She may be one of the most recognisable faces in the Irish modelling scene, but Thalia Heffernan is so much more than meets the eye.
The Dublin native is Goss.ie’s Spotlight On cover star for January, and in this exclusive interview she opens up about her life changing year – which started with heartbreak and ended with her moving across the world.
Thalia was just 15 years old when she started modelling, and has since worked with huge brands like Louis Vuitton, H&M, and Diesel, to name a few.
While she initially found fame as a model, Thalia is also an influencer in her own right, with over 56.2k followers on Instagram.
Her stardom was further propelled in 2017, when she landed a spot on the first season of RTÉ’s Dancing With The Stars.
During her time on the show, Thalia struck up a romance with professional dancer Ryan McShane, which garnered plenty of media attention.
Now 28, Thalia has been in the industry for over 13 years, but in many ways she’s only just scratching the surface.
While her career has taken her to amazing places all over the world, Ireland has always been home.
However, that all changed in 2022 when Thalia decided to take the plunge and move to New York to pursue bigger opportunities, after signing with the world famous IMG Models.
Although she was heartbroken to leave her boyfriend Ryan and their beloved rescue dogs, Lennie and Charlie, behind – Thalia was determined to make her dream a reality.
While Thalia and Ryan navigated a long-distance relationship for months, the 28-year-old decided to end their relationship last January, after six years together.
Distracted by the fast-paced life of a model in the Big Apple, Thalia threw herself into work stateside and got to work with some amazing clients – but all was not what it seemed.
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In October 2023, Thalia announced that she was moving back to Dublin, admitting that the past year had “really taken a toll” on her, both mentally and physically.
Now living with her best friend Erica Cody and reunited with her Lurcher babies, the model is learning to prioritise herself as she looks forward to whats to come in 2024.
In this exclusive interview, Thalia reveals why she has no regrets over her decisions last year, and why she’s happy to be living a more “spontaneous” life.
The Dublin native also opens up about dating now that she’s single for the first time in years, and why she’ll “never say never” to an appearance on Love Island.
Getting candid about the cut throat nature of the modelling industry, and how she’s dealt with it from a young age, Thalia teases what’s to come next – whether that be a potential acting role, or her own fashion line.
Read our full chat with Thalia below:
So Thalia you’ve been in the industry a long time but I want to kick off this interview by going back to the beginning. How did you first get into modelling and was it something you always wanted to pursue?
“So I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s something I wanted to pursue. I never, ever thought that it would be something I could do. I was very tall, lanky, and a bit mad looking from quite a young age. And I think probably more than anything, people were like ‘you should get into modelling’. And I was like ‘oh, I don’t know’, and then I kind of thought about it.
“I was stopped a lot as a kid by, like, photographers or stylists, or people in the industry would often come up to me being like ‘would you ever think of modelling?’ And this is from the age of, like, 12 onwards. But I was in school, and my parents obviously wanted me to do well in school…
“But when fourth year came around, I was 14 turning 15, and I’d had another photographer stop me being like ‘you should go into this agency in Dublin’. So because it was fourth year, I was like, should I do it? And my mum was like ‘give it a go, you have a little bit of time to play with, see if you like it, and then we’ll revisit it.’
“So I went into the agency and it went really well. I’ll never forget walking up the steps. There was like four or five stairs up into Morgan the Agency, who I’m still with now, and every step felt like a mile. I was so nervous, I didn’t know what to do. It was just terrifying.
“My mum made me do it on my own. She was like ‘if you want to do this, it’s your responsibility, blah, blah, blah.’ Turns out my agent, the woman I was meeting, Rebecca, her mother was my mum’s modelling agent. So her mum managed my mum,” Thalia explained, before sharing that her mum didn’t tell her about the connection as she wanted her get signed without any help.
“So that’s kind of how it started. And I never thought it would really become something I would do forever, but I just got very lucky and I started travelling with it while I was in school. But I did stay in school and finish my Leaving Cert, and then the rest is history, I guess they say.”
The modelling industry is notoriously cut throat, how have you dealt with that over the years, especially at such a young age?
