In this interview, model and actress Charlene Laurent describes past experiences in the ever-changing industry; as well as delving into information regarding her current projects and plans for the future.
Q: I saw that you were one of the top 15 cover girls for Maxim Magazine last year! What kind of experience was it to be so successful so early on in your modelling career?
A: It was an amazing experience! I am grateful for magazines and brands like Maxim, giving me the chance and platform to do something on my own.
Q: What are your main motivations for branching into a career in comedy? Is this a natural path you’ve always wanted to explore, or has the idea come to light in recent years?
A: Comedy has always been something natural for me. I was a kid who loved to read and write, and I always wanted to make people happy. Giving them some kind of joy. The world is in such a bad shape right now and having the opportunity to make people laugh, even for just a minute, lets them escape their problems and personal lives. That’s the biggest gift God could give me.
Q: How has your experience been, being an official ambassador for LA fashion week?
A: Being an official ambassador for LA fashion week was amazing! Getting to watch all the shows, connecting with other creatives and designers is such an inspirational thing to do.
I am definitely looking forward for next season and the exciting thing is that I am walking shows for a few designers. Fashion week is like a creative meet up every season. You get inspired, make new friends and see the newest trends on the runway. It’s amazing because the shows can be really high-couture but also street style LA inspired. LA fashion week always makes sure to support smaller designers as well and I love supporting companies and organizations, who use their platform to help artists grow.
Q: What would you say is your primary inspiration for the modelling jobs and acting roles that you have taken part in?
A: It’s been always my dream to be an artist. Getting to play different roles and expressing different emotions on set to send a message to the viewer is a powerful thing to do. My inspiration behind all of this is being a voice for the people who can’t be heard. I want to inspire others and make people learn from those stories.
Q: What’s your favourite part about interacting with your fans on your Instagram page (@charlenlaurent)? Is this your preferred social media platform?
A: Instagram is the platform that has the most active users. It’s a good way to share my work, life and things that I like. It’s also a great way to communicate with my fans. Replying to messages and comments gives me the opportunity to connect with everyone and get to know my fan base on a more personal level!
Q: Your style appears to be extremely elegant and classy, as seen in the outfits shown on your Instagram page! Is this a style you’ve always admired personally, or are there any other styles you’d love to experiment with?
A: I love elegant and classy styles because they’re timeless and just chic. Sometimes I like to experiment and mix more edgy pieces into my style, but I usually just stick to my usual style. One trend that I like is edgy Doc Martens but even with Doc Martens, I might wear leather pants and leather blazer. Just to stick to my classy style.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about walking for Designer Dair Design at Art Hearts Fashion Week?
A: I’m honestly so excited! Walking shows is such a cool feeling because you bring the clothes to life. You can see and understand the message behind the clothes inspired by the designer. It’s just a cool feeling. Adair Pereira, the founder, is such an amazing artist who designs haute couture clothing with more casual pieces. It’s a great feeling to walk a show but it’s just amazing to walk a show for a talented artist, who works hard to inspire with his art.
Q: I bet writing short movies is an extremely time-consuming yet rewarding task. How do you manage to juggle your careers with your personal life?
A: I try to manage my schedule ahead and it definitely takes a lot of discipline. Writing short movies and stories is art to me and not work. I don’t feel tired because it’s my creative outlet. Sometimes I sleep less or don’t hang out with friends just to get my work done.
Q: Do you have any role models that you look up to for inspiration, or for career-based motivation?
A: My mom is my role model and has always inspired me to work hard and be independent. She’s always been supportive and always wanted me to grow and inspire others.
Q: When you were younger, did you intend on striving to become an actress and model; or were your passions for these developed over time and with experience?
A: Yes, I’ve always wanted to be a model and actress. I grew up reading a lot and writing a lot. Being an actress gives me the chance to bring stories to life and inspire others. Modeling helps me to bring out emotions in just one picture and hopefully sparks a story in the viewer’s eye.
Q: You preach an inspirational message by broadening the modelling industry, by delving into other career options such as comedy. Would you agree that inspiring others to follow your expressive path is a passion of yours?
A: Absolutely. I want to show people that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I know that going into stand-up comedy is different and not really done before by any other model but it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I hope that this inspires others to follow their dreams and not listen to stereotypes. Just be true to yourself and follow the right path.
Q: You have, undoubtedly, achieved a great deal of amazing things in the past few years. Where do you see yourself, ideally, in a few years’ time?
A: I see myself being the best version of myself. I want to grow, learn and improve. One of the goals is to act more in movies and TV shows and my comedy career will grow. The overall goal is to grow, get a bigger platform and inspire others.
Title image by Jerald Saw