For the vast majority of people working in my industry, as well as industries similar to it such as acting and professional sport, it is their ability to deal with rejection and failure that will ultimately lead them to success. There are of course exceptions to every rule, as we see people who have gone from nothing to something seemingly overnight. Their lives are not so much dictated by their ability to deal with rejection, but rather whether they are able to keep their feet on the ground amid all their success. For me it was and is a case of the former. I have had to learn how to cope with getting turned down left, right and centre.
I started modelling when I was 22, off the back of 4 years studying at University of Nottingham. As my university life came to an end, I was faced with the reality of hitting the big bad world without much of a plan. I didn't know what I wanted to do, I hadn't studied a degree that led directly down one route. As I twiddled my thumbs, thankfully my friends got themselves in to gear. Growing up I had a friend who loved photography and used to use me as her practice model, however it wasn't something I had really thought about doing. Then as University finished a second friend joined a very small modelling agency in Bournemouth, down South, and I went down there to meet her colleagues and get there opinion on my chances in this world. The meetings were good, and they installed a confidence in me that had not existed in this capacity, however, I knew that if I was serious about modelling then I would need to get signed to an agency in London; so thats what I strived to do.
As one of the biggest cities in the world, London is home to people from all walks of life. Opportunities are in abundance, dreams can come true; a person can be nothing one day and something the next. Ive grown up on the very outskirts of this melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, something that has allowed me to have a bit of both worlds; the hustling bustling city life, as well as the more relaxed country-bum lifestyle. In many ways, I think growing up with both the stability of a family friendly area and the chaos of one of the worlds major cities both within walking/driving distance, has prepared me for the crazy world I now find myself in.
When I went to London on that first day, full of high spirits and excitement, I truly believed I was taking my first steps towards the rest of my life. Sadly, not many of the agencies in London agreed! Models 1, Premier, Select, NEVS - and a few more on top of that, I visited them all...and was duly rejected from them all. I received positive feedback, well I felt more positive than negative. Something along the lines of: "How tall are you? Five foot eleven, I see. I think you have a great look, you're a handsome boy, but just not what we are looking to take on to our board right now." Or at least words to the same affect. My height was going to be my problem! Nonetheless, find an agency I did! Cue Oxygen Models, with the mens board headed by a guy called Mark Rowley. Mark and I got on instantly and I felt he was looking at me as a person as well as a model, whereas the other agencies saw me purely as a marketable tool. He took a chance on me, something I will always be grateful for, and signed me on to his books.
Well I had done it, I had set out to get signed in London, and I did, albeit not to one of the top agencies I had hoped but I was signed and I was happy! The next step was to start casting. Speak to any model and Im pretty sure they'll be able to give you an endless stream of complaints regarding the casting process in our industry. Numerous occasions I have sat on a train across London, for an hour and a half to wait outside a casting room for an hour and a half to go in and cast for 30 seconds. Literally, photos front on and profiles, quick chat. See ya! When I first began modelling in London, I had to quickly get used to being rejected. It quite simply comes with the occupation. I had to get used to the quick no's; the meeting people who, no matter how much enthusiasm I tried to muster, would greet me and just look beyond me. In the first year I "modelled", I booked two catwalks (despite my height), 2 hair modelling jobs and to be honest did very little else that actually earnt any sort of money. In my second year I booked a job with SONY, for the playstation move, and then another good job with Reebok Classics. I must have casted for over 150 jobs. In fact it was probably more than that, yet I can count the jobs Ive done on two hands. Thankfully when I moved to Barcelona, represented by Trend Model Management, my fortune changed. It was there that I truly began to believe I could make a career out of this. I left the UK and Oxygen behind and in the 9 months I have spent in Barcelona, as you know I have booked TV commercials with Peugeot, SEAT and Estrella Damm. What you don't know is that I have also worked with MTV Europe, Garnier BB Cream, as well as Spanish shoe brand Coolway. It hasn't just been the quantity of work, but rather the nature of those jobs, that has really made me happy.
Last week I came home to London for 10days. I had a date with my brother-in-law and the NFL as well as it being my Fathers birthday. I decided that I would use the spare time I had in the city to try and find new representation. One of the small positives in the modelling world is how much control I have over my own career. Around 2 months ago, my agent in the UK, Mark, left Oxygen for Bookings Model Agency. I took that as my cue to move on as well. I felt that Oxygen wasn't the best place for me to be anymore and thankfully I had the freedom to simply end any agreement I have there. On tuesday just gone, it was like going back in time to that first day walking around the agencies. Start on Mortimer Street with Select, before heading to Holborn/Covent Garden to see Models1 and Premier, then on to Kings Road to see Storm and NEVS finally finishing in East London with FM Models and SUPA. Thats seven of the top agencies. Six of them turned me away within minutes of walking through the door; my height continues to work against me. I went in with a portfolio of commercials and campaigns and still got rejected without much thought or consideration. I think that shows you exactly how cut-throat this industry can really be. Thankfully, one of the agencies looked beyond my height. I was able to have a real chat about my aspirations and my dreams. In an industry where so much is put on appearance I was grateful to meet someone who was interested in my personality as well. I still don't know if they are going to sign me... thats for them to decide, but Im happy that I put myself out there. In a world where so much is out of my hands it felt good to be trying to take my life into my own hands, even if I was still reliant on other peoples opinion!
I guess the point Im trying to get across is that rejection is something 90% of models/actors have to deal with, it games with the territory. However, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in your talents, then literally anything is possible. That may sound cliche to you; I went to six agencies who all said I was too short to work in this industry. Since then I've been on TV all over Europe in a SEAT commercial, Ive had my face on billboards with Estrella Damm, and I am all over the Coolway flagship on Oxford Street. We get one life, don't let someone else tell you how to live it!
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