“I think it’s one of those things, it’s just all I know. I’ve been doing it so long now, there has been a lot of tough times and a lot of things that have happened in my career that wouldn’t be for the faintest of hearts, but you just kind of have to keep going and just roll with the punches.
“One of the best pieces of advice I have received was from one of my agencies, I don’t know if it was Rebecca or someone else, they said ‘Just because you’re not getting a job or a client says no, it doesn’t mean you’re not good enough, it just means that you’re not what they’re looking for.’ So I try and adopt that into every part of my life.
“Every ‘no’ isn’t like a direct result of myself or who I am. It’s just not the right time or not the right client. So if I’m in a good mood, it’s fine. If I’m in a bad mood, obviously it hurts a little bit more, but you just kind of have to keep going. And I’m very lucky that the yeses that I have got have brought me such amazing things. I just have to focus on the positive as opposed to the negative as much as I can. Again, easier said than done some days, but that’s what I try and do.”
“a lot of things have happened in my career that wouldn’t be for the faintest of hearts…”
And was there ever a particular time where something was said to you in a casting that made you think ‘why am I even doing this?’
“I mean, many, to be honest, I try not to think about them, I try not to kind of focus on them. I remember doing a job once and they were putting me in really tiny clothes, I was 19 or so at the time, and I just remember one of the stylists was being really rude about it, that the clothes didn’t fit me properly and stuff.
“But again, it’s not as bad now. When I first started out, it was a lot worse. I think now the industry has changed a lot, but there’s definitely been things said and done on set that people would find shocking. But again, it’s the industry I’m in, and you just have to learn to have a really thick skin and just get on with it, sadly. But it is the way it is.”
And have you ever considered giving it up at all?
“Yeah, I think it’s one of those things. The industry, it definitely has a shelf life. So there are days where I’m like ‘oh my god, I’ve been doing this for about 13 years now, when am I going to get a real job?’ Even though it’s very much a real job, I have these mad moments of panic where I feel like I need to do something else.
“But I do love my job and I know I’m good at my job, and the people I work with are so brilliant and so loyal that those days come and go, thankfully. But, I mean, I’m always open to new career possibilities and opportunities, and I would never say no to anything. I think when you’re a creative and you work for yourself, you’re never just one thing.
“I am a model, but I also do so many other things, and I think that’s the right mentality to have because it means that I’m not closing myself off. But for now, I’ve had a mad year, obviously, as you know, and I’m kind of just letting the new year come in and see what happens.”
Would you ever consider going into acting or something like that? Acting and modelling are obviously very different industries, but they do kind of go hand in hand.
“There are crossovers, for sure. You know what, in the last few months it has been definitely on my mind.
“I’d love to try go into that world a little bit more, but like I said, it’s just been such a mental twelve months, even six months, that I wanted to end 2023 accepting how much I’ve done. And then in the new year, kind of consider maybe some new avenues. But definitely acting is something I would not say no to.”
And as you mentioned, you experienced a lot of change this year. You moved back to Dublin from New York. Can you explain why you decided to come back?
“To be honest, I feel like the universe kind of made the decision for me. My visa was up, so I had to come home. And I came home, I had just got a new lease apartment and I was very much planning on moving back to New York. There was no part of me that was staying here. All my stuff was there.
“But when I came home… I think I’ve always called New York like my ‘cruel mistress’. And it’s like a toxic relationship, you know, she’s incredible when she’s incredible, but the downs are really hard. And in my industry, you need to kind of establish yourself in a city for quite a while before you start to work really well. And I was working really well and I had really good clients, but I just didn’t realise I was really burning out until I got home.
“And then my body just kind of started giving up on me. And I was like, okay, I need to really reflect and look at myself. And I just wasn’t well. I was really sick. Just a lot happened, and I had to make a decision very quickly to put myself first because I always put my career first and I always have done, but this time I just really needed to put myself first.
“And how I did that was making the pretty hard decision to come back to Dublin. And I’m really glad I made it now, but you know, there’s still times that I miss New York and the life I had there, and my friends, and you know it’s just a big change.”
“My body started giving up on me… I was really sick”
The modelling industry in Ireland is obviously much smaller than what it is in New York. How different was it over there?
