Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2008-08-25

Interview:
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Janice Dickinson and executive producer Stuart Krasnow of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency to talk about the show, the changes, and the current modeling industry. Here's what was said:

So I notice the fourth season of the show this year has you living in a house with the models. You know, how did that kind of come about and what was it like?

J. Dickinson: Collectively with the great network and the production of S. Krasnow, I was just doing what I did before when I started my career about 32 years ago living in Paris at the (Christa Agency).

And what motivated me when I was that young living in Paris, out of the same agency - out of an agency house was that it truly gave me an added advantage to get the jumpstart on what I truly wanted to achieve with my life in modeling.

When you eat and sleep -- and kind of like Michael Phelps when you eat, sleep and swim -- all I did was eat, sleep and exercise modeling. It was 24/7 modeling.

So Stuart and I both wanted to incorporate that and to provide for the - so they've got boys and girls proper nutrition, proper health, proper romance, proper finance - all things that your average model won't receive unless they're, once again, living in a house like this. This is the first of its kind.

And how was the experience for you? You know, you said you did it more than three decades ago. You know, what was it like going back into the house?

J. Dickinson: Truthfully, it was exhilarating. It - I'm a pretty tough boot camp sergeant and I demand perfection in myself, and I expect it with the people around me - especially keeping the kids focused.

I - honestly, I don't let them - I don't expect anything from the kids that I don't do myself. When I wake up, I make the bed. When - after I make the bed, I go out and get - I clean the house.

After I clean the house, it's exercise and then it's nutrition. And then we go about our day. And that's all before 7:30 in the morning, I might add. So the kids have to wake up pretty early to get a jumpstart on everyone else.

And I expect that because it is such a highly competitive industry.

S. Krasnow: I want to add that I think if I had done this with any other talent, the first conversation would have been all right, how do we fake it? How do I sneak out of the house and sneak back in, in the morning?

Janice lived there 24/7. She was in for the full run. I don't really - I really can't think of anybody else who really would do that along with a cast of a reality show.

And I think with Janice - I think what she's saying the schedule she keeps, her balanced energy, I almost think it was harder for the kids to be in the house than it was for Janice to be there.

I think it's interesting the twist of you living with the models. I think probably with you more so than with a lot of other reality television stars, we've really gotten to see, I guess, more of your life and your personality - or perhaps so we think. I'm wondering how accurately do you feel you've been portrayed in the various reality shows, including this one, that you've participated in?

J. Dickinson: Well, how accurately that I'm portrayed? On The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency - it's really hard for me to say - repeat my own name with - it would be like you just like saying your name every time - there's something attached to it.

But this is as accurate as it gets, trust me. The scenes that you see, when Nathan comes in and says, "Mom, we really," -- sorry, gentlemen, that's my phone -- "we really need to add a plus size into the agency, the plus size category," he's correct.

He's correct. I can't live with it, though. It's not something that I personally promote. Nevertheless, I do allow my son the room to experience in commercializing -- is that a word, commercializing -- the agency.

S. Krasnow: I also want to add Janice is an executive producer along with me on the show so Janice gets to see the cuts, has say in how she's portrayed. And I think one of the things that being in a house really allowed us to show even more of this season than previous seasons is the full character that Janice is.

I mean, I think people -- you know, Janice forgive me -- mistakenly think that Janice is this over-the-top caricature. And what you - anybody who really knows Janice and any producer who respectively puts her onscreen knows that she's so multifaceted that as much as Janice can have a side that's really, you know, tough and really extreme, she also has a side that's very emotional.

She has so much heart. And I think you're going to be - I think one of - some of the best scenes that we have this season are when a model is upset and gets under the covers with Janice in her bed, and obviously it's another female model who's upset about something...

J. Dickinson: Whoa, no one got under the covers with me, pal.

S. Krasnow: You know, but in a really sweet, almost like mother-daughter kind of a way. And I think that you're really going to see this very - almost like, you know, a den mother side of Janice that I don't think we're used to seeing. And it's actually very, very moving and very real.