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Legal eagle to songbird

This Auckland lawyer followed her showbiz dream all the way to Hollywood

When Nadine Loren quit her job as a lawyer for the bright lights of Hollywood, she knew it was a huge risk. But five years after making the move, the 31-year-old is a top model, actress and musician, and rubs shoulders with some of Los Angeles’ biggest stars. “I’m so glad I took the plunge,” Nadine says. “I always had dreams to be a singer and an actress, but I became a lawyer because it’s a bit more stable.”

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Now Nadine has another achievement to add to her CV – a duet with the music legend previously known as Cat Stevens. The song, written by Cat ( now known as Yusuf Islam) and recorded last week, will feature on her second album. Nadine, who’s making a flying visit to New Zealand this month to promote her first album of folk-pop music, Living In Wonderland, says she has come a long way from her days in Auckland, juggling corporate law with her passion for the arts.

After being cast in a Hollywood comedy filmed in New Zealand, Without a Paddle, she knew in her heart it was time to take the plunge. Quitting her legal job and using all her savings, Nadine made the move to LA and began looking for work. Amazingly, she was signed by top model agency Ford soon after arriving. Before long, she was partying with celebrities like Drew Barrymore and starring as Colin Farrell’s girlfriend in the soon-to-be-released movie Crazy Heart.

She was then spotted singing in a New York restaurant by a music industry insider, who helped her sign with an independent label and cut her first album.  Nadine, who recently sang the US national anthem at a big baseball game between the LA Dodgers and the New York oets, says recording with folk legend Cat is definitely the personal highlight of her career so far. “The chance to work with him was amazing,” she says.

Although Nadine is now basing herself in the US, she says that she’ll always be a New Zealander at heart. “I’m amazed at how far I’ve come,” she says. “Having a Kiwi ‘can-do’ attitude is the motto I live by.”

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