“Flying the first class. Up in the sky. Poppin’ champagne. Livin’ the life. In the fast lane. Gold and diamonds rings. Chaperons and limousines. Shopping for expensive things…” Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson pretty much summed it up in her hit song, Glamorous.

Welcome to the life of Donna Spangler. She lives an enviable lifestyle that most only dare to dream about. For those with an insatiable appetite into the lives of the “rich and famous” and the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood lifestyle, Donna Spangler offers a glimpse into that world. She’s surrounded herself with opulence, wealth and high-class society. But below the surface of this seductive lifestyle, there is so much more to this exquisite blonde beauty. She’s an actress, model, author, spokesperson, socialite, beauty, and fitness expert.

As such, it becomes strikingly apparent that Donna’s achievements are multitudinous. Donna Spangler is indeed a living testament that the contemporary woman of today’s society can in fact have it all. Through her ambitious nature, determination, strong work ethic, confidence, charisma, and dedication, she has proven that women can undeniably be as successful as men, while still embracing the differences between the sexes and maintaining a woman’s femininity. She’s appeared in a plethora of films and television shows, including Matilda, Forces of Evil, Guns, Dinosaur Valley Girls, In Living Color, and Blossom, as well as having written and produced her own projects: Space Girls in Beverly Hills and the popular web series, SCANDALS, in particular.

Donna has successfully demonstrated her creativity in her works desire. This former Playboy model disproves the stereotypical view of the blonde bombshell. In her 2009 best-selling book, The Princess Formula: How to Get a Rich Man, she offers guidance and advice to women for finding the perfect man who is “rich in spirit and heart” while offering financial stability. She asserts her “princess” philosophy that a woman can still be independent and be a “princess” at the same time. As an author, Donna has also written on subjects, such as beauty, fitness and the Hollywood lifestyle, which have appeared in many magazines and numerous internet websites, earning the title of the “go to expert”. It can be said that Donna is on a mission to encourage empowerment in women, through her provocative and insightful views, knowledge and advice.

In essence, Donna epitomizes the strong, successful, ambitious woman of today. So, it’s no wonder that many are fascinated and intrigued by this multi-talented woman. In fact, it can be said that this intrigue has led to Donna Spangler being considered as the one to follow for the latest trends in the Hollywood lifestyle.

Natalie: Donna, you are an actress, filmmaker, model, spokesperson, author, socialite, fitness, lifestyle, and beauty guru. In fact, you could be considered a woman that can do it all. How important is it in today’s society for a woman to be multi-talented in order to prove that women can be as successful as their male counterparts?

Donna: A woman does not have to do everything under the sun. I just happen to like to learn and partake in a variety of things. However, I think that it is more important to find something you like or love and become really good at it.  If you do well in one area and have persistence, this is the key to success! It is the person who keeps going no matter what that ultimately attains their goals.  It does not matter man or woman at this point.

 

Natalie: Throughout history, blonde sex symbols such as the legendary Marilyn Monroe and blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson, in particular, are often stereotyped as being the “”blonde bimbo”.  How difficult do you think it is for the stereotypical blonde sex symbol to break away from the societal biases, particularly in the entertainment industry?

Donna: I think people in general all have stereotypes about everything on the planet, so you can’t control that. But it is then up to you to break any image that you think follows you if you do not want to get stuck in a particular stereotype.  Marilyn Monroe lived by the sex symbol image and seemed to embrace the image for her persona. However, we now know that she was much more than that. It was unfortunate that she died young and possibly before she could transition like many good actresses do.

As you get more experienced and mature you must demand and will receive the opportunities to show off different sides of who you are, and what you can be and achieve.  Other sex symbols have proven they can step out of the mould to become more seriously looked at, such as Grace Kelly, Carol Lombard, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, and other old time actors.  One actress that stands out in my mind is Farrah Fawcett, who was a huge sex symbol in Charlie’s Angels, and put out a poster that became legendary.  She later changed her image with a dramatic role in The Burning Bed. Cameron Diaz started out as a sex symbol and went on to do a plethora of successful comedies. Jenny McCarthy was a Playmate and went on to comedy and success in many shows.

