Hundreds Brave Bad Weather For Chance To Be "America's Next Top Model"
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The snow and cold didn't stop hundreds of men and women from auditioning for the CW's America's Next Top Model reality show.
Aspiring models waited for hours in the cold for an open casting call on Drexel's Campus Tuesday, and then once inside many kicked off their boots and put on the heals, waiting for their turn to strut their stuff in front of the camera.
"The key is to always look up, not down," said 22-year-old Wokie Ki-Amue. "You look confident, shoulders back, looking up staring you in the eye, so I think that's the key to the perfect walk."
Standing at 5-foot even, 26-year-old Sambi Alieu of Philadelphia was happy their was no height requirement for the show.
"I going to represent for the shorties like for real for real," Alieu said. "To be a model, you know, the standard has been you have to be 5'7" and above. Sometimes being 5'7", you can be 5"7" and still not have the talent, but there are people who are shorter and have everything but they just don't have the height, so it's not fair to say you're this height and you can't do it. I never accepted no for an answer."
There were also no weight requirements.
"(America's Next Top Model) needs a plus-size model top win it this year," said 23-year-old Jamirah Hayward.
Sporting a nose ring, 18-year-old Sean Behr of Limerick, Pennsylvania was hoping his unique look would give him the edge he needed.
But what makes him stand out?
"Maybe how weird I am," he said. "I'm very different. I'm not the average type of guy."
Casting calls were held in cities throughout the country, including Montgomery, Alabama, San Diego, California and Cincinnati, Ohio.
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