Model, cosplayer, and actress Jacqueline Amira ventured into show business after her impressive body transformation. Through a dedicated workout regime and diet, she lost over 100 pounds in just a little over a year. After two appearances as a WBFF (World Beauty Fitness & Fashion) model, she hosted a three-day pin-up pageant in Tampa, Florida. Since then, her modeling career has really taken off and has led to her being cast in several independent films, most of which are currently in pre-production. Two of the most recent being Ivy Vanrees’ Satanic Circus and Randy Van Dyke’s Attack of the Killer Space Tentacles.
Also an avid cosplayer for only the last two years, Jacqueline has appeared at events looking like a seasoned pro. A couple of her most noteworthy characters being her own female variant of the Flash, and the DC Universe character, Mera, Queen of Atlantis and wife of Aquaman, which is something very relatable to Jacqueline, as will be revealed later on in this read.
Some of the magazines Jacqueline has appeared in and graced the covers of include Modsquad, Masquerade, and Creative Cosplays. Next month, you can look for her on the cover of issue #63 of Effective magazine that will also feature this following interview she did with Idol Features …..an interview that Curry Barker will need to read.
CHRIS CHARLES: Hi Jacqueline and thank you for doing this. Our mutual friend and publisher of Effective magazine, Mya Nguyen, brought you to my attention, so I didn’t know anything about you until I started doing research on you and I must say I am impressed, particularly with some of your cosplay characters such as your female version of the Flash.
JACQUELINE AMIRA: Thanks! I’m actually a really huge fan of the Arrowverse shows that used to be on the CW. With the TV show The Flash, it had a uniqueness to it. Was it perfect? Absolutely not, but it spoke Nerd and it spoke Nerd fluently. If I ever had a shot to play a superhero on the big screen, a female variant of the Flash would be it.
CHRIS: I know you’ve been asked about this in other interviews, but you have gone through quite a physical transformation over the last several years. Did you have a goal weight when your first started?
JACQUELINE: To be completely honest, I was tired of getting picked on and bullied. My goal was to make it stop. I didn’t necessarily have like a number in mind or anything like that. I just was tired of like the same thing happening over and over again.
CHRIS: Would you say it’s just as hard staying in shape as it was getting in shape?
JACQUELINE: Absolutely and I think it’s even harder after you turn 40. I noticed that my body started changing after the big 4-0. Certain things were harder for me to do. I had to make adjustments, dial it back some, and rest when my body tells me to.
CHRIS: You were a WBFF transformation model twice, I understand?
JACQUELINE AMIRA: Thanks! I’m actually a really huge fan of the Arrowverse shows that used to be on the CW. With the TV show The Flash, it had a uniqueness to it. Was it perfect? Absolutely not, but it spoke Nerd and it spoke Nerd fluently. If I ever had a shot to play a superhero on the big screen, a female variant of the Flash would be it.
CHRIS: I know you’ve been asked about this in other interviews, but you have gone through quite a physical transformation over the last several years. Did you have a goal weight when your first started?
JACQUELINE: To be completely honest, I was tired of getting picked on and bullied. My goal was to make it stop. I didn’t necessarily have like a number in mind or anything like that. I just was tired of like the same thing happening over and over again.
CHRIS: Would you say it’s just as hard staying in shape as it was getting in shape?
JACQUELINE: Absolutely and I think it’s even harder after you turn 40. I noticed that my body started changing after the big 4-0. Certain things were harder for me to do. I had to make adjustments, dial it back some, and rest when my body tells me to.
CHRIS: You were a WBFF transformation model twice, I understand?
JACQUELINE: That’s right. Once in Las Vegas and once here in my hometown of Orlando, Florida. I actually got discovered for this whole thing during COVID and I was just starting the weight loss thing. I really didn’t know squat about anything and initially I was supposed to walk the stage for the Global Bodybuilding Organization. There was a COVID outbreak that got that show canceled and I was scrambling to figure out my next move. I started interviewing fitness leagues and coaches to help me get my foot in the door and that’s how I stumbled across the WBFF. They also search for new WWE superstars and I’m a huge professional wrestling fan. I’ve loved the sport since I was in diapers. I think that’s another reason why I did it (laughs). Obviously I didn’t get discovered by WWE, but the experiences from both shows were valuable. I was terrified in the first round in Vegas. I was by myself, I didn’t have any friends or family there to cheer me on. I knew there were people cheering me on from home during the pay-per-view, but it’s not the same thing. You have the people that are there for the same thing that you are and you bond there’s a commonality and everything that could have gone wrong played itself out in my head twice. I was crying in the bathroom, panicking, thinking; “what if I fall on stage? What if I break something? What if my suit breaks?” Thankfully, none of that happened. The second time around in Orlando was easier ’cause I knew what to expect. It still had its ups and downs and surprises, but I had a better idea of how to prepare for it. I had a bikini made after the Joker suit from DC Comics and we had big crystals on it. I had a money gun. I had a whole routine planned to the party man song from the ’89 Batman movie and the president of the league turned around and was like; “No, you can’t do that.” I was so bummed but I didn’t let that hold me back. I went through with the show anyway.
