Pinay model says race, age, and body image not important in US modeling industry

Being Asian and petite is not a hindrance to becoming a commercial model in the US, as a Filipina commercial model found out in her adopted hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

Adel Van Donsel, known in the Missouri area for appearing in YMCA billboards with her children, shared with GMA News Online that none of her difficulties in searching for modeling opportunities came from her race or body image.

“The difficulty was never because of race or body image. In fact, in the US, the entertainment industry is now embracing diversity. There is a great demand for Asian models and talents,” said Van Donsel, who immigrated to the US in 2004, in an email interview.

According to Van Donsel's biography on celebrity content website IMDb, she has appeared in commercials and print advertisements such as Dove, RCN Cable, Ottawa University, and Siemens.

The Manila-born model, who ventured into the industry just a year ago, said that her small frame was just right for being a commercial and print model, though she joked that only tall models could rock the walkway.

“There is no set height for commercial modeling, but you must be a well proportioned, attractive, real person that can act and play different characters. Acting talent is definitely a plus,” said Van Donsel.

Van Donsel, a mother of three, was set on her current path because of the birth of her third child.

Van Donsel said her baby had to stay in the hospital for more than a month in 2011 after she suffered preeclampsia, a disease characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, during her pregnancy. The state of her baby prompted her doctor to advise her to take better care of herself.

For the sake of her family, Von Donsel trained in the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), where she could lose weight while teaching kids the importance of health. Because of her newfound confidence in her body, she decided to venture into modeling, and even went for stints on TV and independent movies.

“Because being an on-camera talent has been a suppressed dream of mine although the desire has always stayed in my heart. It is my passion and I am very dedicated,” said Van Donsel.

Her budding career currently includes a commercial for Anheuser-Busch, a US-based brewing company, and another print photo shoot.

When asked if she had any advice for other mothers who felt like they could not chase their dreams of being in the limelight, she said that if the passion is strong, any time would be that woman's time to make it happen.

“It doesn't matter how old you are, if you have a dream, go for it. Anything is possible if you work hard and show dedication,” advised Van Donsel. — KBK, GMA News