Do I think it is difficult? I have to say it can be difficult but it is not impossible and today if you can become famous one way, you can reinvent yourself another way. If you believe you can do it so will others!

Natalie: Donna, you have been referred to as the “Beverly Hills Barbie”. Do you believe that this title or stereotype, to better term it, did in fact make it even more difficult for you to be taken seriously in not only Hollywood, but in the male-dominated business world?  

The first time I heard the comment was from a little girl that ran over to her mother and said “Mommy, there’s the real live Barbie”, and she pointed to me. I have had numerous people refer to me this way for my physical likeness to the Barbie.  I actually take this as a compliment because she has been one popular doll over the years.  Barbie has been very successful and is still in existence being sold all over the planet, which says a lot.

Regarding being taken seriously, I can say in some ways it may be better to be underestimated because when people see what you are capable of, then it blows them out of the water.  Again people will think what they want and as you know the world has changed a great deal and will change more and more in the future. The amount of women in the workforce is almost equal to men.  There will probably be a female president in the future.

For me personally, I do not feel this type of stigma because I don’t let it become part of my reality. If you believe in yourself others will also.

I have seen all types of business models. Some are successful and some fail. I have also learned to make business decisions based on what I believe will work for me. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. I am not into get rich quick schemes.  Although investing has risk, wealth is acquired through investing and planning.

Natalie: Donna, would you say that you have found this to be one of your biggest obstacles that you have had to overcome in Hollywood? 

Donna: Being an attractive female is not an obstacle unless you treat it as such. Beauty, intelligence, grace, style, persistence, and most important confidence! I look at any of these as attributes and strengths. I am creative in many ways and my biggest obstacle has been trying to hone in my desires to do so many things that I find myself bouncing back and forth with time constraints.  I have learned to focus on each project with a vigour, and make sure it gets finished even if it takes years. The biggest obstacle is lack of persistence!

Natalie: What do you think is at the forefront of issues surrounding gender and femininity ideals?

Donna: Every society needs roles to function properly. There is a leader and rules to keep people safe.  There are laws to help keep us healthy and help prevent others from taking advantage unfairly.  We see this even in tribes where each has a role and a purpose.  It is important to have a purpose in life.

I think the world has done some dramatic changes, many for the better and some for the worse. Our roles as female and male were clear cut before the feminist movement.  Men were expected to do certain things and women were expected to do other things, in order to keep the family unit together.

In the recent years, our roles have been changing so that many women are the bread winners of families both single and not. There are numerous divorces. Some women are now earning more than their husbands. Some women, however, are struggling just to survive.

The fact of the matter is that females and males have dating rituals that have been ingrained in our being. Males hunt and females typically nurture. Males have different parts than females. They have more testosterone, etc. Females and males are different but meant to complement each other. We should not be in competition, as both sexes are a vital part of our existence as a human race, with the obvious differences stated. I believe that our fundamental beings are best served by respecting these differences. In the not so distant past, men were the head of the household and had a certain level of control, which has thankfully been redistributed because of resistance from women (feminist movement), change in laws and social morals.

Some believe that just because we as females demand equal rights as human beings, we also want to lose those social graces that were expected of a man and a woman in the past.  This is not true of most females. Even if a female wants to work, she wants to feel feminine by getting these gestures from the man. Unless the female is emotionally disturbed, she typically gets joy out of having a man ingratiate her with social politeness, including opening of doors, flowers, gifts, dinner, etc.  A man actually gets something out of doing these things for a woman. It gives him a sense of purpose.

Natalie: In the quest for sexual autonomy, some women nowadays still believe that in order to compete with men, a woman needs to sacrifice their femininity.

Donna, what is your view or belief on this subject? And as such, why do you believe that some women may feel this way? 

Donna: If a woman asserts herself in a traditionally male-dominated workplace in a position that is typically done by a man, then she can be called a “bitch”, the man a boss. This can be quite frustrating.  She needs to be firm, make proper decisions and not be a bitch for the sake of exerting her power, while not backing down for the wrong reasons. There must be a balance.

Females should not sacrifice their femininity in order to compete with anyone. This is ridiculous!  You can be a strong woman and be feminine.  In some instances, I have actually witnessed more resistance from women than men these days.  More and more men are supportive of women in the workplace.

