America’s Next Top Model 8: Interview with Natasha, 5/23/07

[ShrinkingViolet]

She may have started off slowly, but 21-year-old Natasha quickly turned her shoots around and became, if you'll pardon the expression, a veritable dynamo who went all the way to the top two in "America's Next Top Model." Possessing a wonderfully sweet, gracious, and effervescent personality, she took every critique with a smile and managed to somehow turn it to a positive. Her graciousness and enthusiastic personality extended throughout this interview, as she was such a joy to speak with.

Hi, Natasha!

Hi, [says my real name]. How are you?

Congratulations on making it to the top two!

Oh, thank you so much!

This must be a bittersweet moment for you coming so close to winning it all. How are you feeling about all that?

Wait a second. Aren’t you supposed to be a Shrinking Violet?

Yes!

Okay! “Cause I was like [says my real name]? [laughs] Oh my God; it’s not the girl—not the one I was expecting!”

We have usernames, and that’s why it’s different. Do you read Fans of Reality TV, then?

Yes, I’ve been reading it a little bit, and I was really, really happy with all the positive comments and all the love and support that the readers have given to me and to other girls. It’s great. Thank you. Your forums and your site—you really give the inside scoop of what is going on inside the show, so it’s great.

Our readers really love this show and all the girls, and that’s why we ask the questions we do. I’m really ShrinkingViolet, so you can just call me that if you want. [laughs]

Okay! I love it. [laughs]

[Repeating question] This must be a bittersweet moment for you coming so close to winning it all. How are you feeling about that?

Well in the moment Tyra called Jaslene’s name, I was very, very happy for her because being in the final two is a great thing. You have the same type of exposure. You made it so far. You are so happy. Whatever happens, I was happy to be the runner-up, and, of course, I was hoping to be a winner, but it was not bittersweet. It was just a positive and happy moment for me that it was all over, and now I can just go and wander on the streets of Sydney. So, I was really, really happy for Jaslene and for myself.

How did you become interested in applying for America’s Next Top Model?

Well, it’s a long story. I mean it was the middle of August, and I had nothing to do because I didn’t take summer courses in the college, and I went one day I went to . . . I think that’s how it happened. At first, I’d seen the casting calls that is held hundreds miles from Dallas because they would not hold the casting calls in Dallas or somewhere near Dallas. The only places would be Houston, and the nearby place was on the border of Oklahoma and Texas. So, I decided to drive there because I didn’t have anything to do. I come there, and I’m expecting, you know, nobody to show up because it’s like middle of . . . huge—it’s a reserve or something. It’s casino there, so you can understand where it’s supposed to be. I didn’t expect so many girls to show up, but there were hundreds of girls, and I was thinking I would not be selected. It turned out they called me next day, and they were like, “You’re the winner. We want you to come back.” I’m like, “A hundred miles again?” A hundred miles here and a hundred miles back. So, they wanted to interview me, and I came into the CW of Texhoma, and I’m like, “Where are the other winners?” The people just told me there were no winners, and I’m the only one. So, I was really happy, and I just became more confident in myself that I can do it, and I can make it far, because out of hundreds of girls that were beautiful, and tall, and great, they chose me. It means something is in me—like some unique thing that they noticed, so it just made me stronger. At the same time, I also was also in the mall, and they held a casting call at the agency in Dallas—the best (?) agency of Dallas—they held a casting call, and I didn’t know. I was just in the mall, and they took a picture and called me the next day—I think in a week, not the next day—they called me and asked to come because I was a winner among the other ten girls as a semi-finalist. So, I had to choose to stay in the competition for the Dallas model search and make it to the finals or to go to Houston and be on America’s Next Top Model search. Because it was all in the same day; it was crazy! So, I choose America’s Next Top Model, and I went to Houston, and they chose me to go to semi-finals in LA, and I ended up being in the house. That is how it happened.

That’s great you chose that path because it worked out well.

Well, the thing in Dallas was also the best agency; it’s very known, so it was, I’d say, the opportunity here and there, and I think I made the right choice. I think I made the right choice, yeah. I’m sorry the connection is breaking up, so I don’t really hear you very well.

Did you have any previous modeling experience?

Living in Russia, modeling is huge there, so you know what it is. I would be stopped by an agency, and they would give me a card to go to an agency, and I would go to an agency. I would check it out, you know, and I would have a lot of girlfriends who would be models/modeling at that time. But, I was never signed with an agency, and I would never be posing in front of the photographer. I would never have a professional photo-shoot, so I don’t think that I had modeling experience before ANTM.

How long have you been in the United States?

Three years.

Is that how long have you been speaking English?

