Ph. Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia
LYDIA HEARST
A Star
Lydia Hearst in with Wilhelmina models NY
Ph. Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia May 2005
PONY RYDER: First of all Lydia, we have to say that we are your big admirers. We have literally been in love with your work for years now!
LYDIA HEARST: Thank you! I have to admit that I am a fan of your site!! And you have some of the best interviews I’ve seen with so many incredible people.
Ph. Sarah Cilver for Vogue Latin America
PONY RYDER: Tell us, how exactly did you start modeling? There are 2 stories, one says that you were discovered by Steven Meisel, the other that you were discovered by Eileen Ford…
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LYDIA HEARST: Actually both stories are true. Eileen Ford and her partner at the time Neal Hamil saw something in me that no one else did. They took a chance. I am eternally grateful for that.
LYDIA HEARST: Actually both stories are true. Eileen Ford and her partner at the time Neal Hamil saw something in me that no one else did. They took a chance. I am eternally grateful for that.
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When I first started had been pounding the pavement every day going to casting after casting being told “no,” “too short,” “I don’t get it,” “thank you, please leave.” Then after a few months I was called into the office of Steven Meisel for a general casting and later that week I received a phone call that I was going to shoot Vogue Italia with him…The rest is history 8^)
A Perfect Guide 2009
PONY RYDER: Your first job – Vogue Italia with Steven Meisel!!! Did you know about him and his status in the industry prior to the shoot?
xLYDIA HEARST: After I got the call I was to be working with Steven Melsel I remember my mom piled about thirty Vogues on my lap and told me to study. Haha! I had no idea what I was about to go and do.
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PONY RYDER: How does a newbie (at the time) behave in front of his lens?
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LYDIA HEARST: My very first time shooting with Steven… It was the most terrifying and exciting day of my life. He taught me how to work the camera and move my body. He launched my career and for that I am eternally grateful.
Ph. Gomillion & Leupold for L’Officiel Brazil
PONY RYDER: You are 5’7 tall BUT with your determination you managed to beat all your 6’0 colleagues! You were named the supermodel of the year 2008, booked prestigious campaigns, etc… How did you manage to do that?
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LYDIA HEARST: I am short and I love it! I wouldn’t want to be one of those girls who are 6’0” because then I wouldn’t be me. Of course when I started that was the only thing people noticed, how short I am. But that never stopped me from working hard and doing what I love. Besides, there are always heels! And, it doesn’t hurt that I photograph tall.
LYDIA HEARST: I am short and I love it! I wouldn’t want to be one of those girls who are 6’0” because then I wouldn’t be me. Of course when I started that was the only thing people noticed, how short I am. But that never stopped me from working hard and doing what I love. Besides, there are always heels! And, it doesn’t hurt that I photograph tall.
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My mom always taught me to be positive and to be grateful for every day. Working in this industry, I had to grow up pretty quickly. But I wouldn’t change that for the world.
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PONY RYDER: What kept you motivated?
LYDIA HEARST: I stay motivated because this is my life and this is what I love to do. My passion for life and experience drives me. And I measure my own success by happiness, and I could not be happier than I am right now.
Ph. Ben Hassett for MYLA LingerieFall/Winter 2008
PONY RYDER: Lydia, all the models say that in order to succeed you have to WORK hard! What does that exactly mean in the modeling world? Why do you think some girls make it big and others just have a regular career in modeling?
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LYDIA HEARST: Fashion has become my life. My style changes all the time and I’m pretty much always dressing up and playing. Anyone can look beautiful and elegant and sexy in beautiful clothes with someone to do their hair and makeup. It is the drive, confidence and the ethereal IT that makes all the difference in the world.
LYDIA HEARST: Fashion has become my life. My style changes all the time and I’m pretty much always dressing up and playing. Anyone can look beautiful and elegant and sexy in beautiful clothes with someone to do their hair and makeup. It is the drive, confidence and the ethereal IT that makes all the difference in the world.
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And I’ve pretty much survived the fickle fashion industry for many, many years, haha, not to date myself, but I have been around a while. What’s most exciting is having a passion for the things that you’re doing.
Steven Meisel for PRADA Fall/Winter 2004
PONY RYDER: Besides PRADA and all the other prestigious jobs, you also booked Playboy., GQ etc… You looked amazing in Playboy! You captured the essence of seductive Marilyn Monroe! What is sexy for you? What would you suggest to women who’d like to improve their sex-appeal?
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LYDIA HEARST: I love being a woman. It’s fun to wear makeup and flirt and have breasts and a perky butt. It is much easier to appear sexy on camera with a team of professionals helping you look a specific way.
LYDIA HEARST: I love being a woman. It’s fun to wear makeup and flirt and have breasts and a perky butt. It is much easier to appear sexy on camera with a team of professionals helping you look a specific way.
It is important to be comfortable with yourself and feel sexy and confident in your own skin. There is nothing sexier or more beautiful than the human body.
Ph. Mark Abrahms for Vogue Germany
PONY RYDER: Who do you admire as an actress?
