He’s a fashion model, actor, and Australian! Ben began his career in the oil and gas industry, but, feeling unfulfilled, he started searching for a change in lifestyle. He soon found his calling in modeling and acting and decided to quit his office job to pursue his new career.

I recently met with Benjamin to discuss addiction in the fashion industry and why we should challenge our preconceived ideas about models.

– Tell us about yourself and how you became involved in modeling and acting:

– I am 29 years old, from Perth, in Western Australia. I lived there for the first ten years of my life before moving around a bit with my family. My early life was spent largely abroad—mainly in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Ireland.

I worked for a few years as a project planner for an oil company in Asia, but felt that I needed to make a change to my lifestyle. The idea of modeling really appealed to me, so I returned to Australia and began working on my fitness. I focused on transforming my body profile to one more suitable for a modeling career. This period of time seemed to pass quickly, and within a couple of months, I was being offered a lot of modeling work.  

– I have read that when Australia was first colonized, the Europeans brought their tendency for heavy drinking with them. You travel a lot; do you observe differences in drinking cultures and attitudes toward alcohol?

– Yes, I guess so, particularly during when working for the oil company. I noticed that the expats have a tendency to drink a lot. The Scots in particular drank the most—primarily whisky and strong spirits. The Australians also tend to be heavy drinkers, sticking mainly to beers rather than spirits. I did the same; before my modeling career took off, I was drinking almost every day. At that time, my lifestyle included smoking cigarettes and drinking heavily on the weekends.

– Did you give up these habits for modeling?

– Yes, sure. If you want to be fit, you can’t live like that and still look and feel good. Heavy drinking and smoking makes you look physically unhealthy and that’s not good in this business.

– Have you ever used alcohol before a job interview to feel confident?

– No, never. I never felt the need. My reputation is too important to me to do that.

– Women often feel insecure by the images of models they see in magazines. Do you think the expanding male modeling industry is increasing body dissatisfaction in men, too?

– Sure, I think that men have become more conscious of their appearance. They seem to have become more metrosexual, focusing on their looks and spending more time in front of a mirror. The ‘six-pack’ culture is growing, although I don’t think that’s a negative thing. It’s good for people to assess themselves and try to stay fit and healthy. There’s no point continuing what you are doing if it’s unhealthy, and that healthy trend definitely helps. It’s probably true to say that previously, it was considered masculine to have a beer belly—not just to drink heavily, but to be the guy who can drink the most. I believe that the shift towards looking fit should benefit men more than making them feel dissatisfied with themselves.

– The fashion industry is often associated with cocaine use. It is said that models use it to stay awake, keep working, stay thin, and so on. Do you think that cocaine use and the catwalk are inseparable?

– I honestly don’t think that the models are the ones using cocaine. Certain people within the fashion industry use it, but generally not the models themselves. I’ve seen more people using drugs in normal life than I have in the modeling industry.

– Would you say that you have or have had an addiction?

– Yes, cigarettes. I smoked from the age of 14 until I quit at 25. I was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. I would quit now and then but start back on them again after two months or so. Then, I participated in a program in Australia that brought into focus the habits that encouraged me to smoke. For me, coffee and alcohol were the culprits. Once I stopped drinking them and focused on fitness, it became much easier for me to stop permanently. Today, I no longer smoke.

– Would you say that the taste of cigarette was good?

– No, it just becomes a habit. It’s an addiction!

– Could you live without checking social media for a week?

– That would be hard. For me, quitting for one day would be OK. (smile)

– How do you see yourself in 10 years?

– I see myself living in the United States, as an actor based in Los Angeles.

– When you decided to become a model, did you desperately want to become famous?

– No, I was just happy that I had reached a goal that I had set up for myself. I still continue to set new goals. Actually, if you want to be famous, modeling is the wrong career for you.

– Would you say fame is addictive?

– For me, it’s not. But if some people crave attention, then fame can be one way to get it.

– As you know, there’s no guarantee fame will last, particularly in modeling. How do you feel when you think about yourself in 10 years time?

– I don’t really think about that. Fame is not something I think about a lot. It was never a big factor in my life – it was not why I became a model.

– What is your greatest achievement?

– Recently, it was making the cover for last October’s Harper’s Bazaar. Also, being the Cosmopolitan Man of the month; that issue is coming out soon.

– Surely modeling offers greater access to girls. Has it changed your values?

– No, my values are the same. People associate modeling with cocaine, partying, and sex. Those things are available if you want them to be, but it’s the same for any industry. It’s just a lifestyle choice and it’s not mine. 

A