Shanina Shaik on breaking into acting and proving she’s not just ‘commercial’

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23rd Oct 2019

The first thing you’ll notice when chatting to Shanina Shaik is that, yes, the former Victoria’s Secret angel is every bit as stunning in person as she is on Instagram, and the magazine covers she’s graced.

The second thing you’ll notice is that she’s as cool a person as you’d think. “I can’t wait to have a beer,” she laughs, as dewy pints of Stella Artois are carried past us. The Melbourne native—who recently moved to Los Angeles—is home for the week to host the Stella Artois marquee at the Caulfield Cup.

She’s brought her younger brother as her date, and wearing a little black Misha Collection dress, Louboutin stilettos, an Oroton bag and Nerida Winter millinery, she looks every part the perfectly put-together host.

It’s been a big year for Shaik, who has not only traded cities but also careers. Having achieved many milestones a model only dreams of reaching—read: multiple Victoria’s Secret runway appearances, walking in a Chanel show, and appearing on the covers of just about every major international masthead—Shaik has decided to switch gears and focus on a different craft: acting.

Here, she fills us in on what assimilating into the acting industry been like and how she broke the modelling glass ceiling after being told she was “too commercial”.

It must feel great to be home. What’s the first thing you like to do when arriving back in Melbourne?
I really look forward to my mum cooking for me, there’s nothing better than home-cooked food. My mum is really good at making curries, and the weather is pretty cold in Melbourne right now so it’s perfect. When Mum cooks, I’m completely at home.

And you’re wearing two Australian designers today. What other Aussie designers do you look to for event dressing inspiration?
My go-to’s are Dion Lee and Zimmermann, for sure. Any event I can, even when I’m abroad, I always try to wear Australian designers.

That’s so nice to hear. Travelling so frequently and attending lots of events, including today’s, it must be tough on your skin. How do you manage to keep your skin looking so fresh and bouncy when you’re at your busiest?
Yeah, going to lots events does really take its toll on your skin. I think it’s always important to wash off all of your makeup once you’re done with an event. I like to use Bioderma to disinfect all the dirt and dust that collects on your skin. Another thing that’s really great to cleanse with is witch hazel. I also love a good spritz of rosewater.

Is there one beauty product you keep in your bag at all times?
It’s not so much a beauty product, but party feet are a must. Sore feet can wreck your day, there’s literally nothing worse.

You’ve shifted your career focus to acting recently. Can you tell us about any film projects you have coming up?
I actually have a film coming out in February, called Greed. It just premiered at the British Film Festival, it’s with Steve Coogan and Isla Fisher and Asa Butterfield [from Netflix’s Sex Education]. I have a decent role in that, so that’s quite exciting. It was quite different to modelling, but I really enjoyed the process of it.

Do you think all of your modelling experience had prepared you well for acting?
Yes, definitely. I think being on camera so much helps in some way, but it’s not just still imagery. With acting, you’re constantly moving and being seen from every angle—you can’t hide! The breathing, the blinking… you really have to think about it.

Is there a moment in your career to date that you’re most proud of?
I’ve definitely come along way since Make Me A Supermodel and I’m quite proud of myself for that. At the beginning of my career, a lot of people thought I was quite commercial and that I couldn’t do high fashion, so that gave me a lot of insecurities.

Then I had this one amazing year where I booked Victoria’s Secret, which had always been a huge goal of mine. And I walked for the Chanel show too. It felt good to prove people wrong but it also showed me how important it is to believe in yourself, and have a good team.

Did you ever think about quitting modelling when you heard that critique?
Honestly, there are so many times where I’ve wanted to give up! I’m like, ‘I might quit modelling now… I don’t know.’ But having people around you who really care about you definitely keeps you going.

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