Jensen Anka
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Jensen's redefining what it means to be a boss in any field. As a female wood-finisher, she's on a mission to empower women to pursue their passions despite all obstacles. Whether she’s on a worksite, or at a GA campaign shoot, she knows how to own the room!
How would you describe your beauty ideal?
I think it’s just a melting, meshing pot. There's not any ideal beauty standard, to be honest.
I am a very mixed person. My mom’s mixed and my dad’s mixed. My dad is Syrian and Irish, and my mom is White and Cuban. There are a lot more interracial couples nowadays, and I know for my mom and dad, being mixed in their generation, my mom went through the worst bullying. I didn’t really get that in school.
If you could tell your 12-year-old self anything, what would it be?
You’re not going to be chubby forever. Things are going to get better for you because you just come into yourself. Being an only child and a mixed person who talks to everyone, I got this wide range of exposure to a lot of different things. I think it humbled me as an adult. So, even the experience of just driving around LA is really going to help you out when you’re older. You’ll see so many different things.
What 3 words best describe Good American to you?
I would say future, acceptance, and body positive.
What made you want to apply to Open Casting?
I’m a wood finisher, which is not something that a lot of girls are. So, one of the reasons I wanted to apply was that I wanted girls to know you can do anything you want, even if it’s a super male-dominated field. I would literally be on job sites and never meet another girl, but that didn't stop me from going. I’ve been on sites and people catcall me... on my own job site! But, it makes you stronger as a person. I want girls to know, if you want something, don’t be afraid to try and go for it. If you know you have that skill and you have worked at that skill, you know you’ll be good at it!
What was special about the Open Casting process to you?
It’s just all walks of life. You guys really branched out and got people who have different stories. You have small towns and cities. It’s really funny because Janet wasn't here and I was like, “I really wish there was an Asian girl. It really bothers me.” Then she shows up, and I was like, “Perfect! They did exactly what I was hoping.” It's just more representation and it makes people feel better. You wanna see yourself. It’s hard to grow up and not see anyone that looks like you. If you're mixed–and mixed people probably know what I’m talking about–but you're sort of accepted by everyone.
What was the callback experience like?
Going there was really exciting. I got stuck behind a police car that stopped all traffic, so I ran through the mall in my heels!
And you showed up in the GA flight suit!
My upstairs neighbor ended up giving me this jumpsuit that her daughter didn't want. I wore it out with my boyfriend and he said, “This jumpsuit looks really fly, this is what you should wear to the casting.” The morning of the casting, I grabbed the jumpsuit and I realized it was Good American. My boyfriend was like, “You have to wear it! This is fate, we already decided before that you would wear it.”
What’s it like meeting all the new members of the Good Squad?
It wasn't awkward or anything! We just came in and had the exact same energy. I don't wanna say it was like meeting yourself, but if I gave friendliness, I got friendliness right back. Everyone’s really nice.
Where were you when you heard the news that you made it into the Good Squad?
I was in the shop by myself. I started freaking out and then I called everybody.
And, now it’s the day of the campaign! What are you feeling?
It's really fun, to be honest, I mean I love photoshoots. I've done some for some of my friends and stuff like that. You get to be a different character. What I'm enjoying now is that the photographers are letting me be weird. I like those weird shots where the girl is doing a cool pose, and it's cool because they’re letting me try different things.
Yesterday, the Good Squad took a mini-tour around LA. How was it seeing your city from their perspective?
I think it’s exciting. I hadn’t gone to the Hollywood sign until a couple years ago. It’s just not something you really do. Most LA people don't do the touristy things, so it's kind of interesting seeing other people experience it. It's terrible because it makes me take things for granted. Even this morning I was freezing, and it’s maybe 70 degrees or something like that.
It's interesting because they have probably seen it in movies, and then they finally get to see it in real life.
It makes you realize there are special things in this city that you don't think about.