Denise Vasi revels in her role as a sexually abused prostitute on the rebound on the daytime soap opera “All My Children.” Portraying a woman who evolves from depravity to decency satiated the acting palate for the dazzling diva. There’s a synergy between Vasi’s professional and personal lives because she is very passionate about the fate of young girls. That is why she flew from her New York hometown to Atlanta to put star power behind the “Saving Our Daughters” national tour, which works to corral girls from the self-image problems and abuse that makes them vulnerable to societal predators.
“I came from a single-parent home so this means a lot to me,” the supermodel-turned-actress said at the book signing at Barnes & Noble. “I’m so amazed at the turnout and I’m really happy for everyone. Lot of daughters came here with their mothers and their fathers. And it shows a community coming together to support a great cause. It’s very important that daughters have a relationship with their fathers [and] with their sisters, to further our community.”
Vasi was a Long Island University finance and management student when she decided to go into modeling full time. The choice helped her pay for training in her first love, acting. Vasi’s arresting visage eventually graced the pages of ELLE, Marie Claire, GQ Italy and French-mag Clam. When Vasi auditioned and won a screen test for the coveted role of Randi, she tested opposite a living legend: Debbie Morgan.
“… I was nervous. And she was so sweet and so patient,” says Vasi, her hypnotic aquamarine eyes blazing with excitement. “It just has been such a pleasure. It came at an important time in my life. I was going through some changes. I was grateful for modeling, but it was time to move on. And even in my personal life, it was time to move on. And ‘All My Children’ was like [a] special blessing to me.”
Now as Randi Morgan, Vasi gets to fully immerse herself in the type of young woman that Vasi works to save in real life with Saving our Daughters. “She’s [Randi] opened up a lot more. What happens with abused women is that they tend to be very defensive and they don’t want any help, they don’t know how to ask for help. But they desperately they need it,” Vasi says, then adds: “It’s fun and it’s a lot of work.”
You can bet that Vasi’s work to help save young women will continue — both on and off the set.
–terry shropshire
