Models have a stigma that they can't act. You're also, to be quite blunt, you're tall and not a lot of actors are tall and when you are starting out you're obviously not the first one cast, so you're trying to fit into a mold. You're quite often not cast as the quirky best friend, but you don't have the experience to be cast as the lead. So it can be really tricky. One of the biggest things is just to get your people, so to speak, your agents and managers to take you seriously. That's one of the issues I had when I came out to LA.

Sometimes, if you don't have kids yourself, it's assumed you won't understand or know how to play a mom, which is kind of silly if you think about it.

I think I sort of blossomed, so to speak, around 17. I started to get hips and put on weight, which I was very happy about. And that's when I met this agent, who told me I had to lose 10 pounds. I said, 'You've got to be kidding me. I finally got it on - I'm not losing it!'

I think sometimes the hardest obstacle is yourself.

The most important thing, when playing characters with chemistry, is being able to work off the other actor and be supported.

Ten episodes goes by really quickly, especially when you've got a really tough shooting schedule of seven-day episodes.

It's not hard to draw from within yourself to play someone protective of her daughter. I have animals and I'm a daughter, sister, wife, aunt and friend, and I can be fiercely protective.