Brad Alphonso: Portfolio

Brad Alphonso

Height / 6'2

Waist / 32

Inseam / 34

Suit / 40

Shirt / 15.5

Shoes / 11.5

Benjamin Hall: Sexiest Male Model Alive

BENJAMIN HALL PORTFOLIO

Height / 6'2

Waist / 32

Suit / 40

Shirt / 15.5

Shoes / 12

Male Model Daniel Lonnstrom: World Premiere Interview

Swedish male model Daniel Lonnstrom in an exclusive interview about his career, his favorite hangout spots, what he does to stay in shape & more.

Agencies: Fusion New York, Elite London, M4 Germany, Independent Milan, Major Paris.
Milestones: Versace and Louis Vuitton Shows, United Colors of Benetton, Nivea skincare, Banana Republic and GAP campaigns.
Current location: New York.

How did you first get into modeling? And how long have you been modeling?
A friend of mine that had a connection with an agency in Milan thought I should try. We took some photos while I was competing at a waterski competition in Denmark. Next thing I knew I was on a plane to Italy. That was 10 Years ago, holy crap time flies!

What does your career do for you?
So far it has taken me to a lot of places I could’ve never imagined when I first started out. But I think the most important thing I’ve gotten out of it is the variety of countries and people I’ve met and the realization we are all the same. The knowledge of traveling is something you can’t study, it has to be experienced. It’s a great education!

What’s your most memorable shoot?
I’m gonna name the worst and the best shoot(so far), they are both very memorable.
The worst shoot was at the Ice Hotel (yes, it’s a hotel made completely out of ice) in the very north of Sweden, -40 C outside. We were shooting swimwear for 2 days inside the Ice Hotel where the temperature was -10 C, It’s by far the coldest most painful shoot I’ve ever done. If I’m having a bad day I think about those days and I feel better. AND I never got to see the pictures from the shoot even!
The best shoot so far happened really recently actually. I was in Hawaii for a week just before Christmas and it’s just an incredible place filled with good energy and stunning nature. And somewhat of a dream came true during that week since they had me waterskiing for the pictures. I finally tied the bag together with my old competitive waterski background and my job as a model, 10 years later!

What are the pros of being a model?
The freedom to explore your talents, if you don’t have any you will find them! The down time between jobs and castings gives you a great opportunity to dig deeper and find out different sides about yourself. If it’s learning the jazz flute or studying to be a lawyer doesn’t really matter, but you will have time to do so.

What’s the biggest misconception about the male modeling industry?
That we are all dumb! We are an easy target I guess and some jobs don’t take a lot brains, I get it. But it’s not the actual job that’s hard, it’s all the work in between, the work that no one sees. Staying in shape, doing the right castings, being with the right agencies, having the right manager, getting the right pictures etc. All of that is a lot of work. All people see is the final product, the picture in the magazine. Sarcastic sentences such as: “Yeah that looks really difficult buddy” “Oh your job is really hard, poor you” If you are a model and reading this you know exactly what I mean. We get to hear it all the time. Most guys and girls I meet are well traveled, open-minded and doing something interesting on the side while they travel the world.

What are your other passions outside of modeling?
Long distance Triathlons, Playing my guitar, Surfing and taking pictures with my film camera. I’m really good at just enjoying life and doing absolutely nothing also, haha.

What do you do to stay in shape?
I swim, bike and run. My latest hobby is Triathlons. It takes a lot of time but it’s a lot of fun. It’s not only a physical challenge but a very mental one as well, long hours of training and competing. I love it.

What are the top five items every man should have in his pantry?
Oatmeal, Chia seeds, Peanut or almond butter, Pasta, Bananas.

What are your favorite hang out spots in the city you live in (current location)?
I live in New York so the list could be made very long. But if I’m running around the city for castings I usually stop and have a coffee at ACE Hotel, it’s a dark spot in the middle of town, I can sit there for while! After that I go and have lunch at either City Bakery or Dig Inn, both places uses local, seasonal and organic ingredients, very tasty. For the evening I’ll stop by my local bar Ramona in Greenpoint. It’s always someone I know there and they make great cocktails if you are into that, otherwise they have good beer as well. I’ll have a beer.

What do you think MODELLIST-ID can do for the model community?
It’s a great way to share stories and knowledge between each other. If it’s a good agency, a nice gym or a tasty cafe you are searching for before your travels starts, MODELLIST-ID can give you a heads up before you go or if you starting to feel lost when you are already there. Good job guys, a little guidance can go a long way!

What is your advice to aspiring models?
Do your homework. What agencies are good/bad? Read up about your local agencies in your city. Get some test shots from a respected photographer that your agency has set up. Don’t pay for anything. If an agency believes in you then they will front the expenses before you start making money. Start there before cleaning out your parents’ bank account and buying a one-way ticket to New York. Start local and grow into it. If you have what it takes you will get your chance.