“I mean, it’s exactly what you’d imagine. You’re dealing with one of the biggest industries in the world, the most incredible people and clients. And it was incredibly fun and I loved it. But there was a lot of days that it made me question my self-worth, which this industry can do.
“A lot happened in the year and a bit that I was there that was kind of out of my control, which is hard, because in an industry that’s so out of my control anyway, anything exterior just kind of adds to the pressure. So it was a really, really hard year. But there was also so many amazing things that I did. Like, I got to work with Victoria’s Secret, I got to walk for Louis Vuitton, I got to travel, I got to meet the most incredible people.
“And, you know, I often think that in the world of Instagram and social media, we see the ups and none of the pitfalls. And I always like to preface that the amazing things I did in New York were often followed with a lot of hard lows. You know, it’s never as beautiful or as pretty or as simple as you think it is.
“That’s why I always say that it costs nothing to be nice. You never know what people are going through. Even if things look amazing, you never know unless you walk in someone else’s shoes just exactly what they’ve been through or what they’re going through.”
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And would you ever consider moving back, or do you think that door is kind of closed?
“I’ll never say never, because you just never know what could happen. So right now, I’m home, but who knows where I’ll be in a month’s time? I mean, I’m definitely living by the spontaneous life at the minute, and I’m enjoying it, kind of just letting things happen as they do organically and seeing where it takes me.”
And speaking of change, you split from your longterm boyfriend Ryan McShane earlier this year. I’m sure that was really difficult to navigate while you were over and back to New York…
“I mean, a breakup is never easy, we were together a very long time. And it was just another kind of thing that happened last year that changed my whole life. But again, I have no regrets. I never want to have any regrets in my life, and I’m glad that I’m on the path I’m on now.
“But, yeah, breakups are never easy. Doing them across the continent isn’t great, but that’s what I chose to do. My friends all call me the Tasmanian devil because I just live in chaos. But no, it was one of those things. I’m happy to be living with my best friend back in Dublin, in our lovely house with my dogs.”
Thalia kept her split from Ryan under wraps for months until he made it public last July.
In response to an interview Thalia did with The Sunday Times, in which she praised him for being so supportive of her move to NYC, Ryan announced their breakup on Instagram.
At the time, he wrote: “In response to this article, I wish to set the record straight. Thalia ended the relationship with me in January and returned to New York. Just want to thank my friends and family for all the support given to me and the boys.”
Thalia remained silent about their split on social media, and while she was “hurt” by the way things played out, the model insisted she will never speak negatively about her ex.
Obviously breakups are hard anyway, but I’d say it’s even worse having to deal with it in the public eye with people messaging you about it on Instagram. How did you find that?
“Well, I’m not one to air my dirty laundry… I never want to talk negatively about an ex, and I don’t want to speak about my relationships in the press, it’s something I don’t do.
“So I kind of avoid it, and I will continue to avoid it, because no matter what happens in the relationship, in any relationship that I’ve been in, I always say that it’s a very personal experience, and I understand in the public eye people feel they have, not a right but people are part of the relationship, but when it comes to a breakup I keep my cards close to my chest out of respect.
“It’s never easy, and there was a couple of things done that were quite hurtful, but for myself, for my sake, and out of respect for the people that I loved at one point in my life, I try and keep things, you know, at home. I don’t like to talk about it too much.”
“Breakups are never easy… and there was a couple of things done that were quite hurtful”
Since relocating back to Ireland, Thalia and her two dogs have moved in with her best friend Erica Cody, and her precious pooch Bowie.
The popular musician also split from her longterm boyfriend last year, and the pair leaned on each other throughout their respective heartbreaks.
The BFFs, who met through a mutual friend back in 2018, have a lot in common including their shared love for animals, and the fact they have both appeared on Dancing with the Stars.
Speaking about her friendship with Erica, Thalia joked: “Well, we are basically in a relationship! Everyone says like ‘you broke up with your boyfriends and then just got together.’ No, Erica and I are, like, we call ourselves sisters more than friends. She’s kind of the sister that I chose.
“I think our roles in each other’s lives, particularly at the minute, are kind of integral. We got very lucky, and it happened at a really good time for both of us, for sure.”
