Porsche Thomas is a strikingly beautiful Los Angeles based model and actress who is presently dropping anchor in Harlem, New York.
You may recognize the Brooklyn born beauty from when she modeled an Oscar worthy dress on TV which was in competition earlier this year as part of the Oscar Designer Challenge where nine designers competed to have their designs worn by a star at the Academy Awards.
You may also recognize Porsche in the coming weeks because she’s just shot a national commercial for Nikon and because she’s a host on teen advice website Teendiariesonline.com.
GlobalGrind spoke to Porsche and we discussed what it’s like for her as a dark woman with natural hair working in the fashion industry, her love of movies, her father Peter Thomas (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) as well as her dreams and aspirations in the industry. Here’s some of our conversation.
GlobalGrind: Hey, what’s up! Where are you right now?
Porsche Thomas: I’m, in Harlem right now. I live in L.A. but I’m out here indefinitely.
How are you liking Harlem?
You know, I’m form this area. I’m from Brooklyn, but I grew up in Washington Heights, so, to me, it’s home!
What part of Brooklyn?
I’m from Flatbush! Yes! The Trini’s!
Do you have a lot of Trini friends?
I don’t, I have a lot of Trini and Jamaican family, though. My father’s Jamaican and my mother’s part Trini.
Your Dad is on TV a lot lately, does that bother you that he’s so exposed?
Noooo! You know, it’s not like he was made for it. He just one of the guys where he’s not like greatest guy you’ll ever meet, but you still kind of love ‘em and you don’t really know why. He has this air about him; he just captures your attention. He has this amazing presence, so I think it’s good for him. I think its been great.
You have an amazing presence too. We are really struck by your hair. It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen women who look like you getting work.
Yeah, you know my hair changed everything. For the longest time, I would go get my hair done every week, get it straightened and everything. One day I just didn’t feel like doing it anymore. So much work and so much maintenance! It was a lot of money and I just didn’t want to do it. The transition was painful because the transition from the relaxers to natural, it took forever! It would be half straight, half curly. I don’t know if you know her, my dad’s wife Cynthia, she got sick of me complaining about it. One day she sat me down in my living room and just started cutting my hair off. Then I had a black curl [Laughs]. It’s just a little afro and it became my thing. It’s been about 3 and a half years now.
Have you met hairstylists who were intimidated by African hair texture?
I do a lot of runway so either they’re afraid or say it’s perfect just like that and they don’t touch it. My girlfriends complain because their hair gets fried in New York, but no one ever touches my hair. I might get some shine and that’s it. So, it actually has been really good for me. Now, I get to keep the quality of it; it doesn’t get damaged and it works for me. I’ve been getting a lot of work with it and its just been, really, a great thing for me.
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How did you enter the modeling industry? Were you scouted?
No, no, I pursued it. We talked to photographers and I found that they wanted to shoot me. I just started building my own book and getting better and getting great pictures. When I saw that I was ready, I called few agencies. I moved to L.A. to model because I’m also an actress and it just made sense to be there. I’ve been with L.A. Models now for the last 2 years.
What has been your most successful turn to date? What moment have you been most proud of since you’ve been modeling?
I don’t know! I got my first commercial in the fall and it was for Nikon, so that’s been really, really cool. But I’ve done a ton of modeling! I did Vogue, I did a spread. I’ve done Fashion Week. I’m proud of it all and I think that the best is still ahead of me.
You’re pretty tall, 5’9. Was that problematic for you growing up? Some girls get teased for being too tall or too thin. Did you have those issues?
Oh, yeah! I was called Olive Oyl! The boys definitely made fun of me. I was not the girl that the boys in my classes were interested in. I was really skinny, I was taller than everyone. Actually, it’s funny because, in the industry now, I’m one of the shorties. My manager told me, ‘You just made it!’ So I guess I’m glad I’m not taller. I guess that works for the girls who are six feet and had to deal with that growing up. Now they’re like amazing glamazons.