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LYDIA HEARST: I’ve always been inspired by painters and writers and music and even musicians girlfriends. There are so many individuals I look up to and admire… Milla Jovovich, Diane Keaton, Shirley MacLaine, Sharon Tate, Jean Harlow, Julianne Moore, Jane Fonda… There are so many!
LYDIA HEARST: I’ve always been inspired by painters and writers and music and even musicians girlfriends. There are so many individuals I look up to and admire… Milla Jovovich, Diane Keaton, Shirley MacLaine, Sharon Tate, Jean Harlow, Julianne Moore, Jane Fonda… There are so many!
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PONY RYDER: And now when you are acting, is it harder or easier than it seems?
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LYDIA HEARST: Modeling is almost like being a silent film star. But, I honestly couldn’t compare the two.
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Modeling has definitely made me confident in myself and taught me so much about not just being the focus of attention in front of a camera but about who I am and how to draw raw emotions from myself and use that to help me work when I’m on set.
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I think that the best conversation you can have in any circumstance whether it is for modeling or a movie is the conversation you have with yourself. It is fun and exciting to be able to step outside myself and live vicariously through the arts.
Ph. Aneta Bartos for A4 MagazineJanuary 2007
PONY RYDER: When did you start liking the movie industry and what was your first experience in front of the camera?
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LYDIA HEARST: Since I was four. When I was little I would always dress up and pretend to be different things… models, musicians, ballerinas, princesses, hipsters, aliens, just about everything you can possibly be.
LYDIA HEARST: Since I was four. When I was little I would always dress up and pretend to be different things… models, musicians, ballerinas, princesses, hipsters, aliens, just about everything you can possibly be.
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PONY RYDER: What are your acting plans for the future? Can you tell us more about your current projects?
PONY RYDER: What are your acting plans for the future? Can you tell us more about your current projects?
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LYDIA HEARST: Ah! There is so much and I’m not allowed to talk about it! I can say that there are a lot of exciting projects in the works with both fashion and film.
LYDIA HEARST: Ah! There is so much and I’m not allowed to talk about it! I can say that there are a lot of exciting projects in the works with both fashion and film.
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PONY RYDER: What type of film are you interested in?
PONY RYDER: What type of film are you interested in?
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LYDIA HEARST: I think it is much more fun to be a bad girl… On camera, not in real life! I love all movies action, romance, horror, everything!
LYDIA HEARST: I think it is much more fun to be a bad girl… On camera, not in real life! I love all movies action, romance, horror, everything!
PONY RYDER: How do you like your role in Gossip Girl? Even though you are a “socialite” we somehow cannot put you in that stereotype! What prejudice do people have – where the truth is completely opposite?
xLYDIA HEARST: Socialite has become such a terrible word. I feel like any youg woman living in a big city is calling themselves a socialite now, or their goal is to become a socialite… I can’t quite figure out precisely what it is these people are trying to actually achieve other than becoming social celebutards, it’s tragic.
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My parents raised me and my older sister in a small town in Connecticut in order to keep us away from to social/society scene and have a real childhood. I went to the local public school, had an after school job at a sporting goods store and was a cheerleader. I almost never went into before I began working as a fashion model.
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I like to socialize with friends and I like to hear music and go out for dinners and other things like that but I’m most certainly not a party in the club kind of girl.
Ph. Aneta Bartos for A4 MagazineJanuary 2007
PONY RYDER: How did you make a transition from a model to a celebrity?
LYDIA HEARST: Oh gosh, am I a celebrity?! I definitely consider myself to be a model and I’m working toward becoming a professional actress, but fame and celebrity is completely subjective.
Terry Richardson for Self Service MagazineFall/Winter 2008
PONY RYDER: You have also worked many times with Terry Richardson, who has a unique style. What is the atmosphere like at his photoshoots? Can you always tell what the personality of the photographer is just by looking at his work?
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LYDIA HEARST: I think there is a lot that is expressed by a photographer through his work. A model is there to bring the photographers vision to life.
LYDIA HEARST: I think there is a lot that is expressed by a photographer through his work. A model is there to bring the photographers vision to life.
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Terry is an incredible photographer and one of my closets friends, I absolutely adore him. There is so much about his creative process that is impossible to explain to someone who has not been there. It is great being able to work and spend time with him.
PONY RYDER: You did the NARS, MAC and Clinique ad campaign! What type of beauty treatments you prefer?
xLYDIA HEARST: Honestly I live my life trying to avoid the sun, cigarettes and alcohol. I’m not going to say I’ve never had a tan or a cocktail, but those are all the worst things anyone can expose their bodies to. I always try to stay hydrated and drink at least a gallon of water a day.
PONY RYDER: What is in your make up bag?
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LYDIA HEARST: I use all sorts of brands when I’m on set and working NARS, L’Oreal, MAC, Cover Girl, Maybelline waterproof mascara. And I do have a thing for lashes. But I spend so much on set getting made up that when I’m at home I tend to stay fresh and natural.
LYDIA HEARST: I use all sorts of brands when I’m on set and working NARS, L’Oreal, MAC, Cover Girl, Maybelline waterproof mascara. And I do have a thing for lashes. But I spend so much on set getting made up that when I’m at home I tend to stay fresh and natural.
