Lucy McIntosh, the girl with the world at her feet.
During her most recent trip home to Melbourne, Lucy took a moment to talk travel, LA traffic and missing four seasons in one day.
Since having great success in Melbourne and Japan, you decided you would try out the American market and moved to LA almost three years ago! How has LA been?
LA has been a great experience, working a nice balance of commercial and fashion focused shoots, also having shot some TV commercials has been fun, I have always enjoyed acting and it is Hollywood after all! They’re not kidding when they say it’s the land of opportunities! (laughs)
Yes, Australia will always be my home, I came back in March and realised I hadn’t been home for over a year and a half. As the plane was coming down through the clouds over Melbourne I was singing the ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ song in my head! (laughs) I must have missed it more than I thought. I used to sing that song in the choir during primary school, never really appreciating the true sentiment of the lyrics. I’ve been blessed with amazing opportunities working and travelling overseas but I will always call Australia home.
You grew up in country Victoria, would you consider yourself a country girl at heart?
I AM a country girl at heart and I am very proud of that, I appreciate my humble, small hometown of Albury/Wodonga. Growing up in the country has made me appreciate travel and different cultures more, I think my sense of adventure comes from being a country girl too. We country girls have a wild child in us and are never afraid of an adventure.
Well, I love LA since I live there, but I have found after travelling so much for work that I am somewhat of a chameleon, I love to embrace whichever country I am in at that moment. I did really enjoy my time in Singapore at the start of this year. I shot my first covers there with ELLE Singapore and Icon magazine which was amazing.
Having lived in Singapore most recently, how does it rank on your most liveable cities list? And what is on the top of your list?
Singapore has got to be the biggest international hub in Asia, it’s definitely a country made for anyone -from anywhere – to be able to feel right at home. It’s clean, beautiful and the people are so warm and welcoming, in saying that though, nothing can beat Melbourne. Actually there’s this great coffee place in Singapore that is originally from Melbourne called 40 Hands Coffee, I went in for coffee one rainy afternoon with a girlfriend and it definitely reminded me of a place back home, the ambience was perfect.
A day in LA… driving, driving and more driving! I think I drive better in LA than I ever did in Australia. I’m always driving myself to castings, I’ll stop for a juice or a coffee with a friend and then it’s off to another casting, meeting or job. Everything is so spread out and far from each other in LA. I hit the gym regularly or spin class, it’s a great stress reliever after sitting in LA traffic all day.
Wholefoods! It’s actually a supermarket, but no ordinary supermarket. It’s brimming with the most amazing, healthy, vegetarian, vegan, goodness. I love getting an ABC juice (apple, beetroot and carrot) there then filling up my cart with fresh produce. Cafe Gratitude on Larchmont is also a favourite, amazing food and sentiment behind the cafe. Earthbar is a must on Santa Monica in West Hollywood – yummiest juice bar and health food shop. I love all the little dive bars in LA especially around Silver Lake or Atwater Village. They have smaller crowds and good music, a great place to have drinks with friends and be able to have a chat too. If I was to go out, I love Sayers Club in Hollywood – it’s a club behind a hotdog stand, that’s how you enter! Best live jazz and swing music in town featuring local talent.
I miss my family and friends! Believe it or not I miss having all four seasons in one day, in LA it’s generally always sunny, you come to miss the unexpected weather in Melbourne. I actually miss the rain. I miss the amazing coffee culture in Melbourne. Melbournians are notorious coffee critics generally only buying from local cafes not global giants, so I miss local cafes and being a coffee snob (laughs).
Somehow after all the travelling I’ve done and god only knows how many times I’ve packed, unpacked and repacked a suitcase, I still cannot seem to minimise my luggage! How is that possible? I’m terrible like that. So do as I say and not as I do and try to leave a little room for shopping. Also keep your passport in a bright passport wallet, I currently have a fluro pink cover and not only does it keep my passport intact, I can never lose it in my bag.
Next? That’s the big question, I have had New York on my mind lately. It’s the modelling capital of the world, so I’m looking at opportunities there. I’m also looking at exploring other creative aspects of my industry. I just got myself a camera, I like art direction and conceptualisation so maybe something in that. For now though I’ll keep going with my modelling career and see where it takes me. To keep up with my journey follow me on Instagram @LucyMcModel or http://lucymcintosh.
Lucy McIntosh is represented by Angeline Leo from The Magnolia Creative Collaborations.
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