Today we’d like to introduce you to Shane Johnson.
Hi Shane, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Starting off, I never pictured myself becoming a model or having the opportunity to be a part of the things I have accomplished. I have an athletic background and I’d figured I’d pursue sports and try to achieve something through that. I have been involved in a plethora of sports such as Football, Basketball, Track & Field, Wrestling, and Rowing. I wanted to go far with my athletics but suffering a few injuries limited my performance slightly. Another reason I didn’t get into modeling right away was due to me being self-conscious about my looks. I felt that I didn’t have the “model” look and I was quite hard on myself and my appearance. Eventually, I grew out of that mindset and starting changing myself both physically and mentally. I later realized that despite what people think, I should try to be the best version of myself and not worry about what others be may think of me or how they may view me. So with that being said, I started having random encounters with people who asked me if I model or act. I would reply “no” and simply say I’m just an athlete. These people I wouldn’t encounter whether it be on the street, in a store, etc., would ask me the same thing, “do you model,” “are you an actor.” So I took these things as I sign to try to pursue acting and modeling.
Eventually, I went to LA and went to some model castings and actually got selected to be a part of fashion shows and recover positive responses from fellow models, as well as designers and other casting directors. Overall my experiences with modeling have been great, and we’ll assist acting. I have been a part of a few short films and hasn’t small roles as a background actor. I eventually plan to be a part of bigger roles and bigger films. This also goes for future fashion shows I plan to be a part of for example, the Paris/Milan fashion show, New York fashion week, just to make a few. Despite that, I have gotten where I am today by staying motivated and staying consistent. I feel that is key because this industry can be hard to break through and get to where you want to be and can add on a great amount of pressure. But if you remain focused and have a drive to succeed then you will do just fine.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The struggle I had in the beginning was knowing where to start when it came to modeling and acting. A tool I used was Instagram and I reached out and applied to castings I’ve seen or those looking for models. I also look online through Craigslist and found castings there as well. And eventually, I started becoming familiarized with certain people I’ve worked with, and it later started to become easier because casting directors and fellow models or actors I have worked with would refer me to other opportunities that I might fit into and do well in. Another struggle was not being intimidated by other models due to my lack of experience. I was in my head a lot when it came to how well I would perform in the runway or in my shoots. The more I become familiar with the runaway and photoshoots, the less anxious I would feel. I began to enjoy the process of everything and things went a lot smoother for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am currently a student as Cal State University San Bernardino, majoring in Kinesiology. I plan o getting into athletic training as well as physical therapy in the near future. As for my occupation, I work at a Home Depot warehouse in Ontario, CA. So far, I am proud of myself for still staying strong and remains in school despite solemn of the setbacks I have had academically and mentally. Having the opportunity to further education when a great majority do not get that chance. As for my job, it is okay for the most part despite the long hours. I operate a forklift and I also move freight into trailers or areas throughout the warehouse as well.
What were you like growing up?
Personality-wise, I was always to myself, I was very reserved and quite. I was very shy as well. I later grew out of the shyness just a tad bit and I have been a little note outgoing with people I encounter. As far as my interests, I’m a big fan of music specifically R&B, and another interest of mine was sports of course and always being active. Another personality trait that I had growing up was making people laugh, outside of modeling and acting I am a pretty goofy person and always crack jokes. So that is something that stands out about me is I like making people smile and happy in times they may be going through rough patches or just need to be cheered up just a little bit to get their mind off of things.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.libra/
Image Credits:
@rravenperspective @Dmtm (Divine Model and Talent Management) @John de Dios @Ceylon Grey