Natalie: Donna, you have posed for Playboy magazine on several occasions. What made you agree to pose for Playboy versus other men’s entertainment magazines, such as Penthouse or Hustler? 

Donna: I thought Playboy was very classy. It always had themes that the girls were put into that were more of a fantasy style. The girls all looked glamorous, minus the raunchy feeling that some of the other magazines displayed.

Natalie: Did you feel that it was liberating as a woman to pose for such a magazine?

Donna: I felt doing Playboy was very liberating, because no man told me I couldn’t. It also gave me a chance to shoot with some of the top glamour photographers at the time. I had fun with it!

Natalie: Donna, you attracted the attention of BBC producers, and was subsequently profiled in the documentary, Secret Map of Beverly Hills as well as many German TV shows What do you believe it is about yourself and your lifestyle that fascinates people? 

Donna: My life in Beverly Hills and the various things that I do fascinate people from other areas and parts of the world, because I represent a life that they do not experience, with the glamorous setting and mystery of Beverly Hills and Hollywood lifestyle and what it represents.

Natalie: Donna, you studied psychology at UCLA. Psychology being the scientific study of behavior in humans. How has your knowledge in this area given you a greater insight into relationships between men and women? 

Donna: The academic studies helped me recognize insights into relationships between men and women, but the strongest insights come with practical knowledge and experience in the real world. Both intertwined given the strongest revelations of these insights.

Natalie: Donna, you have stated “Although women like to be independent…they also want to be taken care of by their mate…they want someone who is stronger than themselves. Independent women don’t want to take care of their men, they don’t want to split expenses. They can have a roommate for that”. Do you feel that some women are still afraid to admit that they yearn for not only financial security from a man, but also emotional and physical support, as they believe that it is a betrayal to the women that had fought so long and hard for equality?

Donna: Some women are afraid to admit that they yearn for physical, emotional and financial support from a man.  I think we fought for certain rights and we should have those rights. But we should also have the right to do what we want with our life, be a mother or not, pose nude or not, be able to do things or not do things for our man. We should not feel bad for our man opening a door, buying us dinner, giving us a gift, showering us with love and affection, telling us how awesome we are, or supporting us on anything that we want to do.  When it comes down to it, if your partner does not contribute to your life, then why is he in it?  I do believe we should surround ourselves with positive supportive and loving people.  Let the man feel good by doing for you also. The more he does, the better he feels like he is contributing to your life and this makes him happy on many levels.

Natalie: Donna, some have argued that your so called “princess philosophy” which asserts that every woman that wants to be a “princess” can find a rich prince, undermines equality and is demeaning to women. But you argue that you are in fact saying that women deserve “ultimate respect, absolute support and deep appreciation” from the men that are lucky enough to have these women in their lives.

In your opinion, why do you believe that some women still feel that they cannot be a princess and be an independent woman at the same, and as such have to choose one over the other and as such cannot be both? 

Donna: Some females do not feel they deserve to be treated in such a manner for whatever deep reason. They make excuses why it’s bad.  Is it bad for a man to love you and want to protect and share his good fortune with you? If a man has something to give and the woman does not want to take it, what does it say about her?  It is her choice to accept or reject. It empowers a man to give which is an ego fulfilling act for him, but that is okay. We all make choices on what we think will make us feel good and be best for us. The whole point is to be able to complement each other as a man and woman can.

Natalie: Donna, what do you say to the women who challenge or reject your “princess philosophy”?

Donna: It’s okay if they want to reject or accept it. Everyone has their own mind and should be allowed to use it.  Those women should use whatever means that works for them.

Natalie: Donna, you have written the best-selling book, The Princess Formula: How to Get a Rich Man, which has been well received not only in the United States, but also in Australia, New Zealand and Europe, as well as having been published in several different languages worldwide. This is quite indicative of women of all nationalities wanting to be treated like a princess and obtain all the so called “royalties” that come with it.

How does your book empower women to go after what they want, and disregard societal pressures that has evolved from the subservient teachings of the stereotypical 1950s housewife, to the staunch women’s libber in contemporary society today? 

