Story by Stereo Williams
Photography by DeWayne Rogers
Styled by Darryl Brown
Makeup by Porsche Cooper
Hair by Ursula Stephen
Denise Vasi is truly happy.
The actress and model who broke through to mainstream television audiences on the long-running soap “All My Children” is returning as one of the principle stars on VH1’s “Single Ladies” — but this lady is no longer single. As the show gears up for its third season, Vasi is adjusting to her latest and greatest role: newlywed. Vasi married film director Anthony Mandler in October, and she says that tying the knot was not a huge priority for her until she met her future husband.
“I never really thought about marriage that much,” says Vasi. “Marriage just wasn’t my thing. I wasn’t the little girl who grew up thinking about the big wedding day. Then you meet somebody and all of that kind of changes.”
Vasi also explains why she feels fortunate that Mandler understands her job. “Lucky for me my husband is in the business,” she says. “He understands that when I’m on set making out with another guy, that’s my job. I’ve dated other guys who didn’t really understand how technical it is.”
But beyond understanding the dynamics of shooting a love scene, Vasi and Mandler have been able to come to an understanding in regard to juggling their busy careers and the life they are building together.
“We figured out a system where we both have to balance our careers with being married. He’s a director, so his job takes him all [kinds of] places. When I’m not shooting the show, basically I will follow his schedule and his travel itinerary. When I’m in Atlanta shooting, he comes out and he stays every four to 10 days. So we both work together to balance both of our careers with the marriage. We both get it. It doesn’t even seem difficult to compromise. It’s just how we live our lives. It’s not normal for my family or his family, because they’re not in the business. It seems exciting on the outside, but on the inside you just crave stability.”
