Born on Friday the 13th of July 1979, Warren McAslen has had a modeling career anything but jinxed for failure. Unfortunately this could not apply to a promising career in football that was cut short after two knee operations. His taste for travel and modeling opportunities lead him all around the world but McAslen decided his home-base would be Cape Town. I caught up with him this weekend as he appears on the coveted cover spot of Men's Health.
Firstly, congratulations on your October cover of Men's Health! What is that feeling like, considering all the fitness modeling you've done before?
It's a fantastic feeling of achievement as far as men's magazines are concerned. I believe Men's Health is the pinnacle. It was one of my goals to get onto the front cover by the age of 30 and I'm 31 now, so im really thrilled.
There are a lot of Cape Town boys who are scouted for modeling that probably never considered the career before, how did it happen to you?
I was 21 and out at a club (Jet Lounge I think) and a guy came up to me, gave me his business card and told me he was a model scout and to give him a call, which i did. We met up for coffee, he showed me his portfolio and gave me an option of 3 differant agencies to join and thats how it all started for me.
You have quite the catalog of T.V commercials, would you say (despite the obvious pay difference) that they are more fulfilling than regular print and catwalk modeling?
It's weird, in the beginning I always enjoyed the acting and tv commercials way more than the print work. I guess because I wasn't totally comfortable with it. However, nowadays I love doing them both. I have a huge appreciation for how lucky I am to be in this game. The catwalk stuff is a totally differant ball-game, particularly if it's a big show. There's so much more exitement and adrenaline backstage and in a few seconds its all over. It's brilliant.
While many people enjoy modeling as a way to earn a good money while traveling extensively it doesn't always pan out for everyone. Do you have any horror stories of your modeling career?
Fortunetly I've been quite lucky. It's not to say I haven't worked with some difficult people or haven't had a job I couldn't wait to finish. I did a commercial once with a 2 year old girl who didnt want to be with anyone but her mom, that was pretty tough on everyone on set, it was booked as a 1 day shoot and went on to become 3 days.
On the flip side, what would you say was the highlight of your career?
Wow, there have been so many. Men's Health is obviously way up there, but I have been lucky enough to do the 'Positive Rocks show' at Sun City alongside Seal and John Legend, I've been pushed into a pool by Charlize Theron for a sun international commercial, I opened Dirk Bikkembergs 2010/2011 Spring Fashion Show for Milan and shot the catalog.
But my best was being selected for the Marlboro Cigarette World Wide Campaign. I got flown business class to Buenos Aires and shot a stills and a tv commercial for 3 days. It was one of those jobs that came out of the blue, casting on the Saturday, confirmed on the Sunday and flew out on the Monday morning. It was surreal.
I've learned that some of the best local male models are not content with just modeling. You have a business on the side that keeps you very busy, right?
Yes i do. I have a 9-5 like most people, I'm just lucky enough to be able to sneak in the odd shoot or two. I'm a part owner of the family business DEMCA, we import valve actuators (look it up on Google) from around the world, we sell them, install, service and repair them. One minute I'm in a business meeting, the next I'm on site and the next I'm rushing off to a speedo casting. It can all be a bit crazy sometimes but it keeps me level headed and grounded.
Is there anything that you have outright refused to do on a shoot? If not what would that be?
Again I must be one of the fortunate ones. As I'm in a serious relationship I stay away from the hot and steamy castings, but I guess i wouldn't do anything that would jeopardise my name or career. I love doing my own stunt work, but again if there's a slight chance I could die by doing it, I say call in the pros.
People might not know this but you are a genuinely nice and humble guy, do you think this has helped you in your career?
The modeling industry is just like any other industry. There are people you enjoy working with and then there are those that you only want to work with once. I think having a good attitude, being polite and just being a nice guy goes along way to being booked again and again by the same client.
What was the first major splurge you enjoyed from your earnings?
One of the first commercials I booked paid for my trip over to the States. I coached soccer in New York for three months and then headed over to Canada for a few weeks. That was when I realized I should treat this like a business.
What do the next five years look like for Warren Mc Aslen?
Well I hope to have secured a job as a presenter on TV. Become the face of a clothing or fragrance campaign, a succesful business that keeps providing an excellant standard of service to a growing client base. I'd be happily married with a child and the 2nd one on the way, but who knows what life throws at me as long as I'm healthy and happy.
Is there anything that you wish people would know about this industry?
I wish people had a better idea of how hard it can be to be a model; constantly having to put up with rejection, sitting at castings for 2 to 3 hours only for the client to look at you up and down, flash through your portfolio and to shout out NEXT!... working in very tense enviroments when you are on set, with a hundred eyes watching you waiting for you to take the perfect sip from your beer or drink, whilst giving a slight smile and just a tiny raise of the eyebrow... and all this as the sun sets in the background. At the end of the day it's a job.
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