who she was or what she looked like, and to top things off, I was told to take her to lunch just a few hours before she was due to arrive. This meant I only had several hours to figure out a few questions on behalf of our readers and my only foundation for conversation was that she was Australian--talk about last minute. A brief conversation on the phone informed me of two things: one, both of us weren't hungry and two, she has a very strong Australian accent. After getting off the phone, the game plan was to meet up at Starbuck's and rap over a hot cup of Java. Caffeine gets me yapping like a drug informant--exactly what I needed for this interview. I arrived at Starbuck's a few minutes behind schedule, but was greeted with a warm Aussie hello from Shayna. (I was expecting a "Good day mate," but I guess a hello is more appropriate in the States.) She had already found a comfortable table outside under the awning and was ready to tackle my infamous 2NR model interview. The rest went something like this.

2NR: So you were born down under, but were you raised there too?

SL: Born and raised in Australia. I moved out here when I turned 19.

2NR: So why the sudden move out to here at such a young age? I take it you must have vacationed out here first at least?

SL: Yeah, I'd been out here twice on vacation. The first time I came out, I was 14 and I realized that this is where I had to live if I wanted to pursue a career in entertainment. I was with my family in the U.S., and our last stop was Los Angeles before we went back to Australia. After that experience, I didn't want to leave. I was like Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive...I'll take that life. Five years later, here I am in L.A.

2NR: So you just upped and left for L.A., but did you already have a job locked in at all?

SL: Actually I moved out here with my mother, and I was a very headstrong child that had this crazy idea of pursuing my dream. My mom was very supportive of me; she later helped me get my apartment, a car and she gave me a lot of money (that I haven't paid back yet!). Without her support, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this. Hopefully, I can pay her back if I get this movie deal that I'm reading for called "Devil May Care."

2NR: Is it a leading role?

SL: The character I would be playing is a main character, but she will be known for who she is rather than her nationality. Unfortunately, in Australia, the opportunities aren't as vast and they're a little bit backwards, in terms of ethnic diversity. It seems that they're still stuck on this "blonde hair, blue eyes" type of casting and the only ethnic parts in movies are the typical, "I own a Chinese restaurant" or "I just came Fresh Off the Boat" type of roles. That's not what I'm after. I'd rather play a person first rather than a nationality. I would want to play a wife and not a "Chinese" wife that just came from China. Why can't it be just like real-life interracial couples, where they both speak perfect English?

2NR: I never thought about it that way. You want a role that displays the real-life portrayal of a normal interracial couple, without having to be known as a FOB (Fresh Off the Boat)?

SL: Exactly!

2NR: What are some of the recent projects you have finished?

SL: I have a few calendars coming out, like the Island Eyes 2001, Pacific USA 2002 and another 2001 that is currently unnamed right now. I also have a few print ads coming out and I also got a hosting gig on a TV show called "Gamers," which is about the computer game industry over the last 20 years. It's much different than the stuff I did when I first arrived here.

2NR: Oh yeah! This is what I want to hear about! Like, what kind of stuff? Sounds like your hands were full at that age. Just out of curiosity, since you're from Australia, did you eat Vegimite? (For those of you who don't know what this is, just imagine soy sauce in peanut butter trim. Now take that spreading on all four food groups and you've got yourself one salty Australian entree that tastes like crap to the average American).

SL: Yeah, I love Veggiemite! I put it on everything. I especially like it on white bread with butter. As a matter of fact, I just went back to my hometown in July and I picked up a whole supply of it. That should last me for a long time. It's great for breakfast.

2NR: (gag) How can you eat that crap? I mean, I'm open to a lot of things, but I almost turned my stomach inside out when I had it on toast. Do you know hard it is to screw up toast!?

SL: It's an acquired taste. I guess it's like when I came to the States, I thought that bagels with cream cheese was about the nastiest thing I tried. Same goes with cinnamon gum and Spam; those two things are gross.

A lot of models often tell us they are striving to become an actress. More often than not, they are sidetracked from their dreams to pursue other goals. In Shayna's case, she was able to live a roller coaster life by jumping into big modeling deals at the age of 19. From independent films to calendars shoots, this awesome Aussie has lived a life most models try to achieve in a lifetime. Shayna, like so many, was a real working girl experience, she is now back on track to pursue the reason she left "down under" to move to the States. Everything from dialect to acting classes, Shayna is sprinting the full nine yards to make her mark. The way I look at it, if Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Paul Hogan and Russell Crowe could come from the Land Down Under and be as big as they are in Hollywood, then why can't Shayna Lee?