Persia White at the Humane Society’s Genesis Awards
As a vegan who rescued her pet dog and cat and campaigns for animal rights, Persia White wouldn’t have missed the Humane Society of the United States’ 25th Anniversary Genesis Awards, honoring news and entertainment programming for their portrayals of animal issues. An HSUS board member and a presenter at the event, White once did a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) ad campaign protesting the wearing of fur. “I think it’s imperative that people learn to connect the dots between man, nature and animals. It’s our ecosystem, our world, and the more we’re connected the more we have a healthy future,” she said.
Looking elegantly retro in a vintage dress and Betsy Johnson embellished sweater and carrying a vintage beaded clutch, White discussed the recently filmed Dysfunctional Friends, in which she plays Trenyce, the girlfriend of a rich man who dies and leaves his inheritance to his squabbling friends. “They were all friends in college but have all gone their own ways. She’s a big Hollywood actress, but her career isn’t going so well,” she explains. “It’s kind of a diva character, and I’m not like that, so it was fun.”
Meanwhile, if things go well this pilot season, White may be back on TV in the fall. “I’m working on a couple of television projects,” she said, “but I can’t talk about it right now.”
The Genesis Awards will premiere on Animal Planet on April 30 at 7 p.m., with an encore presentation on May 1 at 9 a.m.
(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)