‘America’s Next Top Model’: Liz rocks the boat

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From the moment she stepped onto the show, Liz Williams, a 21-year-old Texan and mother of two, was the wild girl on this cycle of ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ She was still fairly tame by reality television standards — no two-day binges or wearing underwear on her head — but her witty comments and silly antics made Liz one of my favorites of this group, and her angular, androgynous looks endeared her to the judges. Her wry assessments of the challenges injected some humor in moments that would otherwise be weighed down by the collective anxiety of the contestants and the judges’ sense of self-importance.

Last night, Liz was finally eliminated for a less-than-flattering photo shoot, in which she was perched atop a boat while wearing a full skirt and cropped leather jacket in the sweltering midsummer heat. But even as Tyra told Liz to pack her bags and fly back home, she had some words of encouragement for Liz: ‘Remember, this is not the end of your modeling career,’ said Tyra.

And Liz seems to have taken the advice to heart. She’s got big plans to move back to L.A. and work as a television host one day. I talked to Liz on the phone about her big roller-skating commercial flop, her party girl image and why she was surprised that Chelsey called her a whiner.

It looked like you were really suffering in the last photo shoot. What happened?

There was so much going on, on top of the heat and the leather jacket. We were out there for so much longer than it shows us on TV. I couldn’t get comfortable. And the judges thought that we didn’t look like the part of the 17th century courtesan, which I hated. Of course we didn’t! The leather jacket threw it off. And none of the other girls had to deal with the jacket in the sun. It just wasn’t working out.

You were portrayed as a little bit of a partier in the house. Was that fair?

[Laughs] Yeah, I have a lot of personality. At home, I have two children and three jobs, so it’s certainly not always the case. When you’re abroad, you’re just there to enjoy yourself and do your best. Plus, Chelsey and I were the only girls old enough to drink, so it might have gotten played up a little.

In the last episode, Chelsey criticized you for complaining. How did you feel about that?

That was a shock to me. Living in the house with me, it didn’t seem that way at all. We talked all the time, listened to music together, rode the bus together. They didn’t show the whole thing. I was disappointed by all that they left out, how they edit it and change it up. It’s just little bits and pieces instead of the whole thing. But yeah, I wasn’t expecting that from her.

The week before y’all jetted to Italy, the judges took you to task for laughing through your commercial.

Oh, gosh, that was crazy! I am not very familiar with roller skating and haven’t done it for many years. They didn’t show how bad I was. I ran into the camera crew, knocked over water. I couldn’t stop laughing, but I laugh usually before I cry. I was doing everything in my power to prevent from crying.

What’s in store for you next?

I’m interested in television hosting for BET or MTV. I’m also interested in modeling for Shape magazine, Nike or Adidas. I’m moving soon, probably to Houston, and then back to California. Right now I’m finishing up school through an online program. I’m getting my architecture degree.

And, of course, who are you rooting for?

I have to represent for Texas and rooting for Ann and Chris. I’m thrilled that so many Texans got this far. And after that, probably Kayla. She takes great photographs.

— Margaret Eby

twitter.com/margareteby

Patrick Demarchelier / Pottle Productions Inc.