No, I was studying English in a school, and I had a teacher. It does not mean that you speak good, you know what I mean? Because, I know the girls would ask me at the semi-finals in LA . . . they would ask me this question, and I was like, “No!” I knew just a few phrases like: “My name is Natasha. I love you.” What I meant was I was exaggerating. I was kind of trying to explain that I knew less than you guys know, which is logically right, but, of course, they didn’t show the whole part of the conversation. I’ve been speaking fluently at the age of 15. At 17 I could carry the conversation with a person from the English-speaking country, but, of course, because of my accent—I had a heavier accent—even if you talk right, even if you say the right things, you don’t pronounce them correctly. So, people sometimes, not sometimes but often, don’t understand you, so that’s what I meant that I did not have that experience living in the English-speaking country and actually improving the English skills, improving the speech. My vocabulary was maybe 3,000 words, which is a lot I think. I knew English better than most of my girlfriends. So I did have . . . like, I did speak English before.

Does your husband speak Russian?

Yes, he does. He does speak worse than I do English, you know, but he does. He can carry a conversation, a little conversation, but it’s not like he’s going to . . . he maybe knows up to 1,000 words, which is great, but it’s not like he would live in Russia for five years or four years, and he would, of course, he would be better. But, he does, and he knew a little bit of Russian when we met.

What are your future plans, and do they include modeling?

Yeah! I would love to continue in modeling, and I received a couple offers right now, but I don’t want to rush because I’m not signed with an agency yet. I’ve received offers to work here and there, but I don’t want to do that before I’m signed. So, I’m definitely continuing modeling, and I have a lot of other things that I’m doing right now—doing interviews for the, you know, news . . . I don’t know how you guys call it. So, I’m doing great—a lot of interviews right now, and I’m really, really busy. I’m doing interviews for the newspapers, for the news channels. It’s great, you know, for the radio stations, and it’s just great people love me, and I love them back. I received so much support that I just wake up in the morning, and I think about it, and it just makes me happy for the rest of the day. I will never be able to give all this love back to everybody who gives me love and support. I just want to say thanks to everybody.

I’m going to have to rush you on, or we are going to run out of time. [laughs]

Okay. I’m so sorry. I just trying to say more, because I know that people who read it they want more information, so. . . . Of course my English gets in the way. [laughs]

You’re doing fine. I just know we are going to run out of time.

Thank you!

What was it like for you living in a house with all those girls and being mixed up with so much ongoing drama?

Oh! Obviously put in one house with twelve different girls who have different personalities and they’re from the different backgrounds, you honestly will have some kind of tension and drama. But, it was crazy, and at the same time I was very happy that I received such a . . . I got a chance to be there and to meet all those amazing people who would work with us and become friends with the girls. They were the best.

Who did you have the easiest time getting along with?

Oh, um, I had the easiest time getting along with Kathleen, Samantha, Casssandra, Felicia, Sarah, Diana, Whitney, Jael, Brittany, Jaslene. I think most of the easiest to get along with . . . I was friends with Kathleen and Cassandra. They were my best friends because I was rooming with them. Felicia, Sarah, Diana, Whitney were also close to me, so that’s the girls. Jael, we were very close with Jael, and we still are.

Who was the most difficult one to get along with?

I think the most difficult would be Renee because we had tensions going on here and there, and it would just sometimes be hard for me to . . . I always wanted to find a way to kind of let her know, let her understand that I’m not going to fight, and I’m not going to do anything bad to her. I’m not going to be a menace to her in this competition. I always wanted to find this way to become friends with her, and it was very hard because she was just taking this competition very seriously. She would be, you know, she said, “Don’t be in my way; I’m going to run you over.” So, I always wanted her to understand that I’m not in her way. We all have different ways. We are all different. Sometimes I would think about the competition; how can one girl win if we are all so different? Always in the modeling search, they have almost the similar models in the competition, so it’s easy to choose one, and they kind of compete. But, here it would be with the drama and with the TV, so it was just, you know, just . . . whatever. [Searching for right word but unable to come up with it.]



How tall are you?

What is that? Oh, how tall am I? [laughs] Oh, my God, I was like . . . I’m 5’ 8.5”.

Did you feel that the other girls in the house excluded you and made you feel as if you were an outsider?

Yes, of course sometimes I would feel that. It’s hard because you have this cultural barrier, you have this language barrier, and sometimes it’s hard to listen to me because of my accent. It’s just the way I talk is differently, so, yes, there would be a cultural barrier, and that would kind of separate me from the girls.

The other girls seemed really preoccupied with your phone conversations with you husband and the details surrounding your marriage. Do you have any comment on that?

[Gasp] Yeah! About the phone thing, you know, after we moved to Australia, we had not had a chance to talk to anybody for a week and a half, so I started asking the producers to let us call somebody, please. Let us call home because I was very homesick. I wanted to hear my baby, hear my husband. So, they let us call, and you cannot go away from the room. I mean I would not sit there and talk in front of the girls and in front of the camera, but that is how you should do it. They gave you a phone—this little cell phone, and I was laying on the bed, and you cannot leave the room. The girls could leave the room, but they didn’t do it. I could not because I was talking on the phone with a camera. I couldn’t move. So, I think that it was just something personal, and if they wouldn’t like it, they could just go away, but they didn’t do it! I don’t know why they were so on me about this phone thing.

