Lauren Maddox
I caught up with Lauren Maddox as she appears on Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model. She is currently filming her new movie A Dark Reflection and we hear her thoughts on the elimination and her life as a model and actress.
What can you tell us about your involvement in Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model and how you were invited to be a guest?
I was invited to be a guest on BINTM, as I'm the face of Top Tea (for their promotional campaigns). Top Tea is helping Nepalese farmers by bringing their tea to Britain and the rest of the world.
This is very close to my heart as Nepal helped Britain so much by providing Ghurkas over the years - which Joanna Lumley has been very involved in raising awareness on. These Gurkhas form part of the British Army. The Brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally fought in the British Indian Army, prior to Indian Independence and prior to the East India Company. They hold a reputation for being 'fierce fighters and brave soldiers'. They take their name from the hill town of 'Gorkha' from which the Nepalese Kingdom expanded. The ranks have been dominated by four ethnic groups: the Gurungs and Magars from Central Nepal, and the Rais and Limbus from the East, who live in villages of hill farmers - some of whom are producing 'Top Tea'.
This is the first Nepalese tea that will come to the U.K. so it's extremely exciting for them and us! I'm so happy to be able to help these people by creating an environment for them to earn a good living and sell their 'fragrant tasting tea'.
I have had the privilege to visit Nepal and I have found them to be a sensitive, calm nation. They were very kind to me when I visited Pokara and Katmandu. They showed me wonderful mandalas that have helped with my meditations and they took me high into the hills at 4am to see the sunrise. I also met the monks at the Monasteries, wild monkeys and visited their historical museum. I sat at the bottom of the Himilayas by the stunning lake in Pokara, on an old wooden swing, whilst I ate vegetable 'Momo' (which are like tasty dumplings with Chilli sauce). They also showed me amazingly atmospheric bat caves and I visited their Gurkha museum. I even saw 'Lumbini' which is the Buddha's birthplace.
'Top Tea' will be launched soon and it can be bought in supermarkets and independent stores across the UK, and later in Europe and the USA.
Sky felt that it would be a good for the models to try to emulate the essence of Top Tea in a photo shoot. The shoot was done underwater ad the models looked gorgeous floating. We wanted to see their underwater movements and how they could elongate their bodies, while swimming and still be adaptive with their facial expressions. Overall wanted them to be elegant and reflect the refreshing, bubbly but calming taste of Top Tea, 'in each sip'. This is what I was looking for when assessing the models with Tyson on the BINTM show, in Episode Five (11th July 2013).
You are currently filming A Dark Reflection, so please tell us about your character in this and a bit about the film.
A Dark Reflection is a thriller that at the same time will raise awareness about problems within the airline industry. I play the role of Judy Stewart, an author and environmentalist who investigates 'just what has been going on' within the airline industry from the 1960's the present day. My role as Judy Stewart is an interesting one, full of underlying meaning. It sheds light on the truth of an important topic.
It's a pacey thriller and, although the script by Viv Young and director Tristan Loraine is a work of fiction, the underlying theme is rooted in fact and I'm sure it's going to make all of us ask 'just what's in the air I'm breathing' next time we board a plane!
It tells the story of journalist Helen Eastman who starts digging into a 'near miss' air traffic incident, and discovers probably the biggest cover up in aviation history. The character Judy Stewart is crucial to Helen's discovery of the truth. It was a role I was keen to take on as I too am very aware of the environmental issues that threaten the world we live in. I am keen to shed light on this matter as it is crucial that people know about this. The cast includes Georgina Sutcliffe and Marina Sirtis (Counsellor Troi, Star Trek Next Generation) and is being shot in 35mm, which is a visual treat!
You have starred in and produced on many projects so do you have a preference between the two?
It's a strong, definite passion of mine to act. I understood when I started a year or so ago, that I could use the film's that I act in as a medium for 'raising awareness' on topics to do with the human and animal psyche. Topics that may not have yet been touched upon in film.
I want to bring awareness to things in history that we can learn from, such as female torture and punishment (mental and emotional) in many cultures. I feel that women have so much to give and I want positive female voices to be heard and find their outlet within film.
Through film, as an actress and sometimes as a producer, I feel that I can be a spokesperson for many, on important psychological topics that may otherwise be pushed aside, such as the films in relation to the inner depths of the human and animal psyche.
My first feature film in the U.S. was called 'Another Happy Day', which starred Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, Ezra Miller and Ellen Burstyn. I played the role of Alison, (Demi Moore's cousin), in the film. This film highlighted a family's life, how depression can come about within a family unit, and how it is projected onto the outside. This film shows 'what people can do with what they feel'.
I also really want to produce feature films and present documentaries. I was recently in the London part of Sarah Begum's 'Amazon Souls' documentary, which looked at a tribe in the Amazon, called the 'Howarni tribe'. In the documentary, they speak of not wanting people to cut down their trees in order to look for oil. They want the rainforest to be protected.
I really want to look at what we can learn from Ancient Cultures in the film work I do and I'm writing my Masters Dissertation on Shamanism. So, I adored having the privilege to be a part of this documentary, which was at the Short Film Corner of Cannes Film Festival, at Sheffield Documentary Festival and will be taken on by Sky T.V. This is one to watch out for!
