[zork]

Maybe I can help you out here. You could just use a helperframe that lays between portrait and text.

    
    --I don't know the Portrait call but it should be similar
    self.pm1 = CreateFrame("PlayerModel", nil, self)
    self.pm1:SetFrameStrata("BACKGROUND")
    self.pm1:SetAllPoints(self)
    self.pm1:SetUnit(unit)
    --self.pm1:SetModelScale(1)
    self.pm1:SetCamera(0)    
    --self.pm1:SetRotation(0)    
    
    self.pm1helper = CreateFrame("FRAME", nil, self.pm1)
    self.pm1helper:SetFrameStrata("LOW")
    self.pm1helper:SetAllPoints(self.pm1)
    
    self.pm1helper.Text = SetFontString(self.pm1helper, nil, 13, "THINOUTLINE")
    self.pm1helper.Text:SetPoint('CENTER', 0, 0)