Where were you born?
I was born outside of Seattle, Washington in the small town of Snohomish.
Where do you live now?
I am now based in London, UK.
Where are your mother and father from and if you want to a line about them?
Both my mum and dad were raised in adjacent, small, mountainous towns in the Kootenays, British Columbia. After studying together in Victoria, BC, they had my sister, Maggie. A few years later, business in Seattle prompted them to move from Canada and shortly thereafter, I was born as the American alien of the family.
I have truly legendary parents. They made a space for my sister and I to feel safe, supported, and encouraged in whatever we chose to pursue. My dad often travelled abroad for work, yet never missed a performance, lacrosse game, regatta, or recital. Moreover, he insisted on coaching my lacrosse team for years. Six nights a week, he dragged me onto the muddy field for hours of practice in the rain, snow, or hail. We had dinner as a family every single night and I would like to formally apologise to them for any bitching or moaning, knowing now the time and energy they spent focused on our family.
My fondest memories of modelling are those when my mum travelled abroad with me while I was still in school. She would iron my clothes and ice my feet after long days of shooting in Paris. Above all else, I am fortunate to have the parents that I do and cherish my relationship with them. *Apologies, that was more than a line, but my love for them cannot be abbreviated.
A couple of things you have done previously or do now and the inspiration and reasons for doing them.
Some of the greatest gifts I’ve received were travel recommendations or virtual introductions. I enjoy collecting saved Google Maps locations: restaurants, venues, galleries, etc in every city I frequent. If I open my maps while travelling and I don’t see a throng of blue pins, that feels like a blank canvas to me.
While not a highly marketable "hobby", writing essays has been my lifeline lately. I’m aiming to enhance my skills in screenwriting and sketch comedy-assuming I have any to begin with. Comedians have brought me immense joy and I would be delighted if someday my writing could bring the same joy to others.
I dedicated over a decade to playing Lacrosse, travelling across the USA to compete for Washington State's Junior Team and later playing for the varsity U.C.L. Women's Lacrosse team in London while studying History, Politics, and Economics. I also used row competitively, long before modelling chipped away at my muscle definition. ;)
Growing up in a family of true Canadians, I had no choice but to climb tall things or ski down them.
I’ve dabbled in voice acting and television and have decided to take a leap into improv/stand-up after reading a tweet noting how, “it’s a shame beautiful girls will never truly know if they’re actually interesting.”
Beginning as a jest, I am gradually finessing DJ-ing simply to use the stage name Foxy Moron.
Causes close to your heart.
Prison reform in the United States
Gun reform in the United States is of the utmost importance to me, as it is easier to buy a gun than UTI antibiotics. Through my work, I am fortunate to travel extensively and have been exposed to a variety of cultures, societies, and social systems vastly different from those in the United States where I was raised. Some of these differences, such as accessible education, healthcare, and gun control deeply resonated with me as they were daunting realities faced by my peers and myself. My interest in gun control was provoked after witnessing the aftermath of the government's failure to enact widely supported gun reform legislation. A close friend of mine, along with six other students, fell victim to a mass shooting at a nearby high school.I became fascinated by those disparities in core public policies in seemingly “similar” Western countries. This led me to consider the importance of history, sociology, and economics amongst other factors, in explaining why societies organise themselves in certain ways, as well as how their policies evolve over time. For these reasons I pursued a degree of History, Politics, and Economics at UCL, London.
I also had the opportunity, alongside modelling agencies, to advocate for causes such as War Child USA and Everytown for Gun Safety.
What is beauty to you?
Owning it .
Shared laughter.
To name a few, the marks, scars, asymmetrical boobs, toe-ish thumbs, gapped teeth, cleft chins, hairiness, baldness, or birthmarks that distinguish us from one another. How dull would life be with no variety, not to mention the potential challenge of identifying human remains without discernible features.
The special moments when you feel most alone, embarrassed, or lost and someone gives you a sign that you’re not alone; an example that comes to mind is tripping on a cobblestone and then catching a glimpse of a passer-by giggling in acknowledgment.
Shared sorrows. What do you find beautiful in others?
(All of the prevous)
A genuine, from the stomach, mouthagape, laugh.
Vulnerability.
Participation.
Recognition where deserved.
Who represents a beautiful person for you at this moment and why?
My friend Jessie Inchauspe, now known as the Glucose Goddess, is a person who embodies greatness and beauty in the way of academics, ambition and original thought that is virtually unparalleled among the thousands of characters I have met in my life. I cherish the moments I spent with her years ago, despite seldom seeing her now. There are many people, I’m sure, who revel in their memories of conversation with Jessie as her humanity is infectious.
