Vanessa Vanderpuye is a British actress and model who is doing it all. She has had roles in projects like A Song from the Dark (2023), the TV miniseries Bulletproof (2018), Dreaming Whilst Black (2018), and many more. She’s also worked with some of your favorite brands as a commercial model. I had a pleasurable time speaking with her and learning about her start in both industries and how she balances it all.  

Peebles: Vanessa, how did you get your start in acting?  

Vanessa: I feel like I’ve lost count when people ask me that question. It’s been over 15 years. Acting was something I always wanted to do but didn’t think I could do it. It’s because I didn’t see people of color doing it in the UK. And as I watched more programs like Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel and shows like That’s So Raven and Sister, Sister I saw more people who looked like me.  I was like, Wow! This could be my career! I was fascinated by American culture. And I always had this interest in it growing up. 

Peebles: So, tell me about your first acting gig and what it was like. 

Vanessa: My first acting gig was a student short film. I can’t remember the name. After that, I did a YouTube show called Venus vs. Mars. It was about us playing on each other’s dating experiences in our early twenties. It was so funny and comical because we were using our own real life dating experiences. That show got picked up by Sky, which is a big network in the UK. The show was sponsored by BET, so it played in the US as well.  

Peebles: What did it feel like the first time you were in front of the cameras? 

Vanessa: On screen, everything is understated because the camera is so close to you. You have to do it subtly without overreacting or pretending you’re in a Nollywood movie.  

Peebles: How was it for you doing your first love scene? 

Vanessa: My first intimate scene was a kissing scene; luckily, I had a great director who was amazing. You just have to make the scene truthful. For me I just imagined this was my partner, whom I was dating.  

When I did Bullet Proof, we had an intimacy coach on set. I would recommend one for anyone doing an intimate scene. I had permission to say no if I wasn’t comfortable with something, like where and how they touched me. 

Peebles: What’s the difference for you when you are on stage compared to being on screen? 

Vanessa: Theatre and TV are two different things. The adrenaline rush I got from being on stage in the theater was something I had never felt before. It was such a high. I had to tap into my emotions in a different way. And you have to make sure you project that to the people sitting in the back. 
 
TV and film are very start-and-stop. I thought it was going to be like theater with a continuous run of show. But with TV and film you have the ability to play around with different stances, tones, words, and even a different version of the scene. The difference is when you are on stage, you have to know every line; there are no second changes. 

Peebles: Speaking of separating, how do you separate yourself from the characters you play? 

Vanessa: With each character I create so many different nuances around them that when I hear ‘cut’ I immediately bring Vanessa back in the picture. 

I did have a hard time separating myself from the character one time when I was on Venus vs. Mars. It was one of my first acting roles so there were a lot of trial and errors when it came to staying and getting out of character.   

People saw me as that character even when I was not on set, and I would say, Yes, that’s me. Then I had to take control and separate myself from that character, saying to myself, No, that’s not me; this is not my truth; it’s just a version of me but not me.  

Peebles: What are some ways you practice self-care when you aren’t on set?  

Vanessa: When I’m not acting, I love going to live music events. I love music. At one point, I thought I would be a dancer or a hair stylist. I love doing hair as well. I actually make my own wigs on set sometimes. Just spending time doing things I love helps me unwind and leave everything behind. 

Peebles: Outside of acting you also model professionally. Tell me a little about that.  

Vanessa: My modeling sort of fell into my lap. I first got scouted at a store called Topshop in the UK; they asked me to model Sleek Makeup. I don’t know if there’s one in America. I just kept getting stopped and asked to do more commercial modeling for different brands.

Peebles: What are some of the brands you have modeled for? 

Vanessa: I have modeled for Pantene Gole Series, Samsung, Coca-Cola Max Factor, L’Oreal, Schwarzkopf, and Chase Bank to name a few.

Peebles: How do you balance acting and modeling since they are on totally different platforms? 

Vanessa: Well, when I went to acting agents, the first thing they would say to me was, Hey, would you like to do another commercial video first until you develop your skill set and get another show role? I did dabble in runway modelling and realized that wasn’t my forte. I didn’t feel good after those jobs because I’m not 5 feet 10 and I’ve never been a size 0 and my waist has never been 24 inches, but in commercials, they look at you as a person and your personality as more of a relatable person. Modeling is something I still love and do in between acting. 

Peebles: Going forward, what are some of your goals, and what are you currently working on? 

Vanessa: My goals are that I just want to be successful in acting, and to me, success looks like just being booked consistently. I want to have a plethora of scripts coming at me where I can say, yes, this is amazing, but I don’t feel like this script is for me. I feel like I’ve sown seeds for so long, and I’ve been so disciplined at learning my craft. So, for me, that’s the definition of success. I don’t want to be famous; I just want to be successful working on different projects and working with the people I want to work with, including producers and directors. Working with people I like is something that brings me peace. I can just relax and be in the flow of things. I’m in a show called Mrs Sidhu Investigates coming to ITV next month. It’s a murder mystery drama and I play an athlete, and I’m very excited about it. I am working towards being in a place where I can really start to pick and choose the roles I want to play.