Model Behavior: Parker Hurley from Red

What’s better than a hot new face taking the industry by the reigns?  John W Babin over at Red Model Management hooked me up with an interview with Parker Hurley.   Parker’s new on the scene but already being booked with some major designers and photographers.  Read on to find out what his life has been like since he started modeling:

(photo credit: Tony Duran)

KW:  What were you doing before modeling? I always love the story behind what got people into modeling.

PH: I lived in Philly and graduated from art school last May.  I do print making, and work in a lot of three-dimensional forms.  Recently I’ve been working with plush toys and bartending.  I also enjoy working out, so I was a personal trainer.  My friend’s moms were always telling me I should model and of course I laughed it off.  When I was bartending one night in Philly a guy approached me and started asking questions and eventually gave me his card.  He was an agent in New York.

KW:  What made you decide to model?  How did you go about it?

PH: I created a model mayhem account and did some test shoots.  My god, those first shoots really turned me off to modeling completely.  The photographers were just trying to get me naked!

KW:  Can you blame them though?

PH: Haha. Thanks.  Well afterwards I did a shoot with some local, legit Philly photographers.  Then some agencies started to notice me.  After meeting with some of the agencies I was either too big or they wanted me to take out my ear plugs.  Finally I decided to send an email with images to John from Red.  He emailed me back within a few minutes and showed some interested.  Within a week I was signed!

KW:  If you weren’t modeling what would you be doing?

PH: Does that question have restrictions?

KW:  Nope, no restrictions.

PH: Okay, well my goal in life is play a superhero in a movie.  I’m hoping modeling will be a good springboard into getting into acting.  But I have to admit; I’m a huge comic book and game nerd.

KW:  What would your one super power be then?

PH: Okay, I’ve totally thought about this one already.  I would have the power of telekinesis.  To be able to move things with my mind, including myself.

KW:  What’s the hardest part of the biz?

PH: When I go into castings and try to be friendly and other male models are so uptight.  Especially the female models at times they think I’m hitting on them.

KW:  Most important tattoo and why?

PH: I really can’t pick one, they are all important to me.  I drew all of them.  My tattoos are inspired by Japanese art.  The birds on my stomach, those were the most painful and everyone’s favorite.  I have enso circles that run down my spine, they stand for strength and balance.

KW:  You walked in the Michael Bastian show this past season how was the experience?

PH: It was so much fun.  They handed me kick boxing shorts and shoes.  That was it.  At first I was like where’s the rest of my outfit?  Haha.  It was cool; they wrapped my hands in kickboxing style too.  I was nervous at first but learned that you just need confidence and to have fun with it.  That way your walk will look more natural.

KW:  You shot with Tony Duran in California, tell me what that was like.

PH: Tony is a genius.  And you can quote me on that.  I went out to California and the first day we shot with watches.  I was wearing a really expensive one and almost dropped it.  Haha.  Tony didn’t want me to pose.  He would tell me to go up against a wall and splatter myself on it.  He taught me to loosen up and to believe I was hot.  After I did, and looked at the images he took, I honestly didn’t recognize myself.  It went really fast, he would tell me to go under a light and find a natural, comfortable pose.

KW:  Those images are hot!  The one of you on the floor looks like it could be a Calvin Klein ad!

PH: Thank you.  Yeah my mom wasn’t too thrilled with that image at first.

(photo credit: Tony Duran)

KW:  So tell me some modeling goals you have for yourself.

PH: I love getting dressed up.  I want to do some more high-end clothing ads.  I will rock it like I’ve been doing it for years!  The Tony Duran images got me an Armani Exchange presentation.  It was so much fun.

KW:  You look great in a suit.  Tell me some inspirational thoughts that you’ve come to tell yourself daily while in this industry.

PH: All these people want to work with me, and that I’m here for a reason.  That helps being able to believe in myself.  Another motto I go by is not to take myself too seriously.  I never want to grow up completely.  I try to apply both mottos in modeling.  With modeling I try and let loose, have fun and be professional.

(photo credit: Tony Duran)

KW:  Thank you so much for the interview Parker.  Your new work is stunning and I can’t wait to see what else you’ll do in this industry.

PH: No thank you, this was a lot of fun!

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