Cara Delevingne

Is there anything Cara Delevingne can’t do? One minute the British supermodel is being hailed as the next Kate Moss and the next critics are foreseeing a fruitful future for her as an actress to be reckoned with, lauding her as ‘a real find’ thanks to her standout performance in Paper Towns.

Then there’s her foray into the music world, recording a duet with her Chanel campaign co-star Pharrell. And don’t even get us started on her social media domination, counting a trifling 16.3 million Instagram followers amongst her fans.

Starring in her first substantial lead role as impetuous school girl Margo Roth Spiegelman in the new big screen adaptation of John Green’s Paper Towns, Cara Delevingne is convincing cinemagoers that there’s a lot more to her than just being a pretty face, with Variety critic, Justin Chang, going as far as saying, “on the evidence of her work here, this striking actress is here to stay”.

Cara stars as Margo in Paper Towns

Cara stars as Margo in Paper Towns

Margo was a “dream” role for Cara and one that she fought for, eschewing less meaty roles as “a Swedish or British model… that always die” – in favour of something she could really get her teeth stuck into. Not to mention a character she could relate to. Of her character in the Jake Schreier directed drama (The Fault in our Stars author John Green wrote the novel of the same name), Cara says: “I identify with the way she is having fun and causing chaos,” adding, “I never try to cause chaos and nor does Margo. She creates a strong reaction all around her without even meaning to.”

Cara pulling one of her infamous faces with a fellow model

Cara pulling one of her infamous faces with a fellow model

This statement rings even truer in light of Cara’s most recent television interview to promote the film. In an uncomfortable video chat with the hosts of Good Day Sacramento, Cara has been criticised for being moody with her barbed answers (“No, I didn’t read the book or the script”) not going down well with the hosts who expressed their frustration after the interview came to a premature end, “You make US$5m for six weeks’ worth of work, you can pretend to talk to Good Day Sacramento with some oomph,” said one host afterwards. But maybe the (irritatingly) upbeat American hosts just didn’t get the British star’s deadpan humour.

The model/actress /singer is known for her high jinks

The model/actress /singer is known for her high-jinks

And therein lies Cara: the star, who turns 23 this month (August 12), sings from her very own kooky hymn sheet, refusing to kowtow to anyone. We’ll never be 100 per cent sure whether she’s talking about the film’s protagonist, or herself when she says, “She’s an extremely free spirit. She cannot be caged in… by anyone.”

Cara’s now infamous interview: Were the hosts attacking her or was Cara being a brat?

Cara on fame: “It’s the weirdest thing in the world”

Cara on the type of roles she’ll be pursuing: “I want to continue playing strong female characters. I want to be a strong role model for girls”

Cara on her style: “I love comfort. Comfort is very key to me because I spend most of my time in very uncomfortable things, so it’s all about trainers and flats.”

 

Five things you didn’t know about Cara

* Cara made her modelling debut for Vogue Italia with photographer Bruce Weber at the age of 10

* Joan Collins is her godmother

* Her middle name, Jocelyn, is a tribute to her late grandfather, Sir Jocelyn Stevens

* Cara’s older sister, Chloe, is training to be a doctor after studying biomedical sciences at University College London

* Growing up she wanted to be Hannah Montana

Everyone say "aah!" Cara posted this baby photo of herself on Istagram with the caption: "Current mood"

Everyone say “aah!” Cara posted this baby photo of herself on Istagram with the caption: “Current mood”

What you will learn from the August issue

The heat is on – stick with us and you’ll survive the summer.

The rise of Islamic State (ISIS) has displaced over 3.3 million people in Iraq alone, with over 5,000 Yazidi women and girls taken as slavesEW speaks to the ones who managed to escape.

How our small screen female idols have evolved.

Why shoe connoisseur Manolo Blahnik is totally over quinoa.

For the full interview buy the August issue of Emirates Woman, out on newsstands now.

 

EW_Mini_COVER_Aug2015

The Back to School Issue of Emirates Woman mini is also out now (free with Emirates Woman):

Learn about the changing face of early years education and how to pick a nursery in the UAE that’s best suited to your child’s needs.

It’s true: long spells cooped up indoors can affect your family’s health.

Plus tips on getting all your ducks in a row before the new term starts.