Top Model 13 Exit Interview: Ashley
Ashley Howard, 22, got discovered by Top Model while attending the Tyra Banks show. I haven’t been discovered at any point. Maybe I’m not attending the right shows. Anyway, Ashley, who has all the perfect features you could want from a model, struggled in the group photo shoot last week with a Cirque de Soleil theme, and was sent home. In her Real Blogger Exit Interview, the 5′6″ Brooklyn girl talks about getting discovered, overcoming a lack of modeling experience and smiling with her eyes.
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Real Blogger: After watching your last episode, is there anything you wish they would have shown that they didn’t?
Ashley Howard: I don’t know what I wish they would’ve shown. That was kind of how it would’ve gone. I did get more comments from Mr. Jay and the photographer. I think that’s about it. Obviously, I didn’t think I’d be eliminated. It was a little bit of a shock. … Even just watching it, I didn’t feel bad about the photo. It was kind of hard to watch it.
RB: Which photo was your best, then?
AH: They really enjoyed my first photo. I guess it was a first-time luck kind of thing. I didn’t know what they expected from me. It was one photo they enjoyed, and then it was up and down.
RB: I nicknamed you Lady Luck in my show recaps, because you happened to be spotted by Tyra on her talk show, and that helped get you on ‘Top Model.’ Tell me how all that happened.
AH: I went on an open casting call for New York when I found out Tyra was doing a season for short girls. But that ended up being a stampede (Ed. note: Lulu was also at that audition, but she made it inside in time). I was on my feet for 12 hours– very annoying … I heard Tyra was going to (talk about the stampede) on her talk show, so I signed up for it. Then someone called me it’s not about that anymore, don’t come here thinking you can talk about it. I decided to go anyway. (I sat) pretty close to the stage with my mom. Then some girl came and asked for my information. She said it was for future shows. I thought it was strange.
Then I got a call to come out for Top Model, but I didn’t put it all together. Who saw me? When I got to L.A., Tyra asked how I got here and I said, ‘Well, at one point during the Tyra Banks Show I thought we made eye contact, but I figured I just made it up in my head.’ When I found that out (Tyra really had spotted her), I couldn’t believe it.
RB: Good thing you weren’t wearing sweatpants or something to her show.
AH: (Laughs) You can’t wear sweatpants to her audience. I think I had on a regular shirt, jeans and heels.
RB: That’s actually what Tyra seems to prefer girls wear. I have to guess a lot of girls are now going to try to get on her talk show to be spotted, now.
AH: You know what? When I got to L.A., she told me so many girls come to the audience trying to get on her (Top Model) show, but she had never seen anyone in her audience. Since her talk show began, girls would come on dolled up, high heels, makeup, everything. That’s what she told me, everyone would come on trying to get on. And I was the first one she spotted.
RB: Is there anything you wish you would’ve done differently on ‘Top Model’?
AH: Of course, there are things you look back on and I would have done this there, or not done this pose, or tried this with my face instead. But, honestly thinking back in those moments, I tried my best. And I never brought negativity to me, or thought someone would give it to me. For someone with no modeling experience, I think I did pretty well for me.
RB: What’s next for you, then?
AH: I’m still dancing, I’ll continue with performing. Now, I’ll just add modeling to that. I want to learn more, meet people. I want to see myself modeling, see my face out there (on advertisements).
RB: What part of the show was toughest for you? It seemed like you were in one group, and half of the girls were in another. Was that part of it tough?
AH: I have no problem dealing with people in general. I’ve been dealing with people all my life. That wasn’t a problem. It was feedback from the judges. That was the hardest thing for me. I’m so used to setting a goal, fulfilling my goal. It seemed like it was a back-and-forth thing for me. It was hard for me to realize this is not something you pick up in one try. Modeling, you seem to have to work at, know your body, know your face.
RB: Modeling isn’t as easy as it looks, then. Sometimes, from watching the show, I’m sure people think they could jump in there and do it.
AH: It’s not like that. It’s not a 1,2, 3, boom, you’re it. I think everyone has the potential to take one good picture — take a few frames, you can get a good picture … But it’s not that easy at all. You have to do different things with your body.
RB: So do you think you got along with everyone, or did you have problems with some of them?
AH: Kind of a little bit of both. I spoke to all the girls in the house. In the beginning, yeah, I steered clear of Bianca. I didn’t like her attitude. But by the end… I talked with her, we sort of aired everything out. Nicole and I were close, except for that one time (she questioned Nicole’s friendship with Bianca). That was just a strange week in the house, tension was building. It was strange for all of us. Sure, there was tension here and there, but for the most part we got along.
RB: Is ‘Top Model’ what you expected?
AH: I didn’t know what kind of expectations to have. I was kind of in shock. When I found out Tyra had seen me, you have to bring your A game when you have no modeling experience, bring everything you have. Everything was unexpected.
RB: And have you learned to Smile With Your Eyes (Smize, as Tyra calls it)?
AH: (Laughs) I think I have learned to smize. Now, whenever I take a picture with friends, I think ‘Smile with my eyes, smile with my eyes.’
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