I would be remiss not to say that in addition to excelling professionally, her insight, presence, empathy, and eloquence are beyond her years. Open-minded, curious, and worldly are but a few of the appropriate descriptors which aptly apply to Jessie. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have her attention for even a moment, will undoubtedly find her intelligence, people skills, positive attitude, perseverance, work ethic, well-roundedness, and ambition infectious. As much as any person I have known, I can say unequivocally and without reservation, she is beauty in all forms.
What are your thoughts about ageing and beauty?
Pshttttt.. Where to begin?
I firmly believe that “beauty comes from within”, although I recognize the internal struggle many women experience when the compliments, smiles, and gestures of acknowledgment from others dwindle with age. I find myself looking at my friends, family, role models, and even myself with greater admiration each year... I only wish that advertising and society expressed the same sentiment.
* I do not mention men for various reasons, primarily because I believe they age like fine wine, growing more attractive with each grey hair. I am not familiar with a female equivalent for the term "silver fox."
On a lighter note, when I find myself critiquing the way that I look, I try to remember the wise words of Moira Rose, (a character in the TV series, Schitt’s Creek)
“Moira: Then allow me to offer you some advice: Take a thousand, naked pictures of yourself now. You may currently think, "Oh, I'm too spooky." Or, "Nobody wants to see these tiny boobies." But, believe me, one day you will look at those photos with much kinder eyes and say, "Dear God, I was a beautiful thing!"
Stevie: Will I?
Moira: Mm-hm. Oh, and make sure you submit those photos to the Internet. Otherwise, your own children will go looking for them one day and, tragically, they won't be there.”
In other words, stop worrying about the future and realise that you are in the middle of what you used to look forward to.
What gives you strength in life?
Knowing that no one else really knows what they’re doing.
The love of a dog in the morning.
The infamous James Brown Interview.
Music, there are too many tracks worth mentioning.
Olaplex.
I was at death’s doorstep and completely unafraid, solely due to the immense love I received from every person in my life. Seldom do we receive an amount of love that can only be felt at one’s own funeral. Waking up from a coma and witnessing the impact you have on others’ lives, whether you believe it or not, causes life’s complexities to fade. Life after death is simple; the exchange of love, in any magnitude, shapes our lives and identities. As eloquently expressed by Toni Morrison,
“I wish I’d a knowed more people. I would have loved ‘em all. If I’d a knowed more, I would have loved more.”
What little things do you do just for you even though they may never be seen or known to others.
Ketchup powder seasoning on shredded British mature cheddar. This dish was created urgently and with a lack of resources but shockingly tastes like rosemary. It’s remarkably tasty, to a point that feels illicit.
I stick my head in the washing machine drum after a fresh cycle to savour the scent and tranquillity.
Underground parking garages. I like being in them.
I enjoy when people smell of those subscription magazine perfume samples that used to come in the mail. While overpowering and sickeningly sweet, they all smell the same, and, if used in small quantities, they bring me comfort and a feeling of nostalgia. *THIS ONLY APPLIES TO FEMININE PERFUMES!
If you ever feel alone or bad about yourself, go to the international magic shop in Clerkenwell, London. If you take your time and ask questions, rest assured, Martin, Barry, or Marco will leave you grinning from ear to ear.
A moment in your life that had a big impact on who you are now.
On October 23rd, 2022, my birthday, I awoke in the hospital with a tube down my throat, my hands tied to the bed, 18 various ports protruding from my flesh, and a strong conviction that the medical staff were trying to kill me. Despite being on the wrong side of every percentage, I managed to survive relatively unscathed (the brain takes a while).
Unfortunately, there was no “moment of awakening” during my near-death experience, because of enough fentanyl flowing through my veins to sustain a week-long medically induced coma. My “moment of awakening” came months after I was discharged from the hospital (the word discharge now carries an entirely new and positive meaning after a month on life support).
(to repeat an answer from above) I was at death’s doorstep and completely unafraid, solely due to the immense love I received from every person in my life. Seldom do we receive an amount of love that can only be felt at one’s own funeral. Waking up from a coma and witnessing the impact you have on others’ lives, whether you believe it or not, causes life’s complexities to fade. Life after death is simple; the exchange of love, in any magnitude, shapes our lives and identities. As eloquently expressed by Toni Morrison,
“I wish I’d a knowed more people. I would have loved ‘em all. If I’d a knowed more, I would have loved more.”
Any other thoughts on health, mental health, age, beauty, life you would like to share.
You’re not inherently a bad person, you’re just BEHAVING like one
You don’t need designer clothes; you just need an iron.
I recommend living without expectations. If you expect nothing, you can only be pleasantly surprised by any outcome.
Things always go your way if you don’t mind the way things go
*surely, I did not come up with this myself, but credit to the author.
“I rarely regret a decision and always regret not having made one.” - Auto portrait, Edouard Levé
Your blood alcohol content shouldn’t be higher than your Instagram following.