I also filmed part of a documentary for Sarah Begum, at the weekend, which is for Channel Four's 'Ramadan Diaries'. I cannot wait to see this. I'd love to take on more of these types of projects. Film and T.V. projects that 'portray the real and raw truth' are my focus.
I also have a Music website, co-owned with William Johnston, called ‘awareness music’ which promotes up and coming singers with a view to placing their songs in films and T.V. series to raise funds for charities on our website, as well as for the artistes themselves. My artiste’s songs will feature in certain films that I'm working on and I will use my contacts within the film industry to do more of this. I feel that this will help many people and promote amazing talent. Please free to check this out as we're launching this very soon!
You were on hand to offer advice to the girls on the show, so what is the best advice you have ever been given when you were starting out in your career?
I was on hand to help the girls stay calm during the Underwater Tank photo shoot for Top Tea. I gave advice with Tyson and assessed the underwater images on the monitor. The water was steaming in front of us as it was freezing March weather, outside! I really enjoyed this process and I understood the models’ fears and concerns. Many of them were also scared of water and swimming, which was another challenge that they needed help with from Tyson and I, in order to stay calm.
My advice for everyone in the film or model industry is to 'live the life you've imagined and journey with a calm and resilient nature'. It's a hard world to be in and patience is certainly a virtue. I must emphasise how much patience you need, as you can be pulled in so many directions, people can ask you to do so many jobs and you have to make firm decisions about what you want to portray to the world, and the meaning and reason for your focus. I know that an inner purpose is needed in life as well as being able to follow your dream path, This takes a lot of planning and careful, intuitive thinking so that you create 'Your Own World'. This will be reflected in everything you do and everything you stand for. Then you know that you are being You and being 'Truthful to Yourself'.
What were your thoughts on the elimination?
I felt Lauren really shone through and, from Top Tea's point of view, depicted our tea with a graceful serenity. The image she created was calming and ethereal. This is what we are looking for. It was perfect for our ethical brand of tea which is soothing in its nature. Her inner beauty stood out and the camera captured this. The camera is like the human eye - it reflects the exact truth back to you, in a moment in time. 'Time' is really something that our minds create to bring structure to our lives, and 'space' is what those moments are really within. This mind-set, from a model, is what we are looking for, to promote the ethical essence of Top Tea and it’s soothing nature.
Who do you think has it in them to become Britain and Ireland's next top model?
For me, my money is on Lauren; she was great on the shoot and produced a stunning picture. She is definitely one to watch.
What are the highs and lows of being a model for you?
The highs are being able to both capture the essence of my own nature on camera while at the same time being true to the brand that I am being photographed for.
There aren't really lows but in this industry one must be grounded, calm and realise that everyone has a purpose in this life and things happen when they are meant to.
Resilience to outside judgement and 'not taking things personally' is of extreme importance especially as this world is made up of exterior judgement (particularly in this profession). This is one of what’s called 'The Four Agreements'. I would recommend reading 'The Four Agreements' by Don Miguel Ruiz to establish an understanding of creating a 'balanced', 'grounded', 'down to Earth' approach to life. This helps us to understand 'Universal Interconnectivity' on the planet and how we can all reach our full potential with calm, inner, mind focus. I feel that this shows how important it is to know that we don't need to compete with others, and we only need to set positive ways of being. I also highly recommend the book 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle.
What would you look for in an aspiring model?
Connectedness. Someone who's kind, alive, awake and has an inner stillness as this creates an inner beauty that shines through into the photograph. Meditation can really aid this. I highly recommend 'Shambhala Meditation Centre' just off Venn Street in Clapham Common, swimming lots and walking in nature. This creates 'stillness'. I understand that 'stillness' is needed to show a profound state within film, which captures people's imaginations. This is the case in the photos, in all of life and so I recommend these suggestions for models.
How much pressure is there to look good in film?
I am myself and I embody my own soul and spirit and channel it into every character that I choose to play.
What is next for you?
Next is my role in 'Shadows From The Sky' where I play a British spy masquerading as a Russian alongside Sean Bean, Hugo Weaving and Yvonne Strahovski. I will need to learn a Russian accent for this role.
I will also play the supporting role to Naomie Harris in a spiritual psychological thriller called ‘Verdigris’ which uncovers a lot of underlying meaning within one man’s life story and the people he comes into contact with. The word 'Verdigris', is the name for copper when it's exposed to sunlight. It reflects the man's mind-set and many parts of himself that have 'light shone on them'. This film looks into different facets of the human psyche and encourages us all to look into the unconscious mind to begin to understand certain areas of our inner selves.
This is something that is very interesting to me as the ideas that I've been studying, whilst doing a Masters in Psychotherapy and Healing, are explored within the films that I'm choosing to take on. It's like my mind is searching for inner truth and wanting to help inspire that amongst cultures.
I am also the UK ‘face’ of Motives, which has been created by Loren Ridinger (for light to medium tone complexions) and LaLa Anthony, the partner of Carmelo Anthony who plays for the New York Knicks, in America (for medium to black tones of skin).
Many celebrity figures in the U.S. are promoting 'Motives' in Magazines. It's known as 'the ethical, silky smooth makeup'. Motives is a mineral makeup that’s not tested on animals and it’s specifically for the modelling, film and music industry. I chose to be the face for the U.K. because I love animals and there is no animal testing. Also, the products feel so silky on your skin and are packed full of minerals. See: go shop with lauren or motives with lauren.