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Claudia with Alan Houston and Wu-Tang Clan's Power, on the set of Black & White | Photo: Steve Azzara

-- I'm very much still focused on my modeling career. Acting is an addition. --

MODELS.com: So Ms Schiffer, what is it about acting that makes you want to leave the comfort of the fashion world and risk your credibility.

Claudia: I'm not leaving the fashion world actually. I'm very much still focused on my modeling career. Acting is an addition. I'm not pursuing one at the expense of the other. If there's a wonderful role available then I'm certainly going to do it. What we do is in terms of my fashion jobs, is that we move the dates around so that everything fits. I'm still, for instance, under contract to L'Oreal. But the thing is I've been modeling for 10 years now. Very rarely is there something new, you know, a new situation . I mean I'm not nervous when I walk onto the set for a photo-shoot because there is very little that's going to happen that hasn't happened before. But doing a movie, it's all new. It's exciting. Modeling is always going to be interesting to me and I truly love doing it but acting ...it's exciting for me. It's challenging.

M: Well looking back, how do you feel about your performance in "Black and White"

C: I...I always think I can be better. You know I'm always critical so I always see things that I could have done better and I say to myself, next time I'll have to work to improve this thing, or that element but I don't feel as if I embarassed myself.

M: You certainly didn't. Your character Greta is a very interesting woman..very clinical..and aloof and calculating. Did she frighten you?

C: Oh yes Very much so... It was difficult... because to play a role you really have to identify and relate to the character but this character was so unlike me in the sense that, she only sees what she wants. She wants what she wants. She doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. She dumps her boyfriends the moment they display any sign of weakness... What helped me to understand how to play this role was that she had a very clear, a very honest motto and that was "You have to be true to yourself". Do things that feel right for you. Do what feels good for you. Follow your instinct. That's very pure and honest and I believe that, so that was how I connected to my character.

M: Then given the fact that your part was improvised...

C: (Laughs) You thought the worst? No actually, my scenes were scripted. I mean they were only given to me the night before my scenes because James would actually be writing them even as we were filming. I requested that because I prefer some preparation. I mean I like improv work. Three years ago I did a film with Abel Ferrara callled "Blackout" and that was mainly improv. But I like that element of preparation.