Ph. Alexis Dahan for Playboy France
PONY RYDER: Many girls and boys, women and men are in search of “beauty indulgence”! What is yours?
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LYDIA HEARST: I would have to say that my personal beauty indulgence is an extravagant fragrance that has become my signature scent by Clive Christian. I also splurge on Philip B’s Russian Amber Imperial Shampoo and White Truffle collection.
LYDIA HEARST: I would have to say that my personal beauty indulgence is an extravagant fragrance that has become my signature scent by Clive Christian. I also splurge on Philip B’s Russian Amber Imperial Shampoo and White Truffle collection.
Ph. Mark Abrahms for Vogue Germany
PONY RYDER: Tell us everything about the cosmetics you are using at this moment! Can you tell how you protect your face from it and what SPF brand you use?
LYDIA HEARST: Every lotion I use on my face is by Sonya Dakar, including my sunscreen. Though I do often times put Zinc on too. When I go to the beach I look more like Gidget versus a supermodel! Most of the other beauty products I use are by Holistic Body Therapy (http://holisticbodytherapy.net/).
Ph. Helena Christensen for Marie Claire USA
PONY RYDER: You experimented with your hair, from blonde to red, to blond again. Who stands behind the idea of “going red”?
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LYDIA HEARST: I’m always changing my hair. I think I always admired Linda Evangelista when I was young and how she was always transforming her look and her hair.
LYDIA HEARST: I’m always changing my hair. I think I always admired Linda Evangelista when I was young and how she was always transforming her look and her hair.
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I wouldn’t say my hair has become an accessory, but depending on where I am in my life and how I feel is often reflected not just through my fashion but my hair.
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I miss my red hair, but I now have a wig I had custom made in Paris so I can go red anytime – which comes in handy for work. The only color I haven’t gone is black, which eventually I would love to do. I had black wigs on during various photo shoots and I actually really liked it, but I hear it is difficult to come back from that. It’s always been my decision to change my hair color but I would without question always do it for work.
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Now I have gone back to my natural blonde… course I’m always open to color, cut and change.
Terry Richardson for Self Service MagazineFall/Winter 2008
PONY RYDER: Do you workout at the gym, following a special routine? Do you think it’s important to have a personal trainer or instructor or is the same when you set the pace yourself?
LYDIA HEARST: It is important to have discipline and be healthy. With anything it is important not to go overboard.
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Personally I need a trainer to help stay motivated. I have been working out with David Kirsch for a few years now and he has become one of my closets friends.
Terry Richardson for Self Service MagazineFall/Winter 2008
PONY RYDER: Which Starbucks coffee is your favorite?
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LYDIA HEARST: Coffee is my one and only vice. I’m obsessed with a Triple Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte.
LYDIA HEARST: Coffee is my one and only vice. I’m obsessed with a Triple Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte.
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PONY RYDER: What does your breakfast consist of?
PONY RYDER: What does your breakfast consist of?
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LYDIA HEARST: I don’t think any two days are alike. I always have a glass of whole milk and a coffee. Apart from that almost anything goes. I am a huge fan of bacon and eggs!
LYDIA HEARST: I don’t think any two days are alike. I always have a glass of whole milk and a coffee. Apart from that almost anything goes. I am a huge fan of bacon and eggs!
source: bellazone from from ICM
PONY RYDER: Do you prefer LA or NY…
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LYDIA HEARST: Paris!
LYDIA HEARST: Paris!
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PONY RYDER: Why…?
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LYDIA HEARST: Haha, I know that wasn’t an option, but if I had to settle down and live somewhere else, I would most-likely move to France. I love both New York and LA. Right now I am constantly back and forth between the two, but Paris will always have a special place in my heart.
Ph. Gomillion & Leupold for L’Officiel
PONY RYDER: You are devoted to your work with charity organizations. When did you start your philanthropic work and which organizations do you work with the most?
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LYDIA HEARST: I mainly work with Operation Smile. I would say that I truly began working with them a little over a year ago when I went on a mission to Cairo.
LYDIA HEARST: I mainly work with Operation Smile. I would say that I truly began working with them a little over a year ago when I went on a mission to Cairo.
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Operation Smile is a non-governmental organization that works to provide surgery to children suffering from cleft palates and other debilitating medical conditions in developing countries.
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Under no circumstances would I categorize the mission as having been easy, nor for the faint of heart. It put my life in perspective.
Ph. Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia
PONY RYDER: You are a role model and an inspiration. Is that a burden or a blessing?
LYDIA HEARST: A blessing.
LYDIA HEARST: A blessing.
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I would never want to do anything that could reflect on me or my family negatively. It is important to take on the responsibility of showing the world a whole different kind of woman, one who does not party or is paparazzi and infamy obsessed.
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If you believe in yourself and work hard you can truly achieve anything and make a difference in the world.
Ph. Yu Tsai for PERFECT Magazine
Interview with Supermodel and Actress Lydia Hearst is original work by Pony Ryder.