Meet Jennifer Jonassen

Last year, when auditioning for the Cirque du Soleil, I had the great pleasure to meet Amy Jennings - another actress with Cirque aspirations. We hit it off immediately & were paired up for an exercise (which might I add- I consider  one of my best auditions ever.) I think  she will agree that we rocked it as a team that day, and so it is with a big smile that I introduce you to Amy Jennings: actress & model extraordinaire. Amy is currently starring in Plus Size Princess Pageant running in Los Angeles...

Jennifer Jonassen: Tell us about your latest project!
 
Amy Jennings:  I am currently rehearsing for a Plus Size Princess Pageant.  It is a character driven pageant where I get to play a larger version of Marilyn Monroe mixed with Anna Nicole Smith.  We will be having evening wear, talent and swimsuit competitions in which half of our costume is a hot, scantally clad male model!
 
Jennifer Jonassen: You defintiley evoke Marilyn Monroe! Is that what inspired you to become an actress?
 
Amy Jennings:  I actually didn't begin acting until I was 24.  I had always wanted to but my ego and fears held me back.  Body issues being one of the things that held me back for so long.  Then I got pregnant and had a child which I gave up for adoption at 23.  Pretty much after that I decided, if I can go though an adoption and not care what others think, then hell, I can perform in front of an audience no problem.  It gave me the confidence I had lacked prior.  I do hope though that by being a plus size actress I can inspire young girls to go for it and not let their weight keep them form the pursuit of their dreams.  And quite honestly, I hope they never have to go through anything as tramatic as pregnancy to realize they are beautiful and worthy of their dreams!
 
Jennifer Jonassen: Thank you for being so open Amy. What would you tell a young girl struggling with body image? 
 
Amy Jennings: That she's beautiful and that our bodies are our temples and beauty comes in all different sizes.  Health is important but so is mental health.  As long as your body is pain free, than weight is not your issue, image is.  Its been really interesting for me these last few years in Hollywood.  I have managers and casting directors telling me not to lose weight.  I have been cast on a continual basis due to my size.  No I will never be Cindy Crawford in a bathing suit but I will be Amy Jennings and I look damn good in my low cut cheetah skin suit!  Sexy and beauty are all a frame of mind.  I know I am sexy and beautiful and I get told often that my attitude shows.  And I am a size 20.
 
Jennifer Jonassen: What do you think of the term plus-size? What words do you use to describe yourself?
 
Amy Jennings: It has such negative connatations.  Maybe if we take it back and do a campaign to switch up views, like "size matters and I'm size...plus.  Plus size-get more for your money!"  Yea, I know that sounds corny but it could work.  I do think its funny how Hollywood keeps trying to make a size 10 a plus size.  That's just ridiculous.  I mean isn't the average woman of America like a 13-14, wouldn't it make sense if Plus size was bigger than the average?  But thats just me on a rant. 

Words I use to describe myself are:  bold, sexy, crazy, provacative, fun, stylish, athletic, energetic, authorative.  And if the question means to focus more on words that are weight-centric, I don't think I use any, I'm just me and me is this size.  I'm not big for me, I'm not plus to my size.  I guess I say, I am a big woman, but that doesn't mean just my physique, it means who I am, so watch out when I walk through a door because, I am bigger than life.
 
Jennifer Jonassen: Has your size helped and or hindered your career? 
 
Amy Jennings: Recently it has helped me.  In the last two years it has definitley been an asset.  Prior to that I think my ego alongside my size hurt my progress professionally.  But now I seem to accept myself more and more daily and the work keeps coming.  LIfe is not a size issue, its a confidence issue.  You'll never get anywhere in life until you believe you deserve your dreams.  Once you believe it, so does everyone else.
    
Jennifer Jonassen: What is your favorite part of your body?

Amy Jennings: My favorite part of my body is my legs, they are really long and I love being tall... plus they do alot of work for me on a daily basis, I'm very thankful for them.

Jennifer Jonassen: What are some of your upcoming projects?
 
Amy Jennings: I have a pilot airing this spring on A&E, True Tales of Horror, and I have started revamping my rock opera  and I am in the process of seeking a producer to work with in taking it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival next summer.

Jennifer Jonassen: Congratulations! We will definitely be tuning in to True Tales of Horror and hey if you're in L.A. check Amy Jennings out in Plus Size Princess Pageant! Tickets can be bought on line for $15 at tickets.acmecomedy.com or $18 at the door. The show takes place Sunday November 2 at 8:00 P.M. at the Acme Comedy Theatre, 135 N. La Brea Ave. Hollywood, CA 90036.


Last Photo Credit, Photographer Michelle McCarthy