Celebrity Who?

I think for the great majority of people we dream of making it somewhere. Being big, being recognizable as a celebrity is the most common way of getting there. Having camera’s follow, waltzing down the red carpet amongst a countless number of adoring fans.  With the potential for this to happen, I would be lying if I wasn’t even a little bit excited. Of course at the same time I try and remain as humble and professional as I can. 

2 years ago, when I first departed overseas, one of my closest friends expressed her worry that I would change going into the industry (modelling/acting industry). A fear that over time vanity would take over, searching for that attention. I promised that I would not change, and I fully intend on keeping that promise.

Since I have started letting my face get out there, I have worked my way into some recognizable roles from the Sport Chek home page at Christmas, to ads for a steakhouse before your movie, a couple billboards in Bangkok and even 2 globally released TV commercials. For the progression of a career in the industry these are all fantastic moves on getting to a recognizable face.  Of course nothing will compare to the potential that Go Fish has for myself and other cast members. 

My first experiences with being “famous” happened in Singapore, when Chinese tourists there would be amazed by my white skin and height, requesting pictures. This however was purely due to what I just said and nothing to do with being recognizable.  It wasn’t until I arrived in Korea that I saw a greater awe factor. In South Korea, they are highly educated but also have a strong love for American culture and persona associated with the upper echelon of celebrity. A tall, handsome, Caucasian goes into a coffee shop; men and women both young and old stop and stare. The brave whip out their latest computer phone, while the shy try to hide their similar actions.  The gutsiest of all sum up the courage to ask to take a picture while you sip on your raspberry double espresso at the local Mango. As a modest individual I would happily oblige and get back to what I was doing. Some would take this opportunity to brag and make a big deal out of it. Upon my return to Bangkok this past year, I was recognized by several young girls from my wedding with Thai airways in Phuket. 

Back to what I originally came to post about: This past Friday, I was invited with a great number of those involved with the show to appear as celebrity guests at a charity event. This would be my first official red carpet event, and the first time I was called a celebrity. To all in attendance I am a nobody, someone with potential at best. I like that idea personally, for me it’s grounding. The experience of a limo picking us up, pulling up to a red carpet outside Cowboys Casino and of course an introduction to the attendees. 

It was a fun experience, one to learn from. Although I don’t want my brush with fame to overshadow the reason we were there. The event was held by YYCharity to help raise funds for Pulmonary Hypertension(http://www.phacanada.ca/en/), Calgary Health Trust (http://www.calgaryhealthtrust.ca/) and Leukemia/Lymphoma (http://www.llscanada.org/). If you have some spare funds, I highly encourage your to donate to these causes. Speaking of celebrity they kind of take a back seat to donations compared to Breast/Prostate cancer.

Speaking of that endless pursuit, many take the fake it til you make it approach. One of my best friends recently moved to LA. Whether it be culture shock or the true plasticity of people in LA, she is struggling with finding people who are truly genuine to themselves. I am sure this happens everywhere, but its especially pronounced in LA as I have heard. Personally I have never understood hiding who you really are, but as evidence from her experience many people will to earn their shot at being famous.

I am going to end with this great quote:
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah.
Richard Bach 
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fake.html#u8pM7HIaay8jG5qh.99 

Show me what you’re made of

I have recently discussed how much I despise shows. The castings that make the Godfather feel like a blink of an eye, followed by fittings and a waiting period with the sedative power of 100cc of ketamine (horse tranquilizer).  Also discussed recently was how I just don’t book them, well something changed. What? I honestly couldn’t tell you, I have put on a couple kilos of muscle so I am certainly not smaller.  

In the past week the number of shoes has shot up to 4. My legs walked and posed for H.E. by Mango, Hugo Boss, Supersports (I work frequently for them) and just yesterday Guy Laroche. With the exception of H.E. I can provide explanations of my bookings. You ready for em?

Let’s start with Hugo Boss. This is personally one of my favourite designers, which provides a slight bonus. Other than making the round side of a hippopotamus look attractive, these clothes fit me perfectly. My body shape have wider shoulders and back, tapering into a thin waist and then thick legs. Boss suits need no tailoring to fit me properly. The glove fits so I walked.

Guy Laroche and Supersports. Well that answer is simple, clothing doesn’t really have to fit when it’s a speedo/underwear. If walking around in small underwear isn’t awkward enough, lets throw you in front of a hundred people with a spotlight on your genitals.

