Triple Threat Ben
By Belinda Trotter James
If you are a fan of the show, you know that Ben is tall with dark features and handsome. I did not believe he was the next to be eliminated from the show. I asked him what the heck happened? He is a triple threat with singing, acting and dancing under his belt. However a blonde wig was his downfall. Ben laughed and said, "Did you see that dirty mop on my head? It was easy to see that dirt mop on my head is the reason why I got eliminated". He went on to say that if he would've had a black wig on his head instead of that blonde wig, he would have done much better. However, if you're an actor, you put on whatever costume you are given and you become that character.
Before Ben joined the top model cast he was in New York. Believe it or not he won a modeling and acting competition. "I won most sought after talent and male model of the year", says Ben. By winning the competition he got manager out of it and went to LA to pursue his career further. He also got his bachelors degree in communication. He booked a Nike commercial with LeBron James, landed some acting gigs, but not a whole lot of modeling jobs plus he's working on a music career right now to see which one is the best fit. Ben is still working on his modeling craft and just finished shooting some of the best modeling photos of his career.
Ben never actually meant to audition for the show. It was a friend of his that he met at a catering job. He remembered Ben and called him eight months later to say he should audition for America's Next Top Model. At first Ben thought it was not a good idea, but after his friend told him about the prizes he decided to go through with it. He was hesitant because it was a reality show.
"Nah! I'm an actor", says Ben. "I don't need to be doing a reality show, but after my friend told me I could win 100 grand, a modeling contract and it's such a big platform, I figured he was right; I should do it. I figured if I stay true to myself even if it's a lot of drama around me, the sky is the limit for opportunities that could come after the show". So he auditioned and the rest is history.
With all Ben's experience his advice to those preparing for a photo shoot is to have confidence. "The number one thing you should have at a photo shoot is confidence. You also want to find the light. Make sure the lighting is good on your body and face. You do need to know a little bit about modeling, but at the end of the day even if you know how to do all the poses or how to move your body, if you don't have confidence it will show. If you think too much about what you are doing, it's not going to look good. You need to just go with the flow. Get in your inner element and just let your heart shine through. Embrace your surroundings and get in the mood. Think of a mood or character you want to show. Maybe you want to show a sensual side or a lost puppy side or angry or a very enduring side. There are so many things that could be going on in your mind. Just pick one and go with it. If it doesn't work, do a different one. Whatever you pick be confident with it.
Ben seems to be surviving a little better than others because he has triple threat skills in singing, acting, dancing and he can add modeling to his set of skills for success. His advice in pursuing this business is to say humble. "It's a struggle. You have to stay humble and hungry. It would be easy for me to have a big head being on America's Next Top Model. So you have to stay humble and hungry and just keep hustling because it is a hustle. There are so many other people out there working harder than you. In order to keep up you have to match that and bring more to the table. Take a step back to look at your stengths and focus. No matter what you believe in I think we all are blessed and you should focus on being a good person. Be a helpful, encouraging person which will bring good karma. If everyone can do that, then everyone could be successful along with a lot of luck and timing".
Who will be eliminated next and lose a chance at being America's Next Top Model. Stay tuned!
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