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And you didnt
go?!
Im actually really a homebody. Im basically on set and after
that Im home. I think its because of L.A. When I was in New
York I used to go out. New York is the city that never sleeps, and I had
a lot of fun there. But L.A. is a very different town.
So which city has
cooler people?
L.A. is really phony, and when you go out youre not really going
out to have a good time. Youre going out to meet people and look
for what I call the BBD: the bigger and better deal.
What else do you
like about New York?
Its a very multicultural city. You have all types of people from
different backgrounds, different personalities. And whats cool about
New York is that not everybody wants to be a star. Not everybody wants
to be famous.
Exactly where in
New York are you from?
I was born in Brooklyn. I was raised in both Brooklyn and Queens. Theyre
actually very different types of boroughs. I grew up in middle-class,
pretty decent areas. My mom really struggled to keep me away from bad
areas. But the cool thing about New York is that you can live on a very
nice block and then like two blocks down therell be projects. Everyone
is just jam-packed together. But I was basically kept away from that kind
of atmosphere, unless I wanted to go the projects. Which I did
because
I had friends that lived there.
Were you a good
student growing up or were you a bad girl?
I was a good student. I cut a lot of school when I hit junior high
school and high school, but I did study and I was a good kid.
Wait a minute,
you said you cut a lot of school. How is that good?
Ha! I dont know. I wasnt really cutting school to do bad
things. I was kind of a weird childlike very different from other
kids
so Id cut school and I would just walk around, just hang
out.
Youre of
Caribbean-Irish descent, what was it like growing up biracial?
It was really hard. A lot of people dont address biracial kids
and they dont know how to relate to them or understand them
when
I was growing up it was hard because I didnt feel like I was accepted
by both groups. I was too light for the black community. And then the
white communityI didnt really look like them. I had the skin,
but the hair was really curly, and I didnt really look like them.
I identified more with the Latin culture, but I didnt speak the
language so that was a problem.
But then when I got
older it was a blessing for me because I got to see both sides of the
races. And Im really thankful to God that I am biracial. I love
it: I have the best of both worlds.
Youre a very
attractive girl, who must surely get a lot of guys approaching you. Is
there a particular type of guy that tends to go after you more?
I get all guys coming after me. I dont know why. All kinds of
races, all kinds of backgrounds. I just feel that a lot of people look
at me as approachable. Yeah, Im hot, Im cute, but Im
down to earth.
How do guys generally
approach you?
They use really, really bad lines. I mean Ive heard the worst
that you can possibly imagine. And I think what works to my disadvantageand
also to my advantageis that I look really young. Without make up
and with my hair not done, I look about 16 or 17. So I get a lot of guys
who basically want to manipulate me because they think that Im not
experienced. And thats really frustrating.
But you put them
in their place, right?
I put them in their place quick! I dont play that
thats
old news, Ive been there done that. Dont run me corny lines.
Its not gonna happen.
Okay, I wont.
What about you, what type of guys do you find most desirable?
I like honest men. I find thatnot all menbut I do find
that a lot of young men have a problem being honest. And thats a
big problem for me personally and for females in general.
But what are they
dishonest about?
Well, most women want commitment or they want a relationship. They
dont want to just have sex and then thats it
and men
tend to not be honest about their intentions with women. I think there
are all kinds of women, and if a guy wants a girl just to have sex with,
I think he should find that girlbut he needs to be honest.
Well yeah, but
if a guys meets a girl and says, Hey I just want to have sex with
you, how many girls are going to go, oh, okay.
I think there are girls that will do that. Guys come up with corny
lines anyway. I have no idea how some of these guys bag chicks
so
just be honest and say,
hey, you look good so lets just get it on.
Hmm, Ill
try that and let you know how it works.
[laughs] Okay, let me know.
Besides honesty
what are important characteristics of a man?
Having goals and maturity.
What about money?
I think as childbearers its our innate quality to want to have
a guy thats financially stable. But I think its unfair that
we should want men that are financially stable when a lot of women arent
financially stable.
So youre
a true feminist.
Yeah.
In our Doctores
de Amor column a reader wrote in to ask what the best approach to making
out is: being really hands on or being a gentleman? What do
you think?
I think that timing is really important. If this is the first time
that youre making out with a girl, I would say take your time and
let her kind of be the initiator. But I do like aggressive men.
So youre
confusing me now.
I do
no
but what I said is that timing is important. So
after a couple of dates when you are making out, then I think that guys
should be aggressive.
You were a stand-in
for Jennifer Lopez and judging from your photos I can see why they would
use you as a stand-in for her. Do you get a lot of compliments on your
um
well-endowed
derriere?
Yes I do, and I have to say one thing about Jennifer Lopez. When I
was her stand-in and I actually saw her body, it was almost identical
to mine
I felt that as far as body shape and her looks I identified
with her and that really made me feel good about my path in the business.
But yeah, I definitely get a lot of attention on my butt. Everyone calls
me Baby J-Lo. Sometimes its frustrating, but Ive always had
the butt.
Well, congratulations!
Thank you. [laughs]
Did you get a chance
to chat with Jennifer?
I didnt get a chance to chat with her, but I did meet her. She
was nice, but not extremely friendly.
By now all that
fame and money has probably gone to her head.
Honestly, I think it has. But I cant really fault her because
if I was in that position I dont know how I would be. Because youre
on this pedestal and people are always looking at your butt, and theyre
always talking shit. So it must be hard for her to be friendly and happy-go-lucky
all the time.
So who would you
say she makes a better couple with, P-Diddy or Ben Affleck?
Well because Im from New York and I grew up on P-Diddys
music, Im going to say P-Diddy. But she seems a lot happier with
Ben Affleck.
Tell me about your
upcoming projects.
I just shot a pilot for an original series for BET
hopefully
this show will be picked up. Im hearing from the grapevine that
it will, but Im not going to put all my eggs in one basket.
I also have two independent
films that Im working on. The first one is called Help, which
is a psychological thriller. The second one that Im working on is
called Story of a Girl, and Im really excited about it
both
those films should be released mid to late 2003.
Youve also
worked with Michael Jackson.
I love him
I was in his video for You Rock My World.
He was such an inspiration.
So are the rumors
true?
Hes such a wonderful person. A lot of people have misconceptions
about him. Yes, externally he is strange. Its strange to imagine
someone looking like that, but at the same time its so pure and
innocent in a weird way
the way that he looks externally is the effect
of being in the business
For us [the way he looks] is not normal,
but my experiences being around people of all different racesand
especially African-American malesits hard. A lot of people
dont really understand what kind of effect being dark-skinned has
on you, and I think it had a really bad effect on him.
Our last question
is always: what are your words of advice for Latino men?
One thing I want to say is that Latino men are hot! Theres definitely
the Latin passion going on. And the only other thing I want to say that
Ive noticed, being from New York and growing up with Latin men in
New York
coming out here I would say my advice to the Mexican-American
men in California is to loosen up. I dont feel comfortable, I feel
that someones going to shoot me
[Latinos] are a beautiful group
of people who are misunderstood
Its a wonderful culture, a
loving group of people
and that needs to be spread to other groups.
You can see more
of Yolie at her website: www.yolie.net
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