Exclusive Interview: Ryan Cooper

"I got a phone call from a scouting manager who saw the pictures and he wanted me at the agency that afternoon..."

Hello Ryan, I'm really flattered you accepted to be interviewed for my site, to start this interview off, please give me some background information.Thank you for inviting me I really appreciate that. So I guess my hometown now would be Sydney even though I grew up in quite a few different places. I am one of 5 kids (I'm right in the middle) and I have 4 nieces and nephews at this stage and there are another 2 in the oven as we speak! J As for education I was good at school but left after my high school certificate at 15 and started building. So I guess my highest qualification would be my be my Carpentry Certificate. Now I live in "NY" well that's home base but I tend to spend a lot of time abroad.

-Let's look back at how you started modeling, tell me about how you got "discovered".Haha well it's funny. I used to get teased at school by my friends "you're such a model the way you lean on that tree!!" I hadn't even thought of modeling at all! I had a friend who was a model and she had some pictures of me over summer and was adamant that I should take them into her agency. Eventually I did and they told me I wouldn't work! So I just went back to building didn't think anything of it and then I got a phone call from a scouting manager who saw the pictures and he wanted me at the agency that afternoon.

"I worked on a job in Panama which would possibly be my favourite and most memorable.."
"My girlfriend is a model and she's my best friend..."

How did you get your first modeling job and what was it like? Well when I was 18/19 I was asked to do a shoot through a friend for a NZ brand for cycling and trekking. The client came to the building site and asked me to do the job. And that planted the seed that maybe I could make a living out of this and get to see the world at the same time. The job was very easy in comparison to my manual labour job which only made the idea even more attractive. Plus my workmates were now becoming much prettier J!

-Surely you're a very successful model and you have done a lot of major campaigns, which of them do you consider the most memorable? Why?I worked on a job in Panama which would possibly be my favourite and most memorable. The job was basically hanging out having fun with friends in the ocean on the beach etc for 4 days. We had fresh lobster for lunch, rode jet skis and wake boards! Kinda surreal!

-In terms of preferences, do you like to do photo shoots for editorials and campaigns or do you enjoy doing the runways more?I'm not the tallest model around that's for sure, and don't usually go in the show packages. I have done a couple of shows but to be honest I prefer the editorial and campaigns! The shows are a little rush, but I like getting to see the images on the screen and getting to shoot in interesting places, so I'd have to say the shoots more so.

-What was the funniest work that you have done as a model so far?That is a hard one!!! I've not had too many hysterical moments onset. Funniest would have to be a competition video some friends and I did together for a farting application, but that was for fun rather than work.

-Tell me about your professional plans: apart from modeling, what else would you like to pursue or are you already pursuing? I have a few things on the go at the moment. I have been looking for property to develop in my spare time. And I've been taking acting class for the past 8 months. So I'm keeping my options open. I have had some good feedback with auditions and would be very happy to land a role. On the other side if I had a little extra time to get back on the tools I wouldn't be disappointed either.

-I know you've been traveling around the world, where you would like to live other than where you do now?At this stage I haven't quite seen it all...J But I love NY. I can't see myself raising a family there but for the next few years working etc it would be nice. I think eventually Australia Sydney will be home it has a great variety and vibe to it. The weather is pretty good, but then again it's a long life maybe I'll get to live somewhere else before then.

-How would you describe yourself as a person, which adjectives would you use?Ohhhh hahah that's I wouldn't do. I don't like that one, I'd rather have my friends and family judge on that! But I hope they would say I'm motivated, loyal, personable...Things like amazing would be nice but I wouldn't count on it! J

-Who do you hang out with? Do you have any friends among male and female models? Yeah, I do. Not a ton though. My girlfriend is a model and she's my best friend. We both travel a lot so it's hard enough keeping our relationship strong let alone a lot of friendships with people we find hard to get the time to see. But yes there are a handful of really great friends both in and outside of the industry!

-Thanks Ryan for your time, it was a gift to me and my readers!An absolute pleasure mate!