NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & TΕ«rangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • All ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • ManawatΕ«
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

American model Antje Utgaard dubbed the next Kate Upton

By Vanessa Brown
news.com.auΒ·
9 Jan, 2017 03:08 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber? Β Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access contentβ€”explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
β€Œ
Save

    Share this article

Antje Utgaard is is part of a new breed of celebrity making a name for themselves on social media. Photo / Antje Utgaard Instagram

Antje Utgaard is is part of a new breed of celebrity making a name for themselves on social media. Photo / Antje Utgaard Instagram

She's been dubbed the "Gift from the Instagram Gods" for her steamy Instagram snaps which she feeds to her 823k Instagram followers on a daily basis.

Playboy gave her the title of the "Next, Next Kate Upton" for her uncanny resemblance to the busty American model, mostly known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

But while 22-year-old Antje Utgaard is "flattered" by the title, don't paint her as just another blonde bombshell - because this American beauty hopes to be known for a lot more than just her looks.

"I was once aspiring to be like Kate Upton, I love her and I've always been a fan of hers," Ms Utgaard, who is currently in Sydney on holiday, told news.com.au.

"She's a blonde bombshell and curvaceous and everyone loves that.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I was extremely flattered when I got the title of being the 'Next, Next Kate Upton', but I want more than that and to get in with the acting community because I really do enjoy it."

Ms Utgaard, who moved from her small home town of Star Prairie in Wisconsin several years ago to pursue her screen dreams in Los Angeles, is part of a new breed of celebrity making a name for themselves on social media.

View this post on Instagram

Thank you for 800K ❀️ I appreciate the love and support 😘 Follow my backup page @antjeutgaard πŸ’ž #model #nyc #nye #miami #sydney #beauty #california πŸ“· by @bryandewittphoto

A post shared by Antje Utgaard (@awesomeantjay) on Dec 29, 2016 at 12:12pm PST

The bubbly blonde, who now calls Hollywood home, has a healthy following on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and also on her Vine channel.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She hopes her social media status leads her into more acting opportunities - preferably comedy.

"While I want to keep that title [Next, Next Kate Upton] I also want to become something more like Sophia Vergara - to be the hot, funny girl," she said.

"Or even like Cameron Diaz or someone with sex appeal.

"In the next few months I will hit the million mark [on Instagram], which is a really big number for me.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Bikini model 'begs for boob job' in prank

07 Jan 08:30 PM
Entertainment

Naomi Campbell's terrifying Paris attack

06 Jan 01:02 AM
World

Now singles can have surrogate babies

08 Jan 01:09 AM
Royals

Why Kate Middleton's alpaca hat isn't cruel to animals

10 Jan 01:45 AM

"But ideally I'd like to get into a comedy series. Something like Friends or How I Met Your Mother.

"That would be really cool."

Kate Upton on the runway at Fashion Week in Florida. Photo / Getty
Kate Upton on the runway at Fashion Week in Florida. Photo / Getty

Her Instagram feed, which she said alongside Snapchat was her favourite platform, admitted that while she's only been doing this for a couple of years - if it wasn't for social media - her life would be very different than it is today.

"Getting more followers was a backing for me to show that I could leave the mid-west and quit college on a whim," Ms Utgaard said.

"Having social media gave me the guts that it was OK [to move away].

"I had about 50k followers on Instagram and I thought maybe there's a reason 50k people are following me, and I wondered if maybe I can make the world want to follow as well."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ms Utgaard said that while social media has provided a huge boost in her career, she has had her share of trolls in the past.

"I can see how social media is damaging, but not everyone is going to be completely happy with what you do in life," she said.

When you put it all over the media, people say mean things and people don't agree with certain things.

"But there's a lot of ways social media can be beneficial, especially when in Hollywood. It definitely has given me a leg up, I just kind of brush the hate off.

View this post on Instagram

I love the summertime in Cali πŸ‘™ I live in Los Angeles! Where do you live?! 😊🌎 #losangeles #summer #cali #model #vegas #miami #beach #beauty #nyc #blonde #bikini @garymillerfoto βœ–οΈ @puremodelclub

A post shared by Antje Utgaard (@awesomeantjay) on Jul 12, 2016 at 3:24pm PDT

Ms Utgaard, who hopes to build her social celebrity into an acting career, made the move from her small town to the bright lights of Hollywood when her Instagram page reached 100k followers.

"When I got to LA it became a bit of a flatline [with followers]," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The first month was extremely hard. I had saved all my money from the summer of bartending and of course I was getting a few things coming in from my social media, but for the most part it was pretty scary.

"Then I woke up one morning and I was all over the news after a Halloween party. I think I had another 40,000 followers and then from there it's just been growing."

Ms Utgaard, who said her feed has mostly male followers, has always hoped to pursue modelling - and hopes that she attracts more female fans as she moves into acting.

"A lot of my followers are college boys," she laughed.

"I am starting to get more women now which is good, because my Instagram is very provocative and I'm trying to clean it up a little more."

Ms Utgaard, who "prides herself on being all natural" said she wouldn't discount surgery in the future, and supports people who do make the decision to alter their bodies to some extent.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I'm all natural and that's one thing I pride myself on," she said.

"You see all these people getting surgery, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that and I think you should be able to have the option for changes, but I think there is a point when you have too much and people transform their entire bodies.

"To me I think that's kind of sad, because I think you should love yourself."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Short on time, craving carbs? This easy soda bread can be made at home in less than an hour

11 Jul 11:00 PM
Premium
Entertainment

'Dirtiest-minded young woman in NZ': Dame Fiona's lifetime of flouting convention

11 Jul 10:00 PM
Lifestyle

'You have to ask for help': League legend Tāwera Nikau on overcoming life's challenges

11 Jul 09:00 PM

Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Short on time, craving carbs? This easy soda bread can be made at home in less than an hour

Short on time, craving carbs? This easy soda bread can be made at home in less than an hour

11 Jul 11:00 PM

There’s nothing quite like a loaf of fresh, crusty bread.

Premium
'Dirtiest-minded young woman in NZ': Dame Fiona's lifetime of flouting convention

'Dirtiest-minded young woman in NZ': Dame Fiona's lifetime of flouting convention

11 Jul 10:00 PM
'You have to ask for help': League legend Tāwera Nikau on overcoming life's challenges

'You have to ask for help': League legend Tāwera Nikau on overcoming life's challenges

11 Jul 09:00 PM
Premium
How the million-selling All the Colours of the Dark brought its author peace

How the million-selling All the Colours of the Dark brought its author peace

11 Jul 08:00 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • Β© Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP