Adrienne Janic, star of TLC's Tuesday night smash hit Overhaulin' , is a study in contradictions. She preformed Shakespeare, then guest hosted E!'s Wild On. This past winter she appeared in Maxim Magazine and one month later, sent copies of Natural Health flying off the magazine racks.

Perhaps being a dichotomy is in Janic's blood. The product of a Serbian father and Mexican mother, Janic describes her Whittier ( California ) childhood home as a melting pot. “The thing that really stood out was the food, because my dad would make traditional Yugoslavian dishes and then my mom would make her Mexican food. So I would eat tamales for Christmas with borek ( a Balkan dish with phyllo pastry and feta cheese).

Has her multicultural background caused professional challenges for Janic ? “I've had a hard time handling that, “ she admits. “I'm not seen as Latin, maybey because of my last name , and also that physically I'm not what Hollywood thinks Latinas look like. Which is unfortunate, because when you go to Mexico , you have all types of people. But here, Hollywood thinks Latinas are dark-skinned, dark-eyed, and on the shorter side. That's just not me.”

Janic has always been a natural performer, snatching juicy roles in school plays from the age of six. “ I was a doll that came to life in a Christmas play. I sang and danced, and I loved it- loved the costumes, the theatrics, and making people laugh.”

Immediately after High School, things took an unexpected turn when FORD Models picked Janic as a semi-finalist in the FORD Supermodel of the World contest and offered her a contract. For the mixed-race girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it was a Cinderella story. She traveled the world, first in support of the agency, and then as a much – sought –after model.

One assignment left her with several days to kill in Cape Town , South Africa . Janic was walking through a shopping mall and saw a poster advertising “ Go Cage Diving with a Great White Shark”. Curiosity got the best of her . “I've always loved sharks. I used to watch them on the Discovery Channel. They're prehistoric creatures that are still mysterious, and going into that cage meant I was in their territory. Looking back, would I do it now ? Absolutely not ! I was crazy ! I don't know what I was thinking – I wasn't even a certified diver and I talked my way into the cage. But the adrenaline rush was just amazing. Imagine being a few feet away from a Great White shark.”

Her stint as a fashion model led to a variety of television appearances and roles, perhaps most notably a stint on the short-lived—but fanatically followed series – The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, where Janic honed her chops as an improv comidienne in good natured hidden camera stunts on unsuspecting victims. “ I loved it because it was like theater: if you mess up, you have to really think on your feet. And you never know how the person in the scene with you is going to react. I learned a lot from Jamie (Kennedy- the fast-witted improvisational comic helming the show). He's a really nice guy and great at staying in the ‘moment' even if his mustache would go crooked. I think it's what led me to the role on Overhaulin'.”

Janic's first appearance on Overhaulin' could have been a sketch straight from Jamie Kennedy. “ I played an auto shop owner's bitchy wife. I was as tack as you can get – the miniskirt, the stilettos , the big hair, gaudy make-up. Basically I wanted my money or this guy was not getting his truck back. I did everything to piss him off. He was so mad at me his face was red, spit was coming out of his mouth, the whole time I wanted to laugh at him because he had no idea what a fool he looked like on TV screaming at this complete stranger. The director said I hit it out of the ballpark.”

Several more appearances led producers to offer Janic the role of Co-Host as the show entered it's third season on TLC, which surprised her. “I mean , I've hosted a few things here and there but nothing like this. I told them that I don't know anything about cars. I know how to check the tire pressure in my car and that's about it. They assured me I shouldn't worry.”

So, with a hit show and access to an amazing array of cars and experts, what would Janic drive on a daily basis if she had the chance? “ I would love an Aston Martin DB9. Every time I see one I think, ‘One of these days…' “.

While Overhaulin is about cars, America 's love affair with automobiles means that Janic sometimes encounters the more human, emotional side of the story. “Coming up we have an episode where we overhaul this guy's car that came out beautiful – a '69 GTO. The story behind it is this guy was in a car accident and was paralyzed from the waist down and his brother hooked him up with the overhaul. AT the end, the whole family was in tears. When we asked why his parents were crying too, they said it was the first time their son had cried since his accident. That's powerful stuff.”

Having put her time as world traveler and shark diver, Janic now prefers a quieter existence. “I love hiking, where I live there are a lot of hills. And some people have ranches with horses so I will go and visit. Honestly, I think I love animals more than I love people. I know that's horrible to say, but they are just so unconditional.”

Adrienne Janic lives in Southern California with her Shi-Tzu Rolex. You can catch her Co-Hosting Overhaulin' Tuesdays on TLC.

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