*My name is Josie Maran. It's pronounced as "MAIR-an"...it rhymes with Karen, like "CARE-an". I was born in Menlo Park, just outside of San Francisco,then moved to LA, and now Manhattan. Well, my dad is Polish and Russian, and my mom is Dutch, French, and German. I'm an American mutt! Hehe, i know that's a bit too much! I'm usually a mellow, go-with-the-flow person, except when someone tells me I should do something. Then I get stubborn. If they don't back off, I get this horrible rage and want to kill them. When I was four and my mom would send me to my room, I'd get so mad I'd go outside and bang my head on the sidewalk. Haha! I've been modelling since I was 12, but everyone always assumed I was an actress, not a model, because I'm only 5' 7" -- I don't fit into a lot of the model clothes! I feel short when I'm around other models. But now everyone knows who i am since i'm the face of Guess, Maybelline and many other brands! My career all started when someone came up to me on a street in San Francisco and asked me to be in a Benetton fashion show. Then an agent scouted me at the show, and I joined an agency. Modeling's a love/hate relationship. The love is (the promise of) fame and fortune. The hate is that it's a big competition. I come home to my normal friends, and they keep me nice, so it doesn't go to my head. My advice for those that are interested in modeling -- if you are still in high school, finish; there is always time later on after you graduate to pursue modeling. I recommend being open minded because there is a lot to see and learn. It reminds us not to take life so seriously and that modeling is not as glamorous as it may seem. The main thing is to be yourself and people will follow you! I didn't always want to be a model, i wanted to be an actress! Or maybe the next Dr. Ruth...make that a hipper Dr. Ruth! Haha! I'm studying psychology at San Diego State but i'm taking a semester off to pursue my modeling career.
