Supermodel, funny girl
DANICA hopes to follow in the footsteps of Tyra Banks.
Although she’s consistently expressionless on the catwalk, supermodel Danica Magpantay insists she’s really a funny girl.
Thus, Danica, first Filipina to top the Ford Supermodel of the World search (in 2010), is inclined to do comedy, should she venture into show biz. Comedienne Eugene Domingo is her idol.
Eugene is a friend of Danica’s mom, model-turned-makeup artist Lala Flores. “On my mom’s Facebook page, Eugene challenged me to a pose-off. I should practice my moves daw.”
Danica, who’s the new brand ambassador of Globe’s Tattoo@Home service, wants to try hosting, too. “But nothing serious like a talk show. I just want to go into something light and fun, like a noontime show or a game show.”
How about a reality show, like “Project Runway” or “Models of the Runway” in the United States?
“I’m open to anything,” says Danica, who actually divides her time between Manila and New York.
She has come out on American television, she relates. A major US network did a story on 17-year-old fashion photographer David Urbanke while he was shooting with Danica. “A reporter interviewed me because I had worked with David in shoots, like the Bullet magazine spread.”
Which leads us to ask: Is the E! reality show “Scouted” an accurate depiction of the modeling scene in the United States?
DANICA hopes to follow in the footsteps of Tyra Banks.
“Each model has her own story,” says the 19-year-old former UP Diliman Fine Arts student. “But what I’ve seen so far is all true. After you get discovered, you still have to undergo a round of test shoots, go-sees, makeovers …”
She herself went through the wringer, she relates. “Yes, I won the Ford Supermodel contest, but I still had to go to auditions. It’s part of the game.”
It’s not unusual for her to receive last-minute calls, e-mail or text messages, asking her to a go-see or shoot. “Sometimes I get an assignment just before I turn in for the night. That’s why it’s important to stay connected.”
Danica has two Blackberry phones (one for Manila and a second unit for New York), an iPad, iPod Touch and laptop. She maintains Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook accounts. When she’s away, she talks to her mom on Skype.”
Faith and family keep her grounded in the high-flying world of fashion, she says. “I don’t go out much at night, but when I do, I don’t smoke or drink. I was raised well; my parents put fear of God in me.”
Asked to choose between Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks as role uh, model, Danica picks the latter. “I want to follow her career path. Tyra knew when to quit. When she could no longer model, she went into hosting and producing.”
The towering Pinay (at 5’9”) may not end up a high-powered mogul like Tyra, but she sees herself as a future entrepreneur, nonetheless. “I’d like to run my own retail store.”
