"I'd started with David Todd at Nous (still my mother agent, best in the biz) and I probably had about 5 or 6 test shots in my book from Nick Hudson and Doug Inglish. It just so happened that Bruce Weber was in town..."
"What's funny is that the shot from V mag came at the end of a long shoot for the Stefanel campaign...
"I'm currently waiting to film a lead role in an independent called "My Angels." Very much a layered character as I mentioned before. And I'm writing a feature script..."
-Hello Josh, I'm really flattered you accepted to be interviewed for my blog! give me some brief background information.Well I was born and raised in Santa Monica with my younger brother Jason and slew of pets. My Dad was raised in Seattle and my mom was born and raised on a farm in northern Maine. We grew up spending summers on her family's farm--it shaped much of who I am today.I graduated from Santa Monica High School (SAMO) and went to Dartmouth College. I was looking for the opposite experience. I'd had growing up, hence the move to Hanover New Hampshire. I'll never forget the fall and winter there, it was truly awesome.
-Who discovered you and convinced you to become a model and how old were you at the time?
After graduating
I briefly returned to Los Angeles to study acting, and
it was during this time that I started modeling to pay
the bills. I'd been scouted before, the first
time I can recall was at age 14, at a crew regatta in
San Diego, by a Nautica rep. My parents wanted
me to focus on school and frankly I didn't have the
time to do anything else besides sports, music and schoolwork.
I got up at 6am every day and I wouldn't get home
till 7pm. In 2005 I moved to New York City to
study acting with Sheila Gray and continued print work.
I lived in the Bi Apple for 2 years.
How
did you get your first modeling job and what was it
like?My
first job was in the fall of 2004. I'd started
with David Todd at Nous (still my mother agent, best
in the biz) and I probably had about 5 or 6 test shots
in my book from Nick Hudson and Doug Inglish. It
just so happened that Bruce Weber was in town shooting
L'uomo Vogue and wanted a few extra models for
the story. I met him at his bungalow at the Beverly
Hills hotel and a day later I was on my first shoot
in Malibu. And I was pretty terrified. I
was so shy and everyone made such a big deal about the
magazine ("it's the men's fashion bible")
and the photog ("It's Bruce Weber! 'Nuff
said!"). But Bruce knows exactly what he
wants and that made my day a lot easier. The second
day we shot at Potrero Canyon (where they shot Seabiscuit).
I'll never forget it because I was sitting there
during our lunch break (for which Bruce had brought
in a gourmet LA chef, all clean, organic food) and suddenly
I'm watching one of my biggest childhood heroes saunter
into the ranch to pay Bruce a visit...Wayne Gretzky!
I could not believe it. And of course I
was too awed (and shy) to even say a word. But
I'll never forget that.
What
kind of movies would you like to star in? And what character
would you most like to play?My favorite
movies are simple stories about real life. Of
course I enjoy the occasional CGI packed action flick
but I find it too often these days and the novelty quickly
wears off. I love Jack Nicholson, Five Easy Pieces
might be my favorite. I'm drawn to characters
that you could easily pigeonhole at first glance, but
harbor a totally different side/life/secret. It's
so easy to judge people, to categorize them--I think
it's something we've conditioned ourselves to do because
we think we can control the situation. It's comforting
to think you've got someone pegged. But I hate
labels because we're complex beings and our beliefs
aren't black and white, there's all kinds of shades
in between. For instance, Jack's character in
Five Easy Pieces is introduced as the archetype of a
blue collar oil rig worker. He plugs away in the oil
fields, packs his lunch, then goes home and guzzles
beer at the bowling alley and treats his girlfriend
like shit. Easy to label, you think you've got
this guy all figured out. What you don't know
is he was raised by a family of musicians on an idyllic
island off the alaskan coast. And when you're
introduced to his family you also meet the band of intellectuals
that he probably grew up with, and their own judgements,
and you see how he didn't fit there either. And
I love the fact that he's a musician. I've always
thought my breakout role will come as a musician.
-Can
you share with me some of your recent and upcoming projects?I
play a british backpacker in the independent film "The
Things We Carry." Beautiful story about a
woman coming to terms with her past. We're still
waiting to hear about distribution and all that jazz.
