Top Model Interview: Bianca Richardson

Today I talked to twenty-one-year-old Bianca Richardson. The self proclaimed “counrty girl” talked to us about being to hard, causing conflict in the house and more!

Full Q&A is below the jump!

Tell us how you got involved in Top Model.

I was always extremely interested in modeling. I wanted to model for a while and had some modeling experience. I thought Top Model would help my career and bring me more exposure. I tried out in DC and was one of the fourteen girls who made it to the house.

Were you surprised by your elimination?

I guess last night it was like “Why? What did I do this time? What is going on?” I didn’t think I had performed that poorly again, especially after all the praise I got during my photo shoot with Tyra. I got my answer why, Tyra said I’m the whole package, but you’re not soft on camera and that’s the reason I was eliminated. I was surprised by my elimination in the sense that it’s a competition and every time you go in panel, you go in to win it. I wanted to stick around and take the whole thing. But that didn’t work out. However, I know everything happens for a reason and there are great things in my future.

Did you ever receive the criticism of being too hard in photo shoots before?

No, I’ve never been told that. Tyra was the first person and first photographer to bring that up. It could be attributed to many different factors. It was a competition, it was a television show. Maybe my nerves or my tension translated on camera and Tyra was seeing that. It could be that Tyra just wanted a different look than what I offer, that she wanted a look that was inherently softer. It’s not necessarily a surprise. I’m a strong person with a very strong personality. I have a strong look. But any time you’re in a competition or into a situation where you’re going to be judged, you need to be open to criticism and both negative and positive feedback.

What do you think about to try to bring that softness to your face?

I think about things that are pleasant and heartwarming. I think about Jesus, my grandmother, my mom, just things I love. My Christian faith is definitely one of those.

Did you find smizeing difficult?

It’s just smiling with your eyes. You do that by bringing light to your face and eyes. Once you add that, it just shows through.

Why were you so vocal about your dislike for the makeup?

Let me correct that. I did not not like my makeup. That was a misrepresentation of what happened. In any show you have an image of how the model is supposed to look like. It’s the vision for the shoot and it’s usually attached to the makeup station. My face looked nothing like that image. The makeup artist used completely the wrong colors. I was asked what I thought and all I said was “wow, I don’t look like that.” Of course they made it look like it I hated it and that it was this huge drama. I’ve hated makeup at shoots before and kept my mouth shut and did my job.

Who are you rooting for to win and who do you think has the most potential in the industry?

For me, it’s a toss up between Sundai, Nicole and Laura. Sundai because of her bone structure. Laura because she is a chameleon, she can become many different personas in front of the camera. Nicole because she is a thorough individual and an artist. She’s always in her own head, she’s very deep and everything she does is well thought out. This translates well on camera, all her photographs are works of art.

Do you think you were portrayed accurately?

Yes and no. I definitely received an arc of sorts, where I was the center of conflict in the first few episodes, then less so as the show went on. I don’t know what they were trying to do there, but it was really a result of Courtney’s elimination. She was the only girl that I connected with and once she left, I didn’t see the point in trying to interact with the other girls. It would have just been superficial. I’d already learned their characters and we weren’t a match. I definitely kept to myself after that, and it was portrayed as me being less confrontational.

You still seemed to clash with a lot of people in the house. Why?

Look at it this way: there’s fourteen women put in a house with nothing to do in a competitive setting. These fourteen women have different backgrounds, different cultures, different ethnicities, different childhoods, come from different demographics. Throw in PMS, boredom, competitive spirit and different coping methods, you’ll get clashes. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for the show and I didn’t put on the façade that I was in it to become everyone’s best friend. That’s not what this show is about. Combine that with the fact they take hours and hours of filming and cut it down to one hour, you end up with one-dimensional representations of the women in the house. I wasn’t there to start drama and I don’t believe I was the primary source of conflict and tension in the house.

What are you studying in school?

I’m majoring in Public Relations and minoring in fashion.

What’s next for you?

I’m going to continue to purse modeling. I’m a senior in school and I’m going to do both while I finish school. I made it this far, and I don’t believe this is the end. It was a great experience and I’m gracious to be given this opportunity. I want to thank Tyra, the casting directors, Ken Mok and all the staff and crew. It was a great experience most people won’t even get in a lifetime. Now I’m going to seek representation and continue to try to make it in modeling.

Image: Pottle Productions Inc