Were you active as a kid? Did you play sports?
No, I tried out for basketball once in the 10th grade. I guess I was known for being a little silly so when I showed up at try-outs, the coach was like, ‘Porsche what are you doing here? C’mon!’ I was like, ‘No I’m serious! I wanna try out!’ I tried out for about three minutes: I did a lay-up, it ricocheted, I ducked and he asked me to leave. That was my only try out at sports.
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So how do you keep in shape? You have an amazing figure.
Lately, I just wanted to be more active so I’m doing bar massage sometimes. I’m doing machine pilates and I just started dancing to hip-hop. It’s just more to entertain myself and to try different things that I think can help me in other areas of my life.
Do you have siblings?
I do! there’s five of us. There are three boys and two girls.
Where do you stand in line? Are you the middle child?
No, I’m the oldest.
So you didn’t really have to compete for attention because you were first?
No, I’m the princess. I’m princess #1.
Did you go through that princess phase little girls go through?
No, I’m a daddy’s girl. My dad doesn’t treat me like a real princess per se. He‘s a tough love guy so it was kind of like wrestling, slap fights and tickling me till I cry. I’m still the princess, just not the most girliest in ways.
So you went out to L.A. to become an actress, you’re still interested in acting, you shot your first commercial for Nikon. What more can we expect from you?
I’m studying this summer, just learning a lot, taking classes. I’m going do Second City in Chicago, in August; an intensive. I think you’re gonna start seeing me a lot. I’m starting to do a little bit more and I think I’m a force to be reckoned with, so I think you can expect a lot from me.
Second City is known for its comedy. You want to be a comedic actress, is that what it is?
That’s what I’m going towards! I’m also writing so I’m going to take a writing course as well, an improv class. So whether it’s writing or acting, or behind the scenes, what I’m going towards and I’m also writing so I’m going to take a writing
course as well as an improv class. So, whether it’s writing or acting, or behind the scenes or whatever it is, I’m ready to play!
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When did you discover that you like acting? Did you do performances in school when you were a kid?
I was really shy as a kid. It wasn’t until after high school that I started taking classes to try and find a way to break out of my shell. I realized that it was a really great way for me to express myself.
What type of films and TV shows were you into as a kid?
Everyone watched “Friends” and “Family Matters.” I’m a sitcom girl. I watched “Martin,” “Wayans Brothers” and then my favorite movies are “Coming to America,” and “Boomerang,” pretty much anything with Eddie Murphy in it in the ’80s
and ’90s. I love really cheesy horror films! I would love to do a really bad horror film, where I’m like the first person to get killed in the first scene. I will be that first girl running through the forest in my underwear, like I will do it! I love stuff like that! I love really cheesy things! I love when it’s fun and fun to watch. I also like great movies … I’m a movie buff, that’s what I like to do in my free time, watch movies.
I see a Wayans Bros. film in your future!
I see it, too! Its gonna be amazing!
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How did your father respond to your career choice?
He’s extremely supportive, he’s proud of everything that I do. He’s a really great dad!
Have you appeared on his show?
No. I was at the wedding. I guess you got a glimpse of me. I really avoided that because that’s his thing. For him, that’s working for them and it’s been really good for them. I just feel like my path is different and I don’t feel like that really works into my specific path. I support it but I’m not participating in that one so much.
As a model going out for castings, have you experienced rejection solely based on the fact that you’re darker and that you have natural hair?
Oh My Gosh! I mean, I live in L.A., which is like blonde beach girl central. Yes, it’s been really hard. Yes, absolutely, it’s always not enough work for us, but there’s so many of us. I think New York is better for that because it’s just not a lot of work for Black girls in general. With the state of the economy right now, when they do pick the Black girl, she looks mixed. She has lighter skin, she has lighter eyes, her hair is longer, its more like you’re looking European. It is really hard, it’s very challenging, especially with the hair and the dark skin which to me, I think, it should be a good thing because it’s not so common. But its irritating they don’t know what to do with it.
