LOS ANGELES: Hollywood
Tina Casciani was born in New York but made Los Angeles her home. Half Brazilian and half Italian she is first generation American but not a novice when it comes to her acting skills and natural beauty. She began her career as a model, capitalizing on her genetics to earn income and see the world. Tina was discovered at 14 on a train going from Manhattan to Long Island by her first agency, Click Models, which began booking her almost instantaneously.
“One of the main reasons I wanted to model was to travel. I’ve worked all around the world. I’ve lived in London, Milan, Sydney – Australia, Capetown – South Africa, Tokyo, Paris, Germany, Miami, New York, Los Angeles. I’ve worked in all those places and also shot in Denmark, Mallorca – spain, Cyprus, Morocco, Eygpt, Dubai, Barbados, Cuba and the Maldives.”
“I now live in Los angeles and am focusing more on acting. A few films I have been in are: Role Models, The Nevsky Prospect and Mob Rules. TV shows I’ve shot include: CSI Miami, Burn Notice, How I Met Your Mother and The Glades. I have a film coming out next year called, SEAL Patrol with eric roberts and a TV show on CBS called Reckless. I’ve also done several commercials including, Bud Light, Nivea, Captain Morgan and Sims. I have completed some beauty, lingerie and a dance videos.”
With acting, what types of roles are you playing?
“I tend to play the bad-ass a lot of the time. Haha. I love strong female roles and I usually get cast in that genre. I had a hard time showing vulnerability when I first started but eventually I broke through that and started booking some softer female roles as well. But I love playing strong women. I tend to get casted as the killer, the manipulator and the seductress… And I absolutely love it!”
What sort of notable brands or magazines have your worked with and any other passions?
“I’ve done campaigns for Guess, Nivea, Wonderbra, Pantene, Garnier and Ed Hardy Swimwear. I’ve been in Vogue Australia, British Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Style. I was also on the cover of Australian Style. I’ve also worked for Giorgio Armani, Sports Illustrated and Bebe. I’m still modeling but mainly pursuing acting now. I plan to do that for the rest of my life. maybe open a dance school for underprivileged children one day. I always wanted to do that. Whatever I do it’ll always revolve around my three passions – acting, dancing and modeling.”
What does your diet and exercise routine look like?
“I wish I could say I have a great diet but that would just be a lie Haha. Some of my favorite foods are my mom’s homemade chicken cutlets and mashed potatoes, turkey burgers and any kind of cake or cookie! I have the biggest sweet tooth. I live on dark chocolate! I mainly just dance to keep in shape. I started dancing with a company in New York when I was six and went to performing arts high school for dance but stopped when I started modeling. Now I take dance class a few times a week and I do have a pole in my living room for a fun quick workout if I feel like it!”
Back to modeling, any sleazy run ins with photographers or industry professionals?
“Oh yes. Photographers try to sleep with models allll the time. And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying Haha. One experience in particular that I will never forget is when I first started modeling in New york and I was only 15, so my mother didn’t let me go to castings alone. I had a casting with this photographer and when he saw my mother at the door he told her she really shouldn’t come to my castings with me. My mother told him she didn’t care and that I was only 15 so that was her decision to make. She came in with me and after he looked through my portfolio I asked to go to the bathroom. When I walked in he had pictures of porn all over the walls. It was so creepy and disgusting. I’ll never forget that. It taught me to watch my back very early on.”
How’s the modeling vs. the acting compare?
“It’s a tough transition from modeling to acting because it’s hard for people to take you seriously. They think your just milking it off your looks. with acting You definitely have to work harder to really prove yourself but I like the challenge. The rejection is also a bit harder because with modeling it’s basically judged on whether your the right look or not. in acting there’s so much more to take into account. Even though being the right look is a big part of it, you also must put your heart and soul into every role you do.”
How much does beauty count on the acting side?
“Beauty counts to a certain degree in acting but it’s not as strictly defined as in modeling. It’s subjective in either profession so it’s hard to say. It’s really just about what vision they have in their heads for that character. But it definitely does help get your foot in the door when your just starting out. It’s easier to get an agent because they figure even if your not talented they can just push your beauty, but of course that’s short lived. plenty of opportunities get thrown at you but the majority of them are not legit. I’ve learned that the only way to really “make it” is to put the time and the work in and just stay in it. Most people come out to los angeles with big dreams and then when it doesn’t happen in the next year or two they drop out.”
How does the modeling, traveling, life situations, all of it – affect your acting ability?
“Everything that’s happened to me in my life, all my experiences, they’ve all shaped who I am today and I’m happy with that. We are all a product of our upbringing or life experiences and no matter what we’ve been through we have the choice to decide how we respond to it. Deciding to take the time after graduating high school to just model and travel the world is one of the best things I could have done. I think it’s so important to travel and experience other cultures to really understand life and people. that’s a huge part of acting. You can’t portray someone your not sympathetic towards in some way and be completely genuine. Traveling gave me a wider perspective to life and anything that gives someone this is an advantage as an actor. As an actor we can justify even our worst experiences. Everything can be used as a tool.”
