“They Used Me for the One-Liners” – An Interview with Jenascia Chakos of “America’s Next Top Model 2”

Jenascia managed to get pretty far in the competition, even though she overslept for her first photo shoot and was constantly ridiculed by the judges because of her height. In this interview, Jenascia shares with us what she thought about the whole height issue, where she stood concerning the other girls, and if she had a choice between two girls, which one would she rather be stuck with?

RNO: What was your main motivation for doing the show and did you think that you would make it as far as you did?

Jenascia: My main motivation for doing the show was for the money, point blank. I said from day one that I was there for the money. As far as making it as far as I did – I actually expected to make it farther. You see how that turned out though, but I’m very proud of myself.

RNO: It seemed like at every elimination ceremony, your height was brought up one way or another. Did you know that it would become such a hindrance in the competition, and were you sick of the judges mentioning it?

Jenascia: Honestly, I thought my height would be a problem for like a minute, then nobody would care anymore. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It ended up being a problem with the judges the whole time! Well, except Tyra, who kept sticking up for me. The other girls didn’t care about it, so I don’t know what the big deal was. It just needed to be dropped.

RNO: When you were standing at the end with Catie, what was going through your mind? Did you think that you would be the one eliminated? Why or why not?

Jenascia: Oh, I knew I was the one going home from the second we walked back into the room. When the other girls were accepting their photos, I kept catching the judges quickly making second glances at me and trying to see my reactions. That’s how I knew I was done for. Plus, I knew they wouldn’t let Catie go so early. As much as she cried, she had a good walk, she was tall, and she just had all that hair chopped off. She wasn’t going anywhere.

RNO: When did you end up finding out that Mercedes had lupus? Do you think it would have become an issue had all the girls known about it?

Jenascia: I actually found out while I was still on the show. Mercedes told me, but I really had no idea what lupus really was. I just knew that she took medicine for it and didn’t want any of the other girls to know so that they wouldn’t constantly worry about her and ask her how she was. Mercedes is a great girl and I consider her one of my best friends now.

RNO: It always seemed like whenever something would happen, the camera would always pan to you, and in turn, you would give insight on what was going on. It’s almost like you were the narrator of the show sometimes. Would you say that was because you weren’t involved in the drama?

Jenascia: Oh, I did my best to stay out of the drama and did a very good job at it. I was almost never involved in it. Although, I think I lasted so long because they loved my one-liners and sarcasm. I think that is why it always seemed like I was narrating what was going on in the loft. They knew I was funny and played off the things I would say.

RNO: Of the four photo shoots you got to participate in, which was your favorite and why?

Jenascia: This is a hard question for me and I actually have two answers. My favorite shoot was the Steve Madden one because we go to do everything ourselves. It was fun because everything was in our own hands. As far as shots where I think the best picture came from, that would probably be the Garden of Eden shoot. Although, my costume was a bit too much and made me look really short. But the final shot was the nicest that I had, in my opinion.

RNO: Knowing what you know now, would you do the show again, and if so, what would you do differently to get further in the competition?

Jenascia: I would do the show 1000 times over if I had the chance. I figure if I do it that many times, they would have to let me win eventually. If I just keep doing it again and again, eventually I won’t screw up anymore and they would have to name me America’s next top model! It would be a win-win situation!

RNO: Did you ever confront April about the fact that you helped her during the first runway show and she never bothered to wake you up for the first photo shoot? How about the other girls?

Jenascia: Ahh, I knew this one was coming. Actually, I never really had it out or anything with April, or any of the other girls for that matter, over the whole incident. I didn’t wake up, and that was that. I didn’t expect any of them to wake me up either because I understand that it’s a competition and everyone was there to win. April wanted to come up and get me, I know that, but the others would have left her to if she had done that. I don’t blame her for anything. We made up the same night, it was not that big of a deal.