I feel like you guys need some sort of reality show, like The Simple Life-esque…
“I always say we’re like The Simple Life! Honestly, like our house is absolute chaos. Anyone who comes into our house is just like, this isn’t real life. I’m like ‘oh, I’m sorry, but it very much is!’ It’s joyous, it’s great.
“I mean, I would never turn down a reality show. I feel like we would have a great time. It would be iconic. Anyone out there, we’re happy to oblige if anyone has any ideas. But yeah we have fun for sure.”
And now that you’re single, are you back on the dating scene yet? How have you been finding it?
“I’ve been dating, yeah. I mean, it’s funny because I’ve always been in relationships since I was like 15, so my first ever dating experience was in New York. So that was manic, like dating in New York is exactly what you’d imagine it to be, it’s just a whole different universe…
“So I kind of got it out of my system over there where now that I’m home, I wouldn’t say I’ve closed off, I guess I’m not dating as much as I was because I’m kind of just happy to be honest, and I’m really loving being at home with my boys and my family.
“I wanted to introduce this new year with myself, and I’m really happy I’m doing that because I think it’s just been a really big year and a lot has happened, both positively and negatively, and I feel like entering the new year with my dogs in my house with my best friend is the right thing to do. It feels right.
“Boys, as great as they are, right now I’m not into anything too serious… I’m not shutting anything off, but I’m also… Yeah, I’m dating. We’ll just say that. She’s a single girl living her life!”
“My first ever dating experience was in New York – it’s just a whole different universe”
So now that you’re single, if the opportunity ever came up for you to go on the likes of Love Island, would you do it?
“Oh, I don’t know! Again, I never say never. I’m not going to shut anything down. Yeah, I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it I guess. Even though I am single now for the first time, sometimes I forget I’m single because I’ve never been single. And then I’m like ‘oh, you actually have to actively find someone now, Thalia’.
“So maybe, I mean, it’s been nearly a year that I’ve been single. I think this is the longest I’ve ever been single. There’s definitely moments that I’m like, it would be kind of nice to find love again, so you never know. I don’t know how to go about it. So maybe that’s the right place? I don’t know.”
So, aside from love life then, you seem to be on a really great path in terms of your career. You’re saying that 2024 is going to be really busy. So what’s next for you in the pipeline?
“Right now I’m just really digesting the last year. I’m really trying not to pressure on myself, and for the first time I’m putting myself ahead of my career. In saying that the girl never takes a day off, so I think I’ll probably do a bit more travelling again in Europe this time.
“So I used to obviously work a lot in London and Germany, and I’m probably going to revisit that relationship, those relationships, and see what else is out there. Like I said, I’m opening myself up to more opportunities and seeing where that takes me, trying not to close any doors. And who knows? Who knows?
“I feel like 2024 could be the year of growth and change for me. I just don’t have a definitive answer just yet to what that might be, but I’m definitely opening up to some possibilities and some opportunities and I’m excited for them.”
And aside from modelling, you’re obviously an influencer in your own right as well. So would you ever consider launching your own brand or something? Maybe your own fashion line?
“I mean, yes, I would love that. And I’m not going to say anything too much, but there’s definitely a few plans in the works. I’ll say that.”
You have already achieved so much at such a young age, so looking back what has been the highlight of your career to date?
“Great question. I mean, I’ve been to some of the most amazing places thanks to my career. I’ve got to see the world. I’ve got to experience so many different cultures and amazing things.
“Like being flown out to Miami to walk for Louis Vuitton only a few months ago… It was one of those moments where I really turned around and went ‘oh, you’re doing the thing’. And living in New York, living in Germany, being in Australia, I never like to kind of say there’s one pivotal moment because every single job lends itself something new to me. So everything has kind of its own role.
“Like, even the jobs that no one likes doing, like my e-comm jobs and things that I have to do just to kind of pay the bills, those opportunities I get to meet such amazing people.
“I do really love my job. It’s been such a huge part of my life and I’m really thankful for it. But, yeah, I think the travelling and the things I got to do, like, the people I got to meet in New York would just blow your mind. And that’s something I’ll always be so thankful for.
