Gonna Tell You A Bit About Me & My Journey
- Written by Thorn Castillo
There was a time that I didn’t like seeing myself in a mirror. I lacked confidence. I was shy. Then, I found modeling. When I first started modeling, being in front of the camera didn’t feel natural and I was nervous. Like most things – practice makes perfect, right? The more I modeled, the more natural it became. The first time I really noticed I had shifted was when I did a shoot for Eone watches in Georgetown, Washington, DC. Eone watches is popular in this area. It was my biggest modeling job to date.
It wasn’t only the modeling shoots that made me more comfortable. I took acting classes at NOVA Community College. I started working with John Palotta, a talented acting coach. I was found by a Scout of Funny Face Today Talent Inc. and brought on their team in New York City. I combed the internet for acting and modeling jobs and submitted and auditioned for as many as I could. The talent agency got me a shoot to be the new face of Schick Razors. All of my preparation made the Schick Razor modeling shoot and video go smoothly. I remember comments from the Schick crew like: “Great job. We are getting this done so quickly. Boy, I’m glad we found you before you became famous.” After the shoots with Schick, I felt proud. I had worked hard, and it paid off in a big way.
Everything went on pause in 2020, but we are finally getting back into the World. I can see light at the end of the COVID tunnel, and am excited to get in front of the camera again. The new year is starting off well. I have an article in Men’s Health and an upcoming photoshoot for new faces in GQ (full spread), and I’m SAGA eligible.
In only two years I went from being very nervous in front of the camera to more natural and comfortable. I have become more confident in my unique look. Being in front of the camera has changed my view of myself. It has given me confidence as a person, model and actor. I think I would still be struggling with my self-esteem if I hadn’t taken this journey.
I have learned what it takes to have a special look and present myself in a pleasant and professional manner - with good posture and everything that goes into it. It might not seem that this would take hard work, but it does. It takes commitment and consistency. I am constantly working on my posture, working out, getting enough rest/sleep, eating healthy (although I do treat myself once a week to something decadent), and using good products on my skin. All of these things make me more confident in front of the camera. If I were to step up my care, I would add weight training into my daily regimen. I used to lift weights when I was in high school but tapered off over the last few years. It is a goal of mine to be back in the gym when they open this year.
For me, acting and modeling is like no other career in the World. It was the first career I ever wanted. I love doing each shoot, each job, as it pushes me to show up, learn and grow. In my opinion it’s one of the hardest careers to make to find success. There are many other people with looks and talent. The competition is crazy. But I have grown in my own abilities and have the confidence in myself to have the career I always dreamed of. Whether my career will mean commercials, TV shows or movies, we will all have to wait and see what the future brings. This much I do know, for me, failure is not an option – I can see my career as a model and actor clearly in front of me. My journey is just beginning.
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