partment. I started gigging right away. That department eventually
shut down and I was taken over to the main agency. I am still with
them to this day.
You got to do some commercials for really big brands. Did
you ever think that your career was going to involve being
a model for a long time?
I never believed I would be a model forever as I always knew
I would become an actress and I wasn't going to give up until I
did. When I got my first big break, a series regular role on a FOX
show called Justice in 2006, I was able to officially quit modeling.
I was THRILLED!!! I have been solely acting since then. What's
lovely is that now whenever I do a photo shoot, it's for a film or
TV show or for fun. Not to mention I am treated way better as an
actress on a photo shoot than when I was a model. When I was
a model I sometimes felt invisible on a shoot or people would
outwardly be mean. Thankfully that no longer happens to me as
an actress.
After having participated in more than 10 projects (TV and
movies), with important roles, you were part of the tv pheno-
menon LOST (we are huge fans of the show) which we think
represented a stepping stone for the TV industry. Where you
aware of what you were getting yourself into? How was your
experience of working with J.J.Abrams? And with the rest
of the cast? Did you enjoy filming on Hawaii? Any particular
anecdote that you would like to share with us?
After Justice was canceled in 2006 I went back to the grind of
getting my next job. Eight months and many auditions later I got
the part of Charlotte Staples Lewis on LOST. I knew of the show
at the time, obviously. You'd have to have been living under a
rock at the time to not know what LOST was. I knew it was a
big deal going into shooting the show that this was something
really special. LOST changed the face of television for its time. It
brought Science fiction to the masses and made it cool to geek
out on a show and have viewing parties with friends to theorize
about what it all meant.
I had an epic time in Hawaii with the other cast members. We
all got along well and everyone made me feel welcome from my
very first day. A lot of the cast were musical and some nights we
would sit in the jungle between takes singing songs and playing
guitar under the stars. Magical.
If you were to choose your favorite role, which one would
it be?
I have really been enjoying playing The Wicked Witch of the West
on Once Upon A Time for the past three years. It's so much fun
to play this character, who also goes by the name "Zelena". The
writers on the show do an amazing job of writing flawed, multi-
dimensional Villains. She's a joy to play. I love to going to work on
this show. Such a blessing!