World Premiere Interview: Matthew Coatsworth

Interview by Christopher Uvenio

"When I finished university I actually went and worked on an oil rig and I was convinced to start modeling while I was doing that..." "I read articles on business and successful people nonstop. I love learning, knowledge is power..."
 "I listen to everything. the mood I’m in dictates the genre of music. My favourite song is probably Juicy by Biggie..."

-Hello Matthew, I'm flattered you accepted to be interviewed for my online mag, to start this interview off, please give me some background information               I was born in London Ontario, Canada. I have 3 brothers and we’re all within 5 years of each other, even though we only see each other together twice a year for a week each time we all talk every single day. I owe them everything and I am who I am because of them, it's a special bond I’ll always cherish. I went to the University of Western Ontario and studied sociology and when I moved to New York I got my Real Estate License in the state of New York. I’ve been living here now for the better part of two years with a couple trips to Europe and Australia.                          -What do you remember about your school days,  did you have many friends and what was your favorite subject?High school was an interesting time. I’m from the city and went to a school just outside the city so for the most part it was small town kids that lived on farms or just had a different outlook on life. I had my small group of friends at the school that were from the city and because we played basketball (hockey was the popular sport in their eyes) and weren’t country kids we were instantly separated from the rest of the school, the city-country rivalry meant there was no shortage of excitement in the halls or classrooms. I, to this day, still keep in contact with all my boys from high school.  I didn’t have a favorite subject in high school, but when I went to university psychology was defiantly the most interesting field I studied. The mind is very intriguing and to tap the surface of how and why we act the way we do always caught my attention. its something I use on a day to day basis and continue to casually study.                          

-How did you start your career as a model and who convinced you to become a model?When I finished university I actually went and worked on an oil rig and I was convinced to start modeling while I was doing that. A friend of mine saw a picture of me and she made a good argument that I should give up rigging for modeling so I took her advice and I’ve been doing this ever since.

-Tell me about your first test shoot,  did you feel comfortable in front of the camera?My first test was in Toronto, it was with a friend of my agent at the time and I had no idea what I was doing. I pretty much stood there and he moved around taking pictures. I’m pretty sure I was saying to myself, “what have I gotten myself into” the entire time, but I’m very happy its something I’ve stuck with.

-You're a very successful model but what do you consider your best achievement so far?I’d say my best achievement is by far the little boy I sponsor in Chile, his name is Jose and knowing that I’m helping to change someone's life for the better is an unbelievable feeling.                       What kind of assignments, as a model, do you prefer?Its all fun in their own element, shooting ads is a different feeling from the rest because you’ve been lucky enough to be the face of a brand for at least 6 months and fashion shows are a lot of fun because after being in the business for a couple years I usually know quite a few people doing the shows so it’s a good time to catch up with a lot of friends.                         

-How would you describe your way to have fun, what do you like to do in your free time?I constantly read. I don’t read a lot of books, but I read articles on business and successful people nonstop. I love learning, knowledge is power and all things successful spark my interest and motivate me to fulfill my potential.

-What is your favorite kind of movies and the last film you watched?I’m not a big movie person. My friends laugh at me because it usually takes me weeks to get through a full movie, as soon as it turns on my mind starts running and I can’t stop thinking about other things that I’ve been working on or learning about. I might remember 15-20 minutes of the movie so I’ll have to rewind it and start from the last part I can remember which is exactly why it takes me so long to watch movies. I don’t remember the last movie I watched from start to finish in one session.

-What kind of music do you like best and what is your current favourite song?I listen to everything. the mood I’m in dictates the genre of music. My favourite song is probably Juicy by Biggie, some of the lyrics parallel my childhood so it brings a new meaning to the track.
-Thanks again Matthew for taking the time to reply to my questions, it has been a gift to me and my readers!Thank you! Its been a pleasure.