Model, actress and…champion equestrian?
There's little Kate Upton can't do.
The model shot to fame just a few short years ago and since then has proven she's more than
a pretty face.
Let's take a look behind that smile to talk about what you may not know about world-famous
model Kate Upton.
She was made fun of as a kid
Seeing Upton today, it's hard to imagine she could ever have been the target of teasing.
However, in September of 2016, Upton opened up to Glamour about her insecurities as a
child.
She said,
"I knew nothing about fashion growing up, because in Florida you just wear bikinis and
flip-flops.
But kids can be cruel, and they used to make fun of me for having long legs and bushy eyebrows."
To comfort her, Upton’s mom would show her magazines and point out that the models had
those same long legs and bushy brows.
That was the moment young Upton decided she wanted to be a model.
Horsing around
Before Upton took the world by storm in her modeling career, she was, believe it or not,
a champion equestrian.
According to Vanity Fair, in her childhood years, Upton took the title of the American
Paint Horse Association's Under Reserve All-Around Champion, and won the Western Riding category
at the same competition.
Horseback riding did also have a big impact on Upton's future career.
According to the Evening Standard, it was at a horse show that 12-year-old Upton was
first scouted for modeling.
Upton hasn’t forgotten how and where it all began.
She has recently been spotted horseback riding near Lake Michigan, where she spent summers
as a young equestrian.
Seriously, is there anything she can't do?
Moves like Upton
Although Upton may have been originally scouted for modeling, it was the future star's dance
moves that caught the world's notice.
Back in May of 2012, fashion photographer Terry Richardson was shooting a session with
Upton, when she took a quick dance break.
Little did she know a break from work would end up being her claim to fame.
Richardson continued to film as Upton did her version of the Cat Daddy dance — which
was made popular by the hip-hop group Rej3ctz.
As soon as Richardson posted the video on YouTube, it went viral.
YouTube quickly removed the video, but then received upset feedback from viewers and posted
it again.
In 2013, Upton reflected on the moment with Vanity Fair, saying,
"The funny thing is, I dance all throughout the day…I just like to goof around and have
a good time.
It's not like I'm a good dancer.
It's just me.
It's just what I do."
Not everyone's favorite
While we're charmed by Upton's overall positive and fun-loving attitude, not everyone felt
the same throughout the years.
In 2010, when 17-year-old Upton was meeting with new modeling agencies, she received some
unusual feedback.
She admitted to Vanity Fair what happened, saying,
"I'm not going to name names, but one agency told me, 'You're too American, and everybody
knows American women are lazy.'
I was so offended!
I've never been so offended!”
Upton, of course, ended up signing with International Management Group, and skyrocketed to supermodel
status.
But she's continued to deal with negative comments along the way.
Sophia Neophitou, who worked on casting Victoria Secret's runway shows, told the New York Times
in 2012 that she "would never use" Upton in a show.
She continued, saying,
"[Upton is] a footballer's wife, with the too-blond hair and that kind of face that
anyone with enough money can go out and buy."
Wow.
And Upton was just as surprised to hear such remarks, telling E! News that she had never
even met her before.
Nobody ever said modeling was a kind-hearted industry.
Taking chances
When it comes to her career, Upton doesn’t mess around.
In early 2013, she had one of her most memorable photo shoots.
She posed in freezing temperatures in Antarctica wearing nothing but a bikini.
She explained to CBS News that the crew spent two days getting there, and six days on the
ship.
After the shoot, she spoke with NBC's Today and discussed the aftermath and the frostbite
she endured.
"When I came back, I was like losing hearing, and eyesight, because my body was shutting
down because it was working so hard to keep me warm."
Whatever your opinion of Upton, you’ve got to give her some serious props for effort.
Thesbian
When Kate Upton starred in the 2014 film The Other Woman, many thought that was her first
shot at acting.
But the truth is that Upton had secretly been preparing for the big screen.
She admitted to Cosmopolitan that she took acting lessons for two years before she took
on the part in the movie.
So how was the experience of appearing in her first big film?
Upton only had positive things to say.
She told E! News,
"I was on set with Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann and they were the most inspirational
and amazing women I had the honor to work with…They were really helpful in my experience
with the movie, and I really appreciated all of their advice and all of their encouragement
throughout the movie set."
"We should kick them in the balls."
"No, I really like the way your brain works but I think we're going for something a little
bit bigger."
She continued on to say how grateful she was for the role, and how she feels like The Other
Woman was just the beginning.
True to her word, according to IMDB, Upton is adding a few more movie credits to her
resume as we speak that have yet to hit the big screen.
Body image struggles?
With Upton's bombshell curves and beautiful features, it's hard to imagine her being body-conscious.
But surprisingly, this is a topic the starlet is very open about.
In 2015, she told Hello!,
"I think all women are similar; we all struggle with the same things when it comes to body
image and wanting to be beautiful…I'm the same when I'm on the beach with my friends
or when there are paparazzi around."
So how does she deal with being in an industry that focuses on her looks?
She said,
"Being on a fashion shoot is like an acting job.
I feel like I'm a different character, and that character doesn't get pangs of anxiety."
And in her day-to-day life, Upton has a great attitude as to why she wants to be healthy,
which leads to looking great.
She spoke on this topic with the Evening Standard, saying,
"This is the body I was given, I appreciate it and I try to take care of it every day
as best I can, but I always enjoy my life.
So I'm not going to let my insecurities stop me from enjoying life."
We can all take notes from Upton.
From bushy-eyebrowed teen to YouTube sensation to supermodel, this girl has made some big
strides over the past few years.
It's exciting to see what will come next from this real and radiant woman.
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