A model during her Malibu teen years, actress Tracey Birdsall-Smith, 48, was one of only 10 finalists nationwide to make it into the prestigious Wilhelmina “40+” contest.
By Michael Aushenker / Special to The Malibu Times
Tracey Birdsall-Smith thought she had left the modeling profession behind. An actress with recurring and featured roles on shows such as “Family Ties” and “Loving,” the Malibu native had done advertisements and commercials back when she was a teen before segueing into her current profession.
Then something incredible happened in June, when the former model, today 48 years old, reconnected with her erstwhile profession.
The prestigious modeling agency Wilhelmina Models, in partnership with co-sponsors Macy’s department store and bathing suit manufacturer Miraclesuit, held a competition this summer, dangling a modeling contract as the grand prize. The winners of “The Wilhelmina 40+ Model Search” were announced June 30 at a Manhattan ceremony hosted by style expert Robert Verdi and judges Randall Christensen (a “Dancing with the Stars” costume designer) and supermodel Roshumba Williams.
Ten participants, all over 40 and chosen from a nationwide pool of applicants, took to the runway at Macy’s Herald Square to compete for Wilhelmina; no louche agency with Carol Alt and Irina Pantaeva in its stable. Birdsall-Smith found herself among them.
Birdsall-Smith’s entry almost didn’t happen.
“I entered it towards the end of the entry period,” she said. “I had just finished a film. I was going into a lull.”
With the shoot of “Grounded,” a “Spy Kids”-type movie in which Birdsall-Smith played a step-mother, behind her, she took a stab at the contest, just two weeks shy of the application deadline. To her surprise, she was accepted.
“I grew up modeling and doing print work,” Birdsall-Smith said. “Then you hit your mid-to-late twenties and you think your career is over.”
She was flown out to Manhattan, where she stayed at The Sanctuary Hotel for three days and two nights.
“It was fabulous and we got to meet amazing people,” she said.
Sorry, reality-show producers, no behind-the-scenes drama occurred between contestants.
“We got along famously,” Birdsall-Smith said. “There wasn’t a bad egg in the group. I was amazed how smart and gorgeous the women were. I talk to the other finalists on Facebook each and every day.”
Among her contest obligations were runway walks and, of course, bathing suit shoots, considering co-sponsor Miraclesuit.
As a teen, Birdsall-Smith worked at Malibu’s now-defunct Teeny Bikini Shop. She won the Miss Teeny Bikini title and appeared in commercials for Sunkist and Coors Light, while performing in plays in the meantime.
“I’m a bikini girl,” Birdsall-Smith said. “I never wore one-pieces … These things are amazing. They gave us Miraclesuits and I absolutely love mine.”
Ultimately, Birdsall-Smith did not win the contract. A fellow Californian, Jacqueline Depaul, 41, won the grand prize. Diane Capozzi, 40, from Massachusetts, was the first runner-up while Illinois native Kimberly Clark, 40, won the second runner-up slot. Yet for Birdsall-Smith, her mind still reels at the thought of being summoned to New York by the agency.
“The most amazing part for me was Wilhelmina did a search throughout the whole country and I was chosen as one of those 10 women,” Birdsall-Smith said. “Working in the [entertainment] industry, it’s a fabulous public relations thing for me.”
Although her whirlwind Wilhelmina odyssey happened more than a month ago, Birdsall-Smith is still glowing with memories of her once-in-a-lifetime experience.
An after-party at Jimmy, at The James New York hotel, followed the fashion competition.
“We had an amazing rooftop party overlooking the city,” she said.
She also made contacts with people at Oprah Winfrey’s magazine and various fitness modeling opportunities.
“I’m really about being as healthy as you can be at my age,” she said.
What Birdsall-Smith learned is that “there’s a huge emerging market” for women her age in modeling.
Birdsall-Smith’s acting career has taken her all over the country. She’s lived everywhere from New York and Chicago to Southern Utah to Las Vegas. However, her heart never left this town.
“I always wanted to come back to Malibu,” she said. “Malibu’s perfect, the weather’s perfect. I go to Malibu Gym, where I went as a teen.”
Today, Birdsall-Smith lives with husband Stuart Smith, a retired executive at Dell Inc. who, inspired by his wife, took to the acting industry.
“He’s had quite a bit of success hosting on-camera and in commercials,” Birdsall-Smith said.
Their daughter, Nicky, 27, works in special education at Malibu High School. A son, Stevie Lee, 15, attends Malibu High while oldest son Aaron, 22, is a chef at the Green Valley Resort and Spa in Utah.
Up next: Back to acting. This week, she started filming “The Etiquette Show,” a pilot with a spin-off series on the Internet.
Ultimately, sampling the modeling world may have been sweeter the second time around.
“This was an experience that came out of the blue,” Birdsall-Smith said. “It was great to be recognized, especially at our age. The idea of getting into the Wilhelmina office in my forties, that’s [a dream come true].”