Progsheet - A Few Words With...Pleasant Wayne




Interview by John A. Wilcox



I was watching an episode of Celebrity Name Game and a contestant caught my attention. She was beautiful, witty, charming. She was Pleasant Wayne, an up and coming young actress & environmentalist. I contacted her and she graciously agreed to be interviewed. Read on...



PS: Where were you born?

PW: I was born in Iowa, but my parents moved to Colorado about a month later after my dad graduated from Palmer West, which is a chiropractic college, so I never really experienced Iowa. It's a beautiful state - you can smell the earth everywhere and the sunsets are so beautiful, they seem unreal.

PS: Did you have creative interests at an early age?

PW: I always liked art class, but sort of did my projects half-assed. How is a 5th grader supposed to know how to interpret life through her art at that age? I do remember staying home from school "sick" so I could watch TV all day...I was really excited and entertained by television shows and movies. I loved Charles in Charge...like really loved him. The Brady Bunch always made me happy, too. So if you call prioritizing television watching over attending classes a creative interest, then yes - that was mine.

PS: Do you come from a creative family?

PW: I come from a passionate family. My brother, Isaac, is an actor - he's amazing. My other brother, Caleb, tried it for awhile as a background actor, but I think he wanted a bit more realism so he's now an Army Sergeant.

PS: Reading up on you, it says that your family never celebrated Easter, Halloween, nor Christmas. Why was that?

PW: We belonged to a progressive and celebratory church that took the bible scriptures literally. It said that Christ was born during the Harvest, so we celebrated The Feast Of Tabernacles in September which came with a lot of services and no presents. Christmas is a fun holiday and we celebrate it now, but it truly is designed to stimulate the economy, make you eat more and also creates this anxiety-filled need to show people how much you care about them by buying them things that were most likely made in factories. I don't mean to be a downer, but it's the reality. I do love the "togetherness" time of the holidays, though. As for Easter, we celebrated Passover, but there weren't presents or anything. The first time I went trick-or-treating, I was 12 years old, and I dressed as a hippie. It was fun for a minute, but then it just got weird...like, why is going to stranger's houses and getting sugar from them a fun thing to do? The dressing up part was great, though! I thank my parents all the time for sort of protecting us from the weirdness of the holidays...I know they are designed for fun, but often times, I see more struggle, pressure and materialism involved that tries to replace genuine love and connection. Don't get me wrong...receiving and giving presents is super fun...I love it and I give presents to my friends and family all the time (just cuz). And, if I could have my druthers, I would host a costume party every month!



PS: At what age did you start modeling?

PW: I think I have always liked having my picture taken...but I don't jump in front of a camera...I have some friends out here that are obsessed with doing that. Anyway, this is a funny memory...one that I am sure a lot of people my age will remember. I posed for a "Glamour Shots" session in the mall at like 11 or 12, and BAM - I was a fully fledged model! Just kidding...I don't know when I started modeling...birth? Aren't we all models?

PS: At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to act professionally?

PW: Hmmmm...I think that I have always secretly wanted to be an actress, but didn't really think it was a possibility. I grew up in Colorado and people were a bit more practical in their approach to life and their professions. I give a lot of credit to my parents because they liked TV and film. My dad took us to see Top Gun and I remember being slightly embarrassed during the love scene, but in retrospect, I am glad that it was my dad who exposed me seeing to a beautiful sex experience on screen. As a family, we had our Friday night routine...we would get Domino's pizza and watch Dallas and Falcon Crest - so I think this had a lot of influence over my desire to be an actress. I've always been a bit shy, though. When I moved to LA, I didn't move there to pursue acting. I worked several office jobs and then started promotional modeling and when those jobs didn't make me feel happy, I looked into acting.

PS: What was your first paying acting gig?

PW: I played a police officer on CSI:NY - it was awesome!

PS: Why do you feel you got that gig?

PW: I have no idea...but, I am glad the casting agent allowed me to be put into an archetype that I would have not, otherwise, been exposed to.

PS: What were you doing for work the day you got that gig?

PW: I don't really remember...recovering from a hangover, probably.



PS: What do you feel are your strengths as an actress?

PW: I'd jump at the opportunity to play a non-glamorous, mentally disturbed or handicapped character, and I have the balls to talk to the big guns in town at parties and in offices.

PS: You had a small part in 2009's Race To Witch Mountain. Did you have any scenes with The Rock or Carla Gugino?