“I just feel very lucky to have lived the life I’ve lived so far, and I’m excited to see what 2024 brings me, to be honest.”
And looking back, are there any major low points that you can think of?
“How much time have you got?” she laughed. “Yeah, I often think when you’re a creative and you work in an industry like we do, you’re opening yourself up to a lot of potential, setbacks as well as positives, because with all the positives come the negatives.
“And in an industry like mine, you’re really opening yourself up to a lot of pressure. Like every single day I’m on the line for what I look like, and it can be quite scary, and the lows of that can be quite low. But without risk, there’s no reward.
“Moving home from New York was such a heartbreaking time for me because I felt like I was leaving my friends and family and this new life that I decided to live. And I broke ties with a lot of things here in Dublin to make that move and make that change. So that was a big low, but then it’s just one of those things.
“I do believe that in order to feel the highs, you have to feel the lows, and it can be a hard pill to swallow but sometimes you just have to accept that.”
“in order to feel the highs, you have to feel the lows”
And what advice, looking back, do you wish you could give your younger self?
“I think I always say, and I mean it’s probably a bit cliché, but ‘this too shall pass’ is something my mum has always said to me and my sisters through tough times. And, yes, it is a cliché, obviously, but it’s so true. Because things are fleeting in life, but one thing that we don’t get back and the one thing that we have that’s precious is time. And time heals all wounds.
“It sometimes feels like forever, and that could be damaging and it could be really frustrating, but time absolutely heals all wounds. And no matter how hard your day is, and the next day, everything gets easier, slowly but surely, and just to live in the moment more.
“Even though things can be hard, sometimes the hardest things are the best lessons. So I always try to try and kind of take lessons from everything I experience, even if it’s hard, because you won’t be the person you are without every single experience you experience in life. If that makes sense.”
And do you have anything left on your bucket list – professional and personally?
“I mean, I’ve never been a bucket list person. The more I think about it, the more I’m like, maybe I should be? I don’t have like specific things in mind, but I definitely want to live more, and do things for myself.
“Like I said I’m choosing myself, not over my career, but I’m putting myself first a lot at the minute. And it’s really a nice feeling. And I do think with that comes a lot of opportunities. So I guess just to live more in the moment. Yolo it out. Yeah, just have fun. That’s my new motto.”
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I think it’s so important to say things like that though, because I think especially in our industry in general there’s so much pressure to be this get-up-and-go, ambitious person. And that’s all well and good, but if your head isn’t okay, then what’s the point?
“Exactly. And like I said, I think a lot of us are similar in that we make excuses for things just to keep going. And I think a lot of us have experienced that. The stuff that happens, if you just keep going and you don’t give yourself a chance to heal or to grow, it’s never a good thing for anyone involved.
“So, yeah, I think that 2024 is the year of trying new things, experiencing new things, living life, and just doing things for me and having a good time doing them.”
And that kind of leads me to my next question. So we obviously talked about you experiencing a lot of change in 2023, so looking back on the year, what are your hopes for 2024?
“My hopes for 2024. I hope that the people I love have an amazing year. I hope that… I’m just happy. I don’t really want to put pressure on myself this year, and that’s kind of one big thing is, like I said, choosing happiness and fun and joy over too much pressure.
“But I just really hope for a peaceful year, for the world, for my friends, my families, the ones I love. And a bit of fun! I’m ready for a bit of fun, not that I haven’t been having fun, Lord knows I have. But, yeah, I want to continue to have fun and peace. I think we’re all just ready for a new year.”
And my final question then. Where do you hope to see yourself five years from now?
“Right now, I don’t know. I think as long as I’m healthy and happy and the people I love around me are healthy and happy, I could be in the middle of the bloody ocean for all I care as long as everyone is okay.
“I think we’ve seen so much heartbreak this year, and it’s put into perspective a lot of things, I think, for a lot of people, and for me in particular, I just think I really hope for peace, health, happiness and prosperity for everyone, for the planet, for the world.
“And if that’s where I’m at in five years, if I could see a peaceful planet, a happy place that we could all live in and feel at least somewhat safe in, that would be where I want to see myself.”
