"AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL"

Jenascia Chakos

Age: 21 years old

Height/Weight: 5'7" / 120 lbs.

Hometown: Burien, Wash.

Occupation: Waitress

Favorite Things:
TV shows: "Family Guy";
Movie: "Moulin Rouge";
Music: Classical;
Food: Beef

Other Activities: Football

The Interview

From Hooters to America's Next Top Model and back to Hooters again, Jenascia has been on quite the ride. When asked what it is like to be famous now, her simple "Am I? It's weird. I'm in a Twilight Zone. People can now pronounce my name that never could. I can't hide from collection agencies anymore." laid the ground work for our most fun interview yet.

But we were warned: "I do read everything on the internet - so be nice! I know people." We assured her that she has lots of fans. And since we're positive that her people can't compare to our people, we decided to write what we wanted about her anyway.

Problem is - she was always our girl. Our favorite from the get-go.

From the very beginning when she was hoping for food aboard the aircraft carrier ("Did you know there was a McDonald's?..I was like crawling and begging...then we get to the house and there was all of this organic food. I thought I was going to pass out."), to her final episode, Jenascia never seemed fake - or caught up in the house drama. "I wanted to be totally real. I knew my friends would be watching and if I weren't myself they'd call me on it." As for that drama, "The cat fights were tame compared to what they were on TV. I didn't even know about a lot... I knew there was tension, but didn't know until the house meeting. I stayed to myself a lot."

But she isn't shy about dishing on the other girls.

Catie: Fake? "We talked about it and she said she was working on it." As for her crying episodes, "She told me she could cry at the drop of a hat." Did that mean it was all an act? "I think she did feel bad and get upset sometimes. Other times she was looking for a pity party, and got it from some people."

Camille: "Camille is amazing looking. If she would just shut her mouth. She is amazing to look at, but when she opens her mouth you just want to shut your eyes." We've noticed that Camille doesn't seem liked by anyone in the house. "I felt pretty bad for her. No one took Camille's side at the house meeting. A lot of the catty remarks were unnecessary. If you have a problem, you have to live with these girls. Just deal with it. You don't have to bring everyone else into it."

Mercedes: "She is genuinely nice. And goofy"

Yoanna: "We had fun". Jenascia went on to describe their "dance-offs". "We would have our walkmans on and would dance.... We looked ridiculous!"

Too bad that lighter side of Jenascia wasn't shown more. "I wish you would have seen my goofy side more. I'm sarcastic, too. But I can be goofy." Which made us raise the question: does the show categorize and typecast people, and only show that side of them? "We helped do it. They took the strongest thing from our personality. If you met me, I'm goofy and sarcastic. But mostly sarcastic, so that's what they showed."

So how did this waitress from Washington become one of the 12 girls vying for the model top spot? "My mom said you have to do this, you have to do this. I said I would if she would just shut up." Jenascia had done some modeling in her early teens, but not a lot. "I just remember I didn't like the make-up artists putting stuff on my eyes." But entering the competition she expected the worst. "Bad attitudes" etc. But it went smoother than expected. Living with 11 other girls wasn't a problem for the solo-living gal. "It wasn't that bad. I work with all girls, so it was like a job." She did make friends with some of the other girls, and stays in touch with them. "I talked to Mercedes today..." Her favorite gals? Mercedes, April and Sara.

But the first episode could have been her last. She overslept and was late for her first photo shoot. Should the other girls have woken her up? "Now I know that wasn't their responsibility. It would have been nice." Her initial anger over that subsided. "We grew closer. And I became too paranoid to sleep. I'd hear the littlest noise and go 'What?" Was she happy that Anna (the first model eliminated) didn't do the nude photo shoot. "I was thinking about that. I felt bad about it. She should have done it because she might still be there. I have mixed feelings. I should be happy because I was still there. But maybe it would have been 2 other girls up there. I don't know."

Like everyone else eliminated before her, Jenascia did learn while she was there. "I learned it is OK to smile when you're picture is taken." This dark beauty has one hang up - and it isn't her height. It's her gums! "I'm really self-sonscious of my gums. I have big gums." She seemed happy that we hadn't noticed. Jenascia is also quick to point out that she wasn't bored. "I would have liked to not look like I was bored all of the time. I didn't realize it until I watched." She was intimidated. But never bored.

At 5'7, Jeanascia was the shortest of the 12 girls. When she arrived "I realized I was too short. I started to get paranoid. Next time I'm going to audition for the next Willy Wonka. I'm going to be an Oompa Loompa." Her "short complex" did get to her. "Don't get me wrong - I tried to grow!" She grew disenchanted, and Janice Dickinson didn't help. Jenascia laughs, "She's jealous of me. Gravity is nicer to people closer to the ground." Ouch! :)

A few more inches isn't the only thing that some thought she needed. 6 months of modeling school is what Betsey Johnson suggested. "That sounds like too much money. I've heard about some of those modeling schools and it all sounds like a scam. I don't think they can teach me anything I don't already know. And when I walked for Betsey Johnson I was totally joking. I had on size 10 shoes and normally wear a 6 1/2. They didn't make it easy on me."

So who is going to win? "I don't know. It isn't going as I expected it too." Jenascia was surprised by Heather's elimination. "I didn't expect her to go so soon. I thought it would be Xiomara." But she's rooting for Mercedes to win. As for the next elimination? "Catie. If I have to watch her cry one more time, I swear...."

For now Jenascia is back to the real world, and back to waitressing. We asked if she was getting more tips now due to her new-found fame. "I hope so. I hope people don't think I have money now - because I don't. I'm still driving my $200 car." She has hopes for acting - it is what she really wants to do. We think she can do it - and we hope to see her on TV in the future. But in the meantime - if you catch Jenascia slinging wings at Hooters - tip her big! It isn't easy being a starving artist!!

~February 4, 2004

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