CHRIS: With your exotic looks, I assume people are always asking about or trying to guess your ethnic background?
JACQUELINE: I get looks sometimes and it’s hard to like translate or decipher what they are? (laughs) I’ve had people come up to me and start talking to me in a foreign language thinking that’s what I am and I’m gonna be able to understand it and speak it back and I’m just like; “no, no sorry, English, please.” A lot of people are actually shocked that I don’t have a certain dialect or accent that I speak English very well and that was the plan this whole time.
CHRIS: When did you first get into cosplay?
JACQUELINE: I really didn’t get too much into it until I met my better half, The True Aquaman, Rick Stafford. So that would be a little more than two years ago? Yeah, 2024. I had done some things here and there. I had my first magazine cover be a cosplay magazine issue but once Rick and I got together, I was fully exposed to what cosplay is and I thought to myself; “Oh my God, this is so much fun. Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
CHRIS: What would you say have been some of your best well-known characters to portray?
JACQUELINE: You obviously know of one, which is a female variant of the Flash. The other obvious one being Queen Mera from DC Comics. Another one that I’ve been working on, I’m holding off on pulling the trigger though, is Fallout cosplay. I have the suit made, but there’s a few more things I wanna do with it before I start wearing it to events.
CHRIS: What have been some of your favorite cosplay events to attend?
JACQUELINE: Conventions are fun, but me personally, I love events that are more community focused. My better half and I have been special guests for a holiday parade in South Florida two years in a row, we’ve also been guests for a boating and beach bash that’s focused on charity and the kids. The fact that you can throw on a superhero costume, you will be a superhero for a day and have kids look at you like: WOW! 🤩 That to me is better than any convention, any day of the week.
JACQUELINE: I get looks sometimes and it’s hard to like translate or decipher what they are? (laughs) I’ve had people come up to me and start talking to me in a foreign language thinking that’s what I am and I’m gonna be able to understand it and speak it back and I’m just like; “no, no sorry, English, please.” A lot of people are actually shocked that I don’t have a certain dialect or accent that I speak English very well and that was the plan this whole time.
CHRIS: When did you first get into cosplay?
JACQUELINE: I really didn’t get too much into it until I met my better half, The True Aquaman, Rick Stafford. So that would be a little more than two years ago? Yeah, 2024. I had done some things here and there. I had my first magazine cover be a cosplay magazine issue but once Rick and I got together, I was fully exposed to what cosplay is and I thought to myself; “Oh my God, this is so much fun. Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
CHRIS: What would you say have been some of your best well-known characters to portray?
JACQUELINE: You obviously know of one, which is a female variant of the Flash. The other obvious one being Queen Mera from DC Comics. Another one that I’ve been working on, I’m holding off on pulling the trigger though, is Fallout cosplay. I have the suit made, but there’s a few more things I wanna do with it before I start wearing it to events.
CHRIS: What have been some of your favorite cosplay events to attend?
JACQUELINE: Conventions are fun, but me personally, I love events that are more community focused. My better half and I have been special guests for a holiday parade in South Florida two years in a row, we’ve also been guests for a boating and beach bash that’s focused on charity and the kids. The fact that you can throw on a superhero costume, you will be a superhero for a day and have kids look at you like: WOW! 🤩 That to me is better than any convention, any day of the week.
CHRIS: Since all I found when I searched for “pink hammer” were results for actual pink hammers, I assume your Pink Hammer character is your own creation?
JACQUELINE: Actually, no, it’s my friend Terrence Baker’s creation and there’s an entire comic book series that comes along with it. I’m actually the seventh model he’s had for that character. He reached out to me with an idea and showed me some of the sketches and I was like; “okay, you know what? I’m in.” (laughs)
CHRIS: Do you portray other original characters?
JACQUELINE: To be completely honest, I really haven’t done too much cosplay stuff in a little while because of the movie opportunities I’ve been getting. If I were to portray a new character, I would want to either do a mashup of original characters or a variant like I did with the Flash.
CHRIS: If you were going to portray a well-known character at an event, would you try to be as spot-on to the original as possible or would you prefer to do your own take on her?
JACQUELINE: Kind of a little bit of both I guess. It honestly depends on the character itself. If I physically look like the character, then yes, I would want to be a spot on as possible. If not, then I’m going to do things my way.
CHRIS: What will be the next cosplay event you’ll be attending?
JACQUELINE: I don’t actually know yet (laughs), but I will keep you posted.
CHRIS: Moving on to your acting; what was the very first film your appeared in?
JACQUELINE: I guess it was Bocas vs. The Night of the Living Dead? I got to kill zombies, it was fun!
CHRIS: You have recently been cast in Ivy Vanrees’ Satanic Circus. Tell me about the character you’ll be playing in that one.
JACQUELINE: But if I tell you, you’ll ruin our fun? We can’t have that.
CHRIS: Of course not. Even more recently, you have joined the cast of Attack of the Killer Space Tentacles. Can you tell us anything about the character you’ll be playing in that one?
JACQUELINE: My character’s name is Sierra and she is a survivor. Her catchphrase is; “Not in my house!”
