Kathy Ireland Tries to Shake Model Image for Her True Love--Acting

In Hollywood, image is a hard thing to shake.

Just ask Kathy Ireland, whose layouts on the covers of such magazines as Cosmopolitan and Sports Illustrated have left a lasting if not altogether desirable impression. Even after notching up her fourth feature film, the 28-year-old actor says she still hasn’t shaken that stubborn tag, “former model.�

“There are certain people in this industry that my agent really has to badger and say, ‘You’ve got to see her,’ because they still think of me as a two-dimensional model,� says Ireland, who plays Destiny Demeanor in the upcoming National Lampoon film, “Loaded Weapon 1.� “So when I audition, I have to work hard to prove myself, harder than a lot of people, because they (casting directors) are really scrutinizing me.�

And while giving a little extra at an audition doesn’t bother her, Ireland says wading through the numerous offers that feature more skin than acting is a different matter altogether.

“The hardest part is reading all the scripts where on the first page, the character is in a bathing suit or nothing at all,� she says. “I mean it’s one thing to pose in a bathing suit, but to run around with one in a movie, especially when it makes no sense, that is just exploitation.�

None of this stereotyping, however, has dampened Ireland’s enthusiasm for her new craft. And she admits that the fame she received as a supermodel has opened more than a few doors--not to mention providing a comfortable financial cushion as she tries to establish her acting career.

“I look at acting as a long-term commitment, I’m doing this because I love it,� she says. “But I looked at modeling as a job, an opportunity to make some money. I never really enjoyed posing all that much. Now I’m not looking to make a quick buck. I’m looking at the big picture and I don’t mind taking my time.