PW: I've never seen the whole movie, so I don't know if my scene was kept. I basically play a cowgirl in a bar that The Rock checks out and tries to flirt with. It was fun and he was really nice. I've kept in touch with Andy Fickman, the director, since then...he's a sweet person.

PS: Tell me a bit about your experience on Entourage.

PW: My jobs on Entourage were extremely exciting, and the cast and crew were very fun and kind. The jobs paid well and the scenes were filmed at fun locations. That's about all I should disclose.



PS: You had a spot on the show Big Women: Big Love. You described it as showcasing "what it’s like for women with curves, hips, thighs, booties and boobies to be out and about in the modern world looking for LOVE." Tell us what, in fact, it is like.

PW: I don't really think it's any different than looking for love as a thin woman. I'm in a lovely relationship with someone who is excited by my body...it's good. The show was fun and I met some fun girlfriends, but I am glad I didn't continue on. I think that it painted curvy women as desperate trainwreck-type women who had a hard time getting guys to become and stay interested. Those things have never been problematic for me. I think a healthy and positive attitude is what attracts men to women. Yes, of course, the physical attributes are a big part of love and attraction, but in essence, the woman has to be strong in herself, even if she doesn't fully know who she is yet.

PS: You're a beautifully curvy woman. Does having large breasts and a fuller figure effect what roles you do or do not get?

PW: I am sure it does.

PS: I caught you on an episode of Celebrity Name Game with Craig Ferguson. Tell me about that experience.

PW: FUCK! Did you have to bring that up??? I've been trying to let our loss go for awhile. Ha ha. It was a blast...Ross Matthews and Megan Pryce were fun teammates, and Craig was kind. I am really pissed that we were only one answer shy of winning $20k. Fuck Lighting McQueen - that little asshole! I gave my brother a lot of shit about it, but I didn't know the answer, so I guess it was my fault, too. Every now and then, I will see some dinky little Cars thing and will buy it for my bro...just to remind him that we blew it!



PS: How did you come to work with OneCan.org?

PW: I met Mike Hennessey on a PSA shoot many years ago. He and his partner started a charity that collect recyclables from entertainment sets and parties and then donates them to the homeless and they asked me to be a part of it. It's pretty cool because it's environmentally driven, and also touches the homeless. Their eyes light up when you offer them an opportunity to make a little money by turning in the cans and bottles. It's gratifying to make people happy by giving.

PS: Are there any other causes you're particularly passionate about?

PW: I would say that my passion lies within demanding that the personal care and beauty industry stop using toxic chemicals in our products that are known carcinogens. Everyone wonders where cancer comes from...it comes from the chemicals we ingest and put on our bodies. I cannot believe that the USA is fairly un-regulated when it comes to this. Other countries have very strict rules about what goes into products...they don't allow deadly toxins in them. I bring my own eco-friendly make-up and hair products to set and see more and more MUAs using more natural products which is a step in the right direction. The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics is an excellent resource for more information.

PS: Do you still model?

PW: Yes, if I feel inspired and like where the photographer wants to go, I will unabashedly jump into it! I like it when my boyfriend takes my picture.



PS: Do you have any stage work on the horizon?

PW: I don't...I don't look for it...but every theater performance I have been involved with has been very rewarding...maybe I should start looking.

PS: What film/TV projects are coming up in the near future?

PW: I am working on a series called A.S.K. which stands for Association of Serial Killers. It's so fun and very well written. The cast is amazing and diverse and our director is extremely talented. I have two films that are scheduled to go into production next year - one is about the secret diaries of Marilyn Monroe and the other is centered around a "curvy" woman.

PS: Since Progsheet is primarily a music site, please tell me 6 albums you never tire of listening to.

PW: I am not sure I have ever listened to an entire album. I'm kind of a "buffet of life" type of girl - a little of this, a little of that. I like to listen to dance music a lot - it does so much for me...I love to get lost in it when I am alone. There's nothing like an amazing build in a dance song...I get chills and just let my body freak the fuck out while dancing. Music of all kinds is so inspiring...God I love how music can evoke so much emotion within me!!

So, I can list 6 of my jams that I am always in the mood for:
Beggin For Thread by Banks
Ghost by Ella Henderson
Prayer In C by Lily Wood and the Pricks
Dreamers by Savior Adore
Goodbye Sadness, Hello Death by Vincent Gallo
Take You Higher by Goodwill & Hook N Sling



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