But I had a great time filming and it was quite
a learning experience for me. I love doing accent
work and (truly) independent film really gives you the
freedom to create something. That's what it's
all about. In the beginning, however, the trick is creating
something in a few short scenes! It's the ultimate
challenge.
The
business is slow right now, patience is the name of
the game (more than ever). I just read that feature
film work in LA is down something like 50%, although
the box offices are experiencing record breaking numbers.
But I think that's skewed--you've got movies like
Transformers posting staggering numbers. Ultimately
it comes down to who can guarantee a steady flow of
greenbacks.
A
few months ago I read for the role of "Thor"
in "Thor." I went in to the casting
office on a Tuesday evening, spent an hour making a
tape with Randi Hiller (one of the best Casting Director's
in LA, hands down). An hour later I got a call
from my manager. Kenneth Branagh had seen my tape
and wanted to meet me at Marvel in Manhattan Beach the
next afternoon. I couldn't believe it. Still
can't believe it. He's one of the most respected
names in this business, as an actor and a director,
a paragon of talent and work ethic... not to mention
incredibly humble. Going into the studio I kept
thinking "who am I to read for Kenneth Branagh?
Is punked back on the air?" And he met me
on a level playing field, one human being to another,
one artist to another, simple as that. He gave
me the utmost respect and a few compliments (re: my
tape and my acting) that will always be with me. And
he inspired me. We spent an hour making a tape
which he then took in to Marvel execs. In the
end my resume was just too short to justify me at the
helm of a $150 million studio picture. And frankly
I don't blame them. But everything comes in due
time. Just to meet and work with Mr. Branagh for
that hour... it was a pivotal moment in my career and
my life. In the end it went to a talented young
Aussie actor named Chris Hemsworth. The cast looks
phenomenal and I know they'll do a fantastic job with
the project. I'm still stoked to see it!
I'm currently waiting to film a lead role in an independent called "My Angels." Very much a layered character as I mentioned before. And I'm writing a feature script based on the story of a cab driver I met while shooting a catalogue in Arizona.
I'm currently waiting to film a lead role in an independent called "My Angels." Very much a layered character as I mentioned before. And I'm writing a feature script based on the story of a cab driver I met while shooting a catalogue in Arizona.
-How do you like
to spend your spare time? What is the meaning of fun
and having a good time for you?I spend a
lot of time with my family and my dog (Keeva Bean, super
mutt extraordinaire). I love animals. My best
moments are with family and friends. You won't
ever find me at a Hollywood club and if I'm at a bar
it's probably a special occasion. I enjoy privacy
and I get overwhelmed by "the scene."
I
have to exercise just about every day, more for the
mental benefits than everything else. If people
would just get out for 45 minutes of moderate exercise
a day (even a simple walk), the world would be a different
place. I love to shoot hoops with my bro and my
pop, I cycle up the beach, run the Santa Monica stairs,
hike the canyons with the Keeves, moderate weight lifting,
swimming...variety is the spice of life and you
have to keep your muscles guessing, they adapt faster
than you think. And if you don't keep it interesting,
you won't want to work out. I tend to keep my
workouts short and intense. If I'm lifiting, I'm
in and out in 30-45 minutes. Supersets, dropsets...
keep the heart rate up!
But
music is my biggest hobby, maybe one day it will be
more. I was a huge (read: gigantic, super, freakish)
"band geek" growing up. The Santa Monica
Unified School District has one of the best public music
programs in the world. No joke. I started playing
a keyboard when I was three, piano at 5, clarinet at
9, drums at 11. I was the captain of the drumline
in a 200 person marching band and an accomplished clarinetist.
I got to play with the LA Phil my senior year
of high school... just beyond words. I love music,
it's incredibly powerful and I wouldn't be here without
it. I play keys and sing backups in a friend's
band around LA (Chantelle Barry on myspace) and I'm
starting to write my own stuff. I'm starting to
learn harmonica and guitar.
Cheers,
- Josh P.
No comments:
Post a Comment