JACQUELINE: Actually, no, it’s my friend Terrence Baker’s creation and there’s an entire comic book series that comes along with it. I’m actually the seventh model he’s had for that character. He reached out to me with an idea and showed me some of the sketches and I was like; “okay, you know what? I’m in.” (laughs)
CHRIS: Do you portray other original characters?
JACQUELINE: To be completely honest, I really haven’t done too much cosplay stuff in a little while because of the movie opportunities I’ve been getting. If I were to portray a new character, I would want to either do a mashup of original characters or a variant like I did with the Flash.
CHRIS: If you were going to portray a well-known character at an event, would you try to be as spot-on to the original as possible or would you prefer to do your own take on her?
JACQUELINE: Kind of a little bit of both I guess. It honestly depends on the character itself. If I physically look like the character, then yes, I would want to be a spot on as possible. If not, then I’m going to do things my way.
CHRIS: What will be the next cosplay event you’ll be attending?
JACQUELINE: I don’t actually know yet (laughs), but I will keep you posted.
CHRIS: Moving on to your acting; what was the very first film your appeared in?
JACQUELINE: I guess it was Bocas vs. The Night of the Living Dead? I got to kill zombies, it was fun!
CHRIS: You have recently been cast in Ivy Vanrees’ Satanic Circus. Tell me about the character you’ll be playing in that one.
JACQUELINE: But if I tell you, you’ll ruin our fun? We can’t have that.
CHRIS: Of course not. Even more recently, you have joined the cast of Attack of the Killer Space Tentacles. Can you tell us anything about the character you’ll be playing in that one?
JACQUELINE: My character’s name is Sierra and she is a survivor. Her catchphrase is; “Not in my house!”
CHRIS: I assume horror is your favorite genre?
JACQUELINE: Absolutely! To be honest, I’m a little surprised at how welcoming everyone in the indie horror, well, almost everyone in the indie horror community has been. There’s a thing of irony here my last name means beauty and what am I doing? I’m acting in scary movies.
CHRIS: Who, on either side of the camera, would you most like to work with in indie horror?
JACQUELINE: Curry Barker.
CHRIS: You also do voiceover work. Do you worry that AI, which has already put a lot of voiceover actors out of work, will continue to do so?
JACQUELINE: Not really. AI has its perks and it’s disadvantages as well.
CHRIS: Do you have any skills or hobbies only those close to you know about?
JACQUELINE: I love to cook anyone that knows me knows me. I am an absolute foodie and I’m obsessed with The YouTube channel People vs. Food. I actually make really good Korean barbecue. My friends have gotten into fights over it (laughs). One year for Christmas, I made everyone little gift certificates that I would personally make them bento lunchboxes and, no lie, every single one of my friends that got one tried to redeem it in like five minutes.
CHRIS: Halloween is drawing near and it will fall on a Saturday this year. What are your plans?
JACQUELINE: I got three words for ya: Halloween Horror Nights!
CHRIS: With that, I will thank you again for doing this with me, Jacqueline. In closing, any shout-outs to anyone?
JACQUELINE: Thank you to my friends. The people that I hold close to me, I try to keep my circle as small as possible. Thank you to my better half for putting up with me two years running now, and thank you to everyone; the directors, producers, and studios that have taken a chance on me. It means a lot that you took on a dork from Queens, New York!
JACQUELINE: Absolutely! To be honest, I’m a little surprised at how welcoming everyone in the indie horror, well, almost everyone in the indie horror community has been. There’s a thing of irony here my last name means beauty and what am I doing? I’m acting in scary movies.
CHRIS: Who, on either side of the camera, would you most like to work with in indie horror?
JACQUELINE: Curry Barker.
CHRIS: You also do voiceover work. Do you worry that AI, which has already put a lot of voiceover actors out of work, will continue to do so?
JACQUELINE: Not really. AI has its perks and it’s disadvantages as well.
CHRIS: Do you have any skills or hobbies only those close to you know about?
JACQUELINE: I love to cook anyone that knows me knows me. I am an absolute foodie and I’m obsessed with The YouTube channel People vs. Food. I actually make really good Korean barbecue. My friends have gotten into fights over it (laughs). One year for Christmas, I made everyone little gift certificates that I would personally make them bento lunchboxes and, no lie, every single one of my friends that got one tried to redeem it in like five minutes.
CHRIS: Halloween is drawing near and it will fall on a Saturday this year. What are your plans?
JACQUELINE: I got three words for ya: Halloween Horror Nights!
CHRIS: With that, I will thank you again for doing this with me, Jacqueline. In closing, any shout-outs to anyone?
JACQUELINE: Thank you to my friends. The people that I hold close to me, I try to keep my circle as small as possible. Thank you to my better half for putting up with me two years running now, and thank you to everyone; the directors, producers, and studios that have taken a chance on me. It means a lot that you took on a dork from Queens, New York!
See more of Jacqueline on Instagram and Facebook
About the author
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English, traveling, and covering the regional entertainment scenes. A former Xanga blogger ("Xangan"), Chris is still in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco. Besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the monthly magazine, Effective.
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