Donna: There has to be a happy medium in all this, because if you are too independent it is hard to carry on a relationship with a man. It makes him feel good if he is able to contribute to your life’s happiness. If you take this away from him, then you are taking away those elements that have been ingrained in him from the evolution of mankind. It makes him happy to be able to do those manly things. Our power as women is that a man is attracted to those feminine aspects of who we are. We can be strong and feminine. This is sexy. Relationships are partnerships in a way.

Natalie: Donna, what do you consider to be the greatest attribute that a woman can possess?

Donna: Compassion, understanding and perseverance.

Natalie: Donna, did you ever find it difficult to succeed in a man’s world?

Donna: On one hand, I have to say yes. However on the other hand, many smart successful men will support females in the workplace.  There is always clicks in every walk of life, not just the male thing. I just embrace it and make the best of it.

Natalie: Donna, you appeared in many films and television series, such as Matilda, Forces of Evil, Guns, Dinosaur Valley Girls, In Living Color, and Blossom. However, you decided to take charge of your own career and create many of your own projects. How important do you believe it is for an actress to be the architect of her own career? 

Donna: I decided that it is most important to take charge of your own career. No one know you better than yourself.  By creating projects that you are passionate about with characters that you want to play, is one of the best ways to push your career forward.

If you are unable to write, then you can get someone who can write and partner up with them or look for scripts that fit your needs and try to make a deal with the writer.  In this way, you are being proactive and will probably have a great time doing it.

Natalie: Donna, many of your projects, in particular Space Girls in Beverly Hills and the web series, SCANDALS, focus on the lifestyle in Hollywood. What is it about the Hollywood lifestyle that you find so appealing? 

Donna: Hollywood, the Beverly Hills lifestyle seems universally appealing to people all over the world, because it denotes glitz and glamour which takes them into a place which for some is fantasy.

Natalie: It can be said that some women think that chivalry is dead. However, you have been fortunate enough to have found your very own “prince”. So, it’s fair to say that you would most likely disagree with this notion. Do you think it is more difficult to find love and long-lasting relationships, especially in Hollywood among the so called “rich and famous”? 

Donna: I think it is a challenge to find love and long lasting relationships these days period, because of all of the external factors involved in life. It is a challenge for the “rich and famous”, as well as the average Joe. ‘The Rich & Famous”, however, have even more pressure on them because they have lots more choices than the average person. They are under a microscope, yet have the same issues as everyone else regarding relationships.

Relationships take lots of dedication and work, and few are willing to put the effort into this. The honeymoon period is great, but after that if the couple is not completely dedicated to making the relationship work and thrive by making adjustments, then the relationship is not going to last. The relationship has a chance if the couple learns to keep an open line of communication, respect and dedication to making their relationship work.  I do think the positive thing, is that people are getting married later nowadays. So, they are more mature and in tune with what they want which helps.

Natalie: Donna, how difficult would you say it is for the woman of today to find a man that is “rich in spirit and heart” and is able to provide “financial stability”? 

Donna: Everything good in life can be difficult but not impossible. Nothing is perfect, but if you can get someone that is solid, loves you, shows you respect and wants to share their life with you, then that is wonderful. There are lots of great guys out there that could fit that bill.  There are also lots of guys that can’t. You just need to recognize the good ones and give them a chance!

Natalie: Donna, how important do you believe it is for a woman to achieve her own success, and ultimately establish her own identity away from that of her partner? 

Donna: I think it is important to have your own thing going on no matter what, with or without a man. It is important to have your own nest egg in case something happens, that you need to sustain yourself.  Things happen in life and you need to be prepared no matter what. The more assets you have saved for yourself, the safer you will feel.  Also, your partner will respect you for it.  In the back of his head, he will know that he can’t take advantage of you because you have financial options.

Even if you do something to make money part-time or work from the home, it will help secure self-esteem and purpose.

Natalie: Donna, in addition to modeling for Playboy, you have also worked as a bikini and workout model posing for many calendars, posters, billboard campaigns, catalogues, campaigns and commercials. Seeing as your work as a model was contingent on you maintaining the perfect body and face, how dedicated and disciplined did you need to be in order to continue your success in this line of work? 

Donna: I personally work very hard to keep myself looking good. I eat well, workout regularly, and do whatever maintenance it takes to protect what I have!  Everyone ages but if you fight it every step of the way, then you will look and feel better longer!