My opinion hasn’t really changed at all about fashion shows, as a matter of fact its likely been reinforced negatively. Although its not all complaints, the Guy Laroche show was a lingerie show with 13 beautiful and a thai celebrity (Kae Chollada or something). Worst case scenario I would still regard that as a positive experience for any straight guy. Unfortunately I cannot embed the pics but you can enjoy this link. Big thanks to the guy that edited me out of the video, you don't need to see that :P Guy Laroche Lingerie

Watch Yourself!

A couple things of business that I would like to address with this post. In my previous blog I ripped up a little bit on high fashion models and fashion shows, it has nothing to do with character of these people, as a matter of fact I have tons of friends that are high fashion. I compare the razzing to the mocking of a friend when he won’t jump off the hi-rise diving board. 

I also received some pictures from Korea; these are part of a collection for Macaw golf. Remember early December I wrote about meeting a famous Korean celebrity, it was finishing this job that she arrived.  I hope you get a kick out of these:

This past Tuesday I had the privilege of working an event for a Swiss Company called Bovet. Have you heard of them? Think, luxury, now luxury¹⁰. That’s where you need to start looking. Monocle in hand you, your inquisition begins as to what is ultra luxury. Host event at the Mandarin Oriental starts to lead you believe that you aren’t in Kansas anymore. 

 

Have you googled it yet? Bovet is an ultra luxury watch company. Ultra luxury isn’t a Ferrari; it’s a watch of equivalent value.  Yes, the watch I had to “wear” had a value of just a hair over $380 000 USD. With hand etched gold amongst, plutonium and a flux capacitor, it all started to make sense. A truly elegant watch it was, but for me a house is much more likely in the books. 

Now for a bit of enlightenment from this event. As a model, I frequently find myself in events or wearing clothes where I am far out of place. Surrounded by ultra luxury, with crocodile shoes and unfathomable gold can lead you to feel like a little green man.  Of course part of this is jealousy, but more so for me it’s a foreign feeling. While I have been blessed by a very good upbringing, it has allowed me to gain an appreciation for money. Frequently the money that is used to buy these watches is old money. An appreciation for these funds is frequently lost when money just handed down from generation to generation. Of course the other crowd I would expect a watch like this would be the gangster rapper/professional football or basketball player.

As mind blowing as these watches were, I was raised to say, yeah right. I will spend the menial amount that doesn’t cause adrenaline to pump when I hold the watch. Or in the case of a Bovet, silk gloves. 

Who are you?

Knees weak, arms are heavy, mind racing, heart pacing, palms are sweaty; these are usually the reactions to an encounter with someone famous.  Naïve me, only managed to get a Hi how are you in before I was whisked away. Then again, I had no idea who I was talking to. To me she was a beautiful Korean model, to others she is a big time celebrity known as Nam Joo Kim.

In the eyes of a celebrity, I am sure that lack of recognition could be nice actually. I find myself by no means a celebrity in Seoul, but people take pictures of me on the street, ask for pictures at the coffee shop and congregate around me on the subway. And while I know that larger objects have a greater gravitational pull and I am bigger than the average Korean, I think those laws of gravity are flawed. Constantly afraid of letting this get to my head and develop an ego I fight that internal battle.

In the past week I have had 3 shoots, and actually have on more this coming Thursday. It was at the Macaw sportswear shoot where I bumped into this celebrity.  A fear developed quite early into the shooting when we learned that the wrong shoe size was brought for my monstrous feet. I walk around with a small clown shoe of 11.5 US. Unfortunately the much to small 9’s were sitting waiting for my feet to attempt to be jammed in. Thankfully there were alternative shoes that I could slide on.

Friday and Saturday I had the opportunity to shoot with Luel magazine again. This time I had 2 editorials in the magazine and will be on more than 15 pages. When there is that many photos of you in one magazine, you certainly need to be careful of avoiding the faces of Zoolander effect. This is a flaw in models where the fall back on looking the exact same in every photo. This Zoolander effect is what separates poor from successful models. The variation and ability to a demonstrate a chameleon like skill to transform and emphasize character in still frame is the key to success. 

There are times where I wish I could afford the clothes I wear in shoots, this shoot was certainly no exception. I had one Tom Ford set that was worth over 25k. But this wasn’t my favourite. A simple Turtleneck by Zegna made of Cashmere and Microsilk  and a suede jacket screamed Zach. I don’t know the price tag as of yet, but I know in a bellowing tone it beckons, HAHAHA when you win the lottery maybe.