ANTJE UTGAARD: GOLDEN GIRL

Photography: Leyla Stefani @leyla.stefani

Glam: Kat Checa @mexikat

Retouch: @noir.retouch

Stylist: Kaitlyn Acosta @kaitthestylist

Coming from a small town in Wisconsin, how have you changed since moving to Los Angeles  and being thrown into the spotlight with your modeling and acting career? How have you stayed true to your roots?

Life in general has changed for me drastically, though I just view it as growing as an individual. I feel that to be able to achieve what you want in life, you can’t play it safe and go by the book or what others tell you to do. I had quite a crazy childhood with my family owning a big sporting goods chain so the limelight was always on me but now it’s on me as an individual and for my accomplishments and talents and not from what I had when I was younger. It is definitely different having people recognize you on the streets and out in public for something I create and just share to the world. It’s been quite an amazing journey and I have met a lot of really cool people along the way. I can’t wait to see what else life has in store and where my career will end up! Although I’m in a different world then I was back in Wisconsin, I still kept my Midwest mentality of working hard and being respectful to others.. which is another reason why I think I’ve had such success thus far.

What do you think sets you apart from other models and actresses?

I think my natural voluptuous curves and sense of humor definitely set me apart the most but I’m also not scared to be myself and show different sides of me. People like vulnerability because it helps them relate to you. I’m also pretty tall, standing at barefooot at 5’10” which is a bit unusual for a woman in the acting world.

Both in your career and in your personal life, what are the things that you are the most passionate about? What made you passionate about them?

I’m very passionate about creating things whether it be a picture, a video, art, dances, writing a sketch, food, you name it. It brings me joy to see how I can put my creative mind to work and the biggest pay off is to see others enjoy my work as much as I do.

You have a huge following on Instagram! What are some ways in which you hope to use your platform in the future?
I would love to utilize my large platform to help a charity of my choosing in the near future and help people become aware of global issues. I also hope that it will help me land some major movie roles and sponsorships in the near future as well!

I saw you were featured in Miami Swim Week. Congrats! What was this experience like? Do you have any fun stories about it?

Thank you! It was definitely a cool experience since I don’t do much runway and it was also a bucket list item for me, so very cool to check that one off the list. I walked for 6 designers. My favorite was the last show I did where my bikini was made out of duck tape; so we were basically walking naked which was quite exhilarating and powerful in my opinion. I met a lot of really cool models there and ended up making some new friendships out of it which is always a bonus.

What is the most fun or exciting project/experience you have worked on so far in your career? What would be your dream project?

That’s a tough one. I’ve had some cool ones. I’ve got to work with some big actors on set and also got to shut down the playboy mansion for a shoot once too which was super cool. My dream project would be to be in a Quentin Tarantino film and also to appear on SNL one day!

I saw that you are partnering with Bang Energy. Besides what you’ve revealed on your Instagram, is there anything else that you can share about the collaboration? Why did you decide to partner with them? What was it like?

Well I love fitness and am also consider the fitness influencer so Bang was a good match up and if I’m being honest they also have me quite the contract. It’s been great working with Bang though! Just signed for my third year with them. They have a lot of rules for posting but they also help you create the content which is a huge bonus. They also have a lot of big influencers that work with them so it was an easy sell for me to sign with them as it helps me in many different ways.

As an actress, what is your process like? How do you get into character the way you did for Sable and Mob Town? What is it like being on set? What was it like seeing yourself on a screen for the first time?

I dissect the script first- line by line and put myself in my characters shoes. How would they think, react and feel to the situation as well as what era they are in and genealogical how they would behave. Being on set is nerve-racking and exciting. It’s been my dream ever since I was little to be an entertainer and be in the movies so it’s really cool to have made my dreams a reality. It’s also very scary and nerve racking because although it’s fun, it’s still work and you don’t want to be the actor to mess up and disappoint or not perform properly since everyone will see it and you may not get another job for awhile. Hollywood is really cut throat and they don’t give many chances. It was so amazing seeing myself in the theater for the first time. It was always a dream and bucket list thing for me so when it finally happened, in that moment, I was extremely proud of myself and I knew my young self would’ve been too as I really did get into this industry on my own.

As a host for This is LA, you spent a lot of time getting to know what’s trending in Los Angeles. What is your favorite place in Los Angeles and what do you enjoy doing when you are there?

Yes, I really enjoyed exploring and teaching others about all the hidden gems in LA. Being a big foodie, my favorite episodes were going to cool new restaurants and telling people about all the interesting and amazing foods you can find around the city. Although I didn’t showcase this one on the show, my favorite place to eat in LA is an Italian spot in Beverly Hills called Ill Pastio. They always do a special truffle shower for me and make it quite the amazing dining experience!

Outside of acting, modeling, and hosting, what are your favorite hobbies that you do in your spare time? If you weren’t in the industry, what career would you have wanted to go into?

I love to workout. I workout twice a day. Being an athlete was always something I was passionate about as I was almost a professional dancer when I was younger and it’s a lot of fun for me to compete athletically with others. I also really love creating short comedy sketches from some of my favorite movies and the fact that I can combine that hobby with work for me is an extra bonus. If I wasn’t in the industry, I probably would’ve gone into fashion and design.