Natalie: Donna, you’ve emphasized the importance of beauty, fitness and lifestyle for women. In fact, your mantra states that, “When you take care of yourself on the outside it shows that you care about yourself on the inside”. How do women that believe that they need to be the caregivers and ultimately must put the needs of others above themselves, be encouraged to take of their body, soul and mind? 

Donna: It is important to take care of your loved ones. But if you are not taking care of yourself first, you are doing your loved ones a disservice. You need to be healthy, happy and fit to keep up with all of these challenges. If you put the needs of others before yourself, you will end up suffering.

Natalie: Donna, you can indeed be considered as a very strong, ambitious, independent and confident woman. How important is self-esteem and self-belief to a woman in achieving or ascertaining all her desires, needs and wants?

Donna: Self-esteem and self-belief are essential in achieving anything in life. If you don’t think you are worthy and deserve the best in life then no one else will.  I believe everyone needs a purpose in life, so find out what that is.

Natalie: Do you think that men respect strong, independent women?  

Donna: Yes, I do think men respect strong, independent women. However, the woman must find time to spend with their partner as a feminine woman.  If they act so strong that they overshadow their partners, then this is not good. Rich men are typically very strong men anyway.

 

Natalie: Describe a typical day in the life of Donna Spangler. Is it all about the glamour, the parties and the red carpet? 

Donna: There is plenty of glamour in my life. However, it is not all about glamour and parties. I have challenges in life like everyone else. I have ups and downs. I can’t complain though, because I feel that I am blessed. I take care of eight cats that I rescued, and even though I have help with cat litter cleaning and other cat stuff, I find myself taking care of them like a mother would with their children. They really rely on me, and I love them! If they get sick, I am the one who needs to take care of them.  They eat lots of food…take lots of poops and pee. They all want attention, they fight, etc. There is plenty of family drama that I am exposed to from time to time, and life’s everyday challenges that need to be dealt with.

Training: I weight train three times a week and take Taekwondo two times a week. I try to get in cardio as much as I can three times a week, but should do more.  I make sure I keep up my diet with lots of vegetables and lean meats. I try to cut out sugar, except for fruit.

Beauty Regimen: I do regular beauty maintenance. Hair, skin top to bottom, etc. every day I have a routine that ends with cleansing my face, putting on moisturizer or retinol cream and a lash enhancer. I use RevitaLash.

Beauty Lifestyle Writing: I have a beauty regimen that I follow along with testing new products for beauty both natural and store bought.  I write about them on It’s a Glam Thing and LA Splash.com.

Entertainment Industry: I write and create and act in indie films. My goal is to produce three per year!  We are in post-production on a feature called “The House of Lizzie Borden”. The first cut is really scary, and that is without sound effects and music.

When I am working on a project it usually takes my day of acting or planning a shoot or doing a shoot. On days that I am not involved in any sort of physical production, it is a variation of work glamour and play.

My days usually start with cat care and some sort of early workout. After that, I have to make sure I eat protein to maintain muscle.  I may go out to lunch or have a business lunch meeting. I often have several meetings each week regarding my entertainment industry projects. In addition, I have to make decisions on what to do for the projects that I am working on and how to present them in a way that will be profitable.

When I come back, I then take time to write, test new beauty products, set up more meetings and direct my assistant on what I need done for the day or week. I oversee the handling of finances regarding my life bills paid, property issues, etc.

Later, I may have a doctor’s appointment, a hair appointment or a facial. This varies depending on the day and what I feel needs to be done.

Two evenings a week I have a Taekwondo class for cardio and focus.

In the evening, I may attend an event, function or dinner. Some of them are red carpet, so if that is the case I need to make sure my hair and makeup look its best. Sometimes I get my makeup and hair done, so I would have to allow time during the day to fit that in if I don’t have time I do it myself, as I have years of training from doing modeling.

I always try to do a bit of networking at the functions. So, in essence I am always working when I am out socially.

I try to get in fairly early and limit or omit alcohol for the most part so that I can keep up my rigorous workouts and health routines. Sleep is key to a strong body and mind.

Again, some days or weeks vary and every day is slightly different, but I think you get the idea.

Donna’s Official Website

Donna’s Film & TV Credits