Do you think it’s a problem that specific to African American girls or are African women treated differently by the industrty?
I think its global, I do. I think that when we do have the 16-year-old who is doing Louis Vuitton and things like that, it’s kind of like, hey look. You know, how the hell do I feel about it, it’s like bad almost. When it’s like the norm and the standard to book just as many Black girls on a job as they book white girls, that’s when I think it’s changing. We’re still far away from that and every time it seems like we’re getting close, I feel like it was just a fad. It happened and it passed and they’re like, OK, they gave us one so they can like chill for a minute. I mean that’s how I feel about it, honestly.
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What’s been the response from photographers who are ethnic, versus photographers who are white? Do they approach lighting your skin differently, do you think they know how to light your skin?
I’ve come across Black photographers that were incredible with lighting my skin and I’ve come across a few not Black ones that were really great. Some photographers are scared to even try, or scared to even try and learn to do it correctly because they figure they can fix everything in post. I think it just has to do with the photographer, their eye and their talent. I don’t think it really race specific. It’s hard, it really is hard. There are a lot of photographers that just really don’t know what they’re doing at all. I even look at a lot pictures and they still don’t capture my actual complexion. There are times that I feel like I’m a lot lighter, most of the time I feel like I appear a lot lighter than I am in person. There were many times that I’ve walked into a casting and they didn’t know I was so dark based on my pictures. So it’s a real issue.
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I‘m sure you have friends in the industry; do you warn each other to stay away from a particular photographer, stylist or a person’s attitude? Do you have this particular issue?
Oh yes, we’ve warned each other against the crazy, stalkery photographers but, for the most part, I don’t really have terrible experiences. I might have shot with two photographers who turned out to be crooked. If another girl asks, ‘Hey, what do you think of this person?’ I might just let them know. I’ll let them know if the person’s work is great but the personality is a little off, you know? I just try to be enlightening, but I also try not to put another person in that field.
What’s your personal style like away from the cameras?
I think I’m a basics girl. I’m starting to get more into dresses. I love shoes but I really can be so happy in shorts and a t-shirt or in a pair of jeans and high boots. I love boots! Love, love, love boots! Other than that, I think I’m more of a
boots and purse girl. I can wear jeans and t-shirts all day long.
What kind of music do you listen to get motivated?
I like really old school R&B. I love Frankie Beverly. Frankie Beverly’s ” Before I Let Go” is my getting-ready song, actually. I love all Motown: Marvin Gaye and Al Greene. I also like Jodeci and R-Kelly. I think I’m kind of stuck in the ’90s, maybe just a little. I don’t really get all of the music that they’re making now. It’s fun but I don’t exactly get it so much.
Did your dad blast any Soca music when you were growing up?
No, not really. I got the soca music from my mother’s side of the family. My dad’s parents would even listen to country music on the weekends. I got that from just being in Brooklyn, but my dad is Gladys Knight all day.
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Do you have any tattoos?
I have one little one on my wrist; it’s a symbol that’s Japanese for good luck.
Why did you choose that?
I felt like I needed it at the time. It’s couple years old, it’s my one tattoo.
You seem pretty optimistic. You have a very sunny demeanor, that’s pretty awesome.
Yeah I’m smiley, I’m very smiley. It’s kind of annoying; I’m always smiling even when I don’t need to be, I’m smiling. It’s the thing I do.
How do you entertain yourself when you’re not working?
Watch movies! I watch a ton of movies, I go to the movies, I go by myself, I get people to get them, I rent them, I download them online. I spend every spare moment watching a new film. I also like great films like “Schindler’s List.”
And what was the last film that you saw that was really, really great?
I saw “Biutiful” with Javier Bardem.
What was you impression of it?
It was very sad, but it was beautiful. It’s sad but for some people it’s reality. I just love the way it was shot, I love the way it was acted, it was an incredible film.