They could have left, but you had to stay there. That’s the bottom-line.

I had to stay, yes. When you talk to your family, you have to stay because the camera will film you. The other girls, they are not filmed; they can leave.

I have a burning question for you. Why did you jump in the pool with Jael at that party?

Well, it was not with Jael, actually. Actually, that was before 50 pushed Jael into the pool, and I actually think that he should not have done it because he left the party after he has done that. You had to be networking, and I was in the best dress I had, so it happened that I was talking to the guys and girls, and they asked my where I was from. I said Russia, and they would ask me, “So it’s very cold there,” and I’m like, “Yeah.” He’s like, “Jump in the pool,” and I’m like “I don’t want,” and he would be like, “Come on. Let’s do it because you’re from Russia, and you’re not going to get cold or anything like that.” The distance between the fence was like this little balcony. I don’t know what it was. It was up on the hill. So, the pool and this little path that would be surrounding the pool was really, really small. So, everybody would be actually standing on the edge of the pool. Sometimes you would pass the people, and you would be afraid that you would fall in the pool. So, we were standing right at the edge, and he was like, “Okay, I’m going to jump in.” I’m like, “Okay, I’m going to watch, you know, standing next to you.” He was in only his underwear, and so he grabbed my hand, and I was completely in the dress, and I was dragged there, too. And, after that, 50 pushed Jael in the pool, and after that, I was standing right next to Jael, and 50 pushed me in the pool, too. So, that was really, really embarrassing, and it left very sad memories about it because I didn’t want to be thrown in the pool. I didn’t have this argument with 50. Jael was talking to him, and I would not even talk to him. I was just standing next to them. I don’t know what he said. He said something like, “Do you wanna” something . . . I don’t remember what he said, and he pushed me. I got out of the pool, and he pushed me again. That was actually not a good memory.

That’s a lot different than what it looked like.

But, you saw it differently, like Jael was pushed, and I jumped in.

Yes, that is what it looked like.

But, it was different. It didn’t happen that way, and, of course, it was sad to see the comments of Dionne because I don’t know if the other girls really knew what was happening. They were like, “Why are you jumping in the pool? We’re on the business here.” Actually, the party did not look like it was business. Everybody was jumping in the sauna—not the sauna, the Jacuzzi they had next to the pool. A bunch of people were jumping in the Jacuzzi. It didn’t look to me like it was a networking party. It was in the beginning, though.

For the Aboriginal shoot, you were sick. Were you still sick during the final CoverGirl commercial photo-shoot?

I was sick when I was . . . I started to get cold when I was sitting with Tyra and other photographer for male magazine, but I could pull it off because I didn’t have fever—nothing like this. That was it, but when we had Aboriginal dancing challenge, it was very windy and rainy, and we had to dance barefoot and simply wrapped in a little piece of cloth. So, that is when I got really sick, and I had fever, and the next day I didn’t want to do anything. I was just thinking about the bed. I was not sick for the final CoverGirl shoot.

It’s too bad we’re out of time. [laughs]

I’m so sorry—it’s all because of me.

Oh, that’s all right. You said a lot with what you said, so that fine. Thank you so much for talking with me, and best of luck in the future, Natasha!

Thank you! Byeeeee!

Many thanks to CW and Natasha for this interview opportunity!

[Google]

 

[Allie]

Good job on getting a words in edgewise.

She seems cute and happy. Much luck for her.

[KinmokuPrincess]

Natasha is too adorable! I love her!!! I'm glad she's so talkative! She's too fun!

[aprilshouldawin]

Thank you so much for the interview and the question about the pool thing. I saw she was pushed in the pool right after Jael fell, but the moment was so quick for me to be sure about it. That's why I thought I was seeing things because I liked this girl. LOL

[jasmar]

That girl just makes me smile - she has got the best attitude I've ever seen in reality TV. That sounds like it was a fun interview, SV. Thanks!

[Goldenboy]

haha she is so cute, I want to eat her

[tes]

Thanks for the interview!
Good luck to you Nata!!!

[theart83]

How can someone not love Natasha? She's adorable! And her eyes are to DIE for. They're gorgeous. Her interview is amazing! Love!

[CrossingGuard]

Originally Posted by theart83

How can someone not love Natasha? She's adorable! And her eyes are to DIE for. They're gorgeous. Her interview is amazing! Love!

I know, how could you not love this girl? (Right now, I see Natasha smiling at the good comments directed towards her.)

Great interview yet again, SV! Although it was a little confusing at times, but she made up for it by being funny. I couldn't stop laughing at the beginning part when she said, "Aren't you supposed to be a shrinking violet?"

[iv3rdawG]

How tall are you?

What is that? Oh, how tall am I? [laughs] Oh, my God, I was like . . . I’m 5’ 8.5”.

Hehe. I love Natasha so much. She's got such a wonderful personality. Can't wait to see more of her!