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If you can make it New York you can make it anywhere … right?

We got the chance to catch up with Annelise, a star in CW’s new series Remodeled, which follows the renowned model agent Paul Fisher on his quest to make sure agents in small towns no longer get screwed, and to empower models to take control of their own careers.

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Annelise left her Floridian home behind to pursue a career in modeling with the help of Paul’s agency, but things took a wrong turn all in the first episode.

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The aspiring model had a hard time booking gigs and unfortunately had to pack her bags because she was being sent back to good ol’ Florida.

Check out what Annalise did right after she got the bad news of her departure, her thoughts on “creepy” NYC and her competition, all below.

GlobalGrind: How did you get involved with the show?

Annelise: I was actually contacted by Olga from (modeling agency) The Network. She really liked my look and she really wanted me involved in the show. They flew me out to L.A. for a little testing and it ended up working out well. 

Paul Fisher is known for his brutal honesty, was it hard to deal with that?

I didn’t find it hard only because I love people who are up front and I want to be in the know, I want to be told the truth. I want people to be honest with me, especially in this industry. It can be difficult to trust people, but Paul Fisher’s brutality was definitely very helpful for me. He was like ‘We’re going to get 500 no’s but we’re going to keep going past those no’s until we get a yes.’ So he never once bullsh*tted, he was very upfront and honest.

You were sent home in the first episode, were you expecting that to happen?

I wasn’t… that day they sent me home I was so happy and so excited I had gone to some castings that had gone very well. I woke up happy and ready to book a job. I thought they were coming in to tell me that I had got something and instead it was a total downer to find out the opposite.

What was your next move after you found out?

I was in shock at first until I decided I wanted to call my mom and then when I heard her voice… of course if you watched the episode, I got very upset. It was something I want to achieve my entire life and to get the opportunity to go up there and feel like I didn’t succeed was a hardship on me.

Did you spend the summer in New York?

Yeah I spent the summer, August/September.

You’re from Florida. How did you like New York?

It was a little creepy because I’m not a big city girl. Where I live is very laid back, very quiet and relaxed. It was quite a change. I’ve never been in the subway before, so it took some getting used to.

What would you say was the most challenging part?

Probably the castings because it’s a very quick thing, you’re in there for five seconds, they look at you and say, ‘OK, thank you’ and send you away. Sometimes you’re there for four hours or even longer and they give you such a poker face. You can’t tell if they liked you, if they didn’t like you. That was a hard thing.

Was there any competition between you, Shaughnessy and Meghan?

Oh no, absolutely not. Meghan became my sister when I was there. They had their dads with them because they were younger, but I didn’t really have anyone with me. To be able to have a family while I was out there was awesome. We were the best of friends while I was up there.

Who are some of your favorite models that inspire you?

I definitely have to go all the way back to Lauren Hutton, she’s someone who inspires me. I obviously love Kate Moss. That’s one big name that I would love to get to her level of achievement. She’s done so much and she’s still going. I would love to do that.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully modeling will be my one and only job. I’d like to get further and to dip my hands in other pots. I’d like to get into fashion merchandising or something along the lines of that because I love every aspect of fashion, the entire process.

Would you say Remodeled was a good experience?

Every experience that I have as far as photo shoots and traveling, I always take something away from it. Whether at the time it was a down point for me, I still learned something from it and I still took something away and it definitely prepared me for a lot more. It opened my eyes and showed me what challenges I will have to cross.

What advice would you give other young girls that want to get into the modeling agency?

I would say don’t give up, try not to take things personally because it’s difficult in this industry. To not question yourself if you go to a hundred castings and you don’t get any calls back. You just need to keep pushing because there is going to be somebody who notices you.