Any specific plans for the future?
My future plan is to be a better Triathlete. I live day by day pretty much so can only see my future so far, but this year it is being a better triathlete. Last year I did the triathlons as a charity event where I raised money for a Children’s hospital, so that’s what got me into the whole thing from the beginning. But now I wanna be better at it!
I’m also looking into buying a house, either close to the water or deep in the forest somewhere, a secluded place where I can sit and listen to my records. Haha.

Big Changes at Y&R!

The Soap World were stunned when news broke that Michelle Stafford was returning to Young and the Restless as Phyllis Summers Newman. Recently the head writer of Young and the Restless, Josh Griffith, and Executive Producer, Anthony Morina, spoke to Soap Opera Digest about the big changes being made at the CBS soap opera. Morina detailed that over the past year the audience felt disconnected from the drama. 

“I think one thing that the audience felt was, a lot of things have changed, good or bad, but it didn’t feel like their show. So our first intent is, ‘How do we get back closer to that feeling?’ The music, how we edit, how we shoot, how we costume them [the actors]. It’s a big process. It takes time. We’re slowly getting there.” Griffith chimed in that the story was also important. “Getting back to the storytelling that has made the show so popular, for so long, which is very emotional, very character-driven, with iconic faces that the people know.”

One of the first major changes implemented was the return of Adam Newman, now played by Mark Grossman. It was the network execs who asked that the character be brought back to the show, and Griffith who created the character was happy to comply. “By doing that, it just opened so many possibilities and it affected so many people. So I was able to go in with the story and say, ‘He’s gonna come back this way and this is what’s gonna happen.'”

 The network loved Griffith’s ideas. The network also wanted to see a return to, “Very deep, emotional storytelling,” according to Griffith. “Slow things down a little bit, let it breathe, have time to play all the aspects of it.” Morina describes his vision for the show moving forward as, “I want it to be rich. I want it to not be slow, but slow enough where people can feel something. I want it to be emotional. I want it to be somewhat unpredictable. I want it to be real people with real problems.” Griffith adds, “The strength of this show is that there is such a rich history of character and story that you don’t need to go to a new place, you can draw from that and give something new.

Another major change has been replacing Gina Tognoni as Phyllis with the originator of the role, Michelle Stafford. The decision, according to Griffith, was, “Just part of the bigger picture of us saying we need to try to get the show back to that iconic sensibility.” Morina is the one who contacted Stafford. “I called Michelle up. She wasn’t really looking. She was really happy at General Hospital. I was explaining what we’re trying to do and why. But I take full responsibility for not giving up on pursuing that. I just know where we want to go, and really where the network wants to go.” Griffith adds, “And then by us getting her excited about it, it was sort of like, ‘Well, you know this could actually fall into place.'” They admitted that they loved Tognoni, but bringing Stafford back was part of the bigger picture. “We have to re-create the core sensibility of the show. And Michelle is iconic as Phyllis,” Griffith stated.

They also have cast All My Children veteran Eva La Rue as Celeste Rosales, mother of Lola, Arturo and Rey. “Eva will play the fun, fresh, invigorating mom of Lola and Rey, in town to meet Kyle and to help Lola prepare for her wedding. Her attempts to push her way back into Lola’s life – and to take control of planning the big event – will put a strain on her relationship with her daughter, and will test Kyle and Lola’s relationship and bond,” Griffith previews. Both Griffith and Morina hope the fans appreciate the changes being made. “We love you. We hope we do right by you,” says Griffith to the fans. “I hope they like what we’re doing and where we’re going. It does mean something. You feel like you do affect people’s lives, in a way, so that’s nice,” adds Morina.

The Real "Phyliss" is Back on the Y&R!

Gina Tognoni out, Michelle Stafford back in as Phyllis on ‘Young and the Restless’: Fans ‘stunned,’ but Tognoni is ‘grateful’

Get ready for a major soap swap. It was recently reported that Michelle Stafford  is leaving “General Hospital” and will be returning to the role that made her a star: Phyllis Summers on “The Young and the Restless.” Unfortunately, that means the actress currently playing Phyllis, Gina Tognoni  is out. What do you think of the actress switch? Scroll down to vote in our poll at the bottom of this post.

Stafford played Phyllis on and off for almost 20 years, first joining the cast in 1994 and ultimately leaving in 2013. In that time she earned 10 Daytime Emmy nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress in 1997 and then Best Actress in 2004. After her exit from the CBS soap she joined the cast of “GH” as Nina Reeves in 2014, and  she’s been playing her ever since.

 

Tognoni took over as Phyllis in 2014, but by then she was already well known to daytime fans. Her breakthrough role was as Kelly Cramer on “One Life to Live,” and then she won two Emmys for Best Supporting Actress (2006, 2008) for playing Dinah Marler on “Guiding Light.” She had big shoes to fill on “Y&R,” but her performance was well received by her industry peers: She was nominated for Best Actress in 2015 and won in 2017.  

Tognoni commented on her impending exit on Instagram: “I am beyond grateful for the creative experience that ‘The Young and the Restless’ has given to me as well as the amazing relationships I made with the cast, crew/staff, producers, and writers. I love my Genoa City family.”  See What Everyone is saying about the BIGGEST sudden switch!!!

FreemanGriffin: “I have been hoping for this all this time and it is finally happening! One of the things I have missed on ‘Y&R’ is the wonderful chemistry between Christian LeBlanc’s Michael and his best gal pal Phyllis, but he only has chemistry with MS and not at all with GT. While others thought Gina was great in the role I found her to have a lack of humor in her portrayal.”

Sean Phillips: “I can really go for this. Nina is really an unneeded character on ‘GH’ … The actress deserves better.”

linecelts: “I was stunned by this. I was so used to Gina T. Part of me is NOT happy about this.”

EmmyLoser: “This is wonderful news for Stafford and for ‘Y&R.’ It never felt like Gina Tognoni was playing the same character that Stafford did, in so many ways, and it’ll be great for the show to have that character back. I was at the point where I didn’t think this would ever happen.”

Boidiva02: “It does seem like a bit of a no-brainer for Michelle to return to the role she is so iconic for and that made her a star, and I’m sure we all knew it would happen at some point.”

Mark Grossman; The new ADAM on the Y&R!

Another character will be returning from the dead when Adam Newman returns to America's #1 Daytime Drama for over thirty years! THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS. However, the role will now be played by actor Mark Grossman, confirms a show spokesperson. He will be the fourth adult actor to play the devious Newman heir.
Adam was born in 1995, but by 2008 was re-introduced as a full-grown adult, played by Chris Engen. But after just one year in the role, he stepped down and was recast with Michael Muhney. In January of 2014, Muhney made his last appearance and the character disappeared until November of that year, when he returned with Justin Hartley stepping into the role. Unfortunately, when the actor landed a starring role on NBC’s primetime drama THIS IS US, Hartley exited Y&R and Adam was written out once again.

According to Grossman’s IMDb bio, he fell in love with acting playing The Beast in a school production of Beauty and the Beast, and after graduating high school, began pursuing a career in show business. He’s had roles in movies like Stalked By My Doctor: The Return, Double Mommy, and Babysitter’s Nightmare, but may be most recognizable from his role as the scheming Shane on Freeform’s FAMOUS IN LOVE.

The last time Adam was seen in Genoa City, Chloe had trapped him in a cabin before blowing it sky high. Although he was presumed dead, there were hints that Adam could still be alive as Chelsea was caught stealing money and when she ran away from town, made a mysterious phone call some fans believed could have been to Adam.

Parker Van Noord: Modeling, Tradition in the Family

In fashion these days, there is no shortage of sons-of, progeny who have parlayed their famous last names into social media fame and the requisite modeling careers. Most are the descendants of actors and musicians, but rarer is the second-generation model—a somewhat surprising fact given how closely appearances are tied to genetics. Even rarer still is the father-son duo, which brings us to Peter Van Noord  and his father Andre Van Noord  who can count an impressive three decades of success in the business.

 Being the son of one of the most successful and long-lived models in the industry might seem a tough act to follow, but with a run of major campaigns and editorials, including the latest cover of Vogue Netherlands Man, it’s clear Parker is striking his own path in the industry.
Now 20, van Noord’s first introduction to modeling came at 14 thanks to his father, who asked if he wanted to shoot a magazine cover together with Phillippe Vogelenzang .He was quickly signed after that, but he says that at that young age he had little understanding of what exactly was going on. “I never really had an idea of what my father was doing,” van Noord admits. “I didn’t have an overview of what modeling was and we never really talked about it.”

Van Noord estimates that he and his father have shot 9 campaigns together by now, and find themselves working together about two or three times a year. With notable appearances in this spring’s Mango campaign and Hercules Magazine and on the Balmain runway, he is now finding his own way, but he admits that his father’s legacy is still not always easy to shake. “Most of the time they know him, like Mario Testino couldn’t stop talking about him,” he laughs. “He was like, ‘I shot your father back in the 90s, he was always so sexy.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah yeah yeah…’”
Van Noord shies away from direct comparisons with his father, insisting instead that his direction is different, and purposely so. “I try to live up to him,” he says. “It’s no use doing the same thing if you can’t try to do better than your father, although in this situation it’s hard to do better than him. I used to always find it quite hard to be compared to my father, but I’m actually managing to make my own name now and it’s ok.”

When asked if he expects to have a thirty-years-and-counting career as a model like his father’s, Van Noord is quick to reject the idea. “I have no idea how he managed to do that for so long,” he laughs. Currently in his last year studying international business and management, he says he wants to combine his business knowledge with his creative mind in some way, even if he isn’t sure exactly how yet. He spends his free time on photography and writing fiction and tries to keep modeling just one part of his busy life. “I don’t know whether it’s something that I will ever do full time, because I like to enjoy myself with other things too,” he says. “I like to make something myself rather than being the product.”