On the day Kayla Ewell (Caitlin) had to strut down the runway playing "model" for the Forrester fashion show, the actress found herself distracted by a few real models. "Those girls from [UPN’s] AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL are here," Ewell whispered excitedly near the set. "My roommate and I were absolutely obsessed with that show. I am such a huge fan!"
Ewell thought she could probably use a few pointers from the two up-and-coming models, given that she herself had absolutely no prior experience on the catwalk. "With the whole modeling thing, I was scared in the beginning because I didn’t know what to do, really," says the actress, whose character on the show is the inspiration behind Forrester’s new Ingenue line.
Fortunately, the rookie got a little help from one of her co-stars. "Emily Harrison (Bridget) said, ‘I used to be a model — let me show you some stuff,’" Ewell explains. "So on our breaks, she’d show me how to turn, how to walk. It really helped me. Once I kind of knew what to do, I was fine." When it came time for Ewell to show off what she learned from Harrison, she could strut her stuff with confidence. "When our director saw it, she said, ‘Dang! That was really good!’ So now, I think it’s all really fun."
On the set, Ewell earned the nickname Ariel (as in The Little Mermaid) thanks to the long red wig she donned for the fashion show. As for her chosen outfits, the actress was giddy about getting to wear such unique styles. "It’s like playing dress-up," she laughs. "Our costume designer made all these things and it made me think, ‘Oh my gosh, how did you even think of this?’"
As for the anticipated showstopper piece, Ewell says even she was nonplussed by the mini-minidress. "I said, ‘Is this the shirt?’ and they said, ‘This is the whole dress!’ It’s literally a showstopper! But once I put it on, I felt so cool."
Kayla Ewell
