"AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL"
Season 3

Nicole

Age: 21

Height/Weight: 5'8"/125 lbs

Hometown: Minot, North Dakota

Occupation: Former punk rocker

Favorite Things:
Movie: "Bowling for Columbine"
Magazine: National Geographic, Vogue and Maxim
Food: Shrimp Scampi

Other: Moved from North Dakota to Seattle with only $400 in her pocket.

The Interview

She doesn't like talking on the phone - but Nicole was gracious enough to speak with us for a bit about America's Next Top Model and her plans for the future.

This fiery red head (which she is keeping "until I get bored. Then I'm thinking platinum..."), with a gorgeous portfolio, is the latest to have been forced to pack her bags and leave immediately. We are still scratching our heads as to why she was eliminated. I don't think she's capable of taking a bad photograph. She just oozes beauty. The judges had said it was because she wasn't "memorable". We think it was due to the lack of reality TV drama. But I digress....

Nicole isn't sure about her future. Though she began modeling at 15, she describes her journey into a modeling profession as "a long, slow process." Through some starts and stops, Nicole has done hair shows for Paul Mitchell and Bed Head. She also has a photographer friend that is building his portfolio which led to many opportunities. But being on the show made Nicole realize that "maybe modeling is not my forte." She had studied theater, and really enjoyed it. "Maybe I'll get into acting," she explained. And of this she is sure: "I will succeed!"

In a funny little twist of fate, it was Catie from Cycle 2 that inspired Nicole to try out for America's Next Top Model. "We had done the Paul Mitchell hair show together. I saw the 2nd cycle, and thought 'hey - if she can do it, so can I.' So Catie is the reason I was here." Nicole laughs.

For someone thinking that modeling is not her forte, Nicole seemed to appreciate the work aspect of the show the most. "Being able to go to the photo shoots. Just being in the moment" is what Nicole will miss the most. Her favorite perks? "The traveling - going to Jamaica. The whole essence of everything. Going to New York for 2 months and not paying rent. Going to Jamaica and not paying rent. Then being in Japan and not paying rent. The whole not paying rent thing is so surreal." Trying to explain it all, Nicole just laughed over the phone.

What she won't miss is "living in the house. Too much estrogen." She did say that as people were leaving, it did get quieter. She was referring to the drama that flew about for a bit. So how much did the "drama" affect the "competition"? "Those that felt more comfortable in the house felt more comfortable at panel and ... I'm not sure. It had nothing to do with the competition."

Yet friendships were being formed, and Nicole's leaving was hard for everyone. Toccara's elimination was the first to really hit Nicole. "Right around the time of Toccara's [elimination] we learned. We're going home now. Friendships started to grow stronger just as they were ripping us apart. I never got teary-eyed until then." Nicole hasn't been in contact with the other girls yet. Seeing family and friends has been keeping her busy, but that is about to change. "I owe Norelle a pair of slippers. I'll be sending those to her soon."

If you feel like you didn't get to see much of Nicole, you're not alone. "There's a lot they didn't show for rating purposes. I'm not full of drama. I'm full of weirdness," she laughed. "I didn't really fit..." she began describing her wacky sense of humor (which is inspired by her father), and how she is "full of randomness." The lack of sleep was another factor. "We didn't have time to sleep. That's another reason you didn't get to see me a lot, because in my free time I was sleeping."

Would she do it all over again? "Yes! Of course!" But she vows that even if she could change anything, she would still be true to who she is. "I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not." Nicole is hoping that people simply remember her for "constantly laughing or smiling. I was trying to absorb as much as I could without being unprofessional..." She quickly added, "I'm really easy going!!"

Our time was ending, so I asked her for any final thoughts for her fans. Her tone slightly sobered from the laughing girl I had been talking to. She seemed to be struggling with the concept of having "fans" as she sincerely conveyed her appreciation for them. "I'm in awe that I have fans. I want to say thanks from the bottom of my heart. I know it sounds so cliche, but I really couldn't do it without them. I still don't grasp it completely. That people care about me and what I'm doing. They inspire me."

I assured her that she most likely has inspired people, too.

She immediately brightened. "Oh good! It's a mutual thing. Give and take. That's the way it should be!"

Nicole's Beauty Tip:

"How old are your readers? I don't want to offend anyone." We explained that the majority of you are 25-40. "OK, good. The most important thing to do if you have to be somewhere and you're out drinking the night before is to drink plenty of water before you go to sleep so that you don't look hung over. Actually, just getting plenty of sleep is probably the best thing."

~November 18, 2004

Read more about America's Next Top Model Season 3
Read about America's Next Top Model Season 2
Read about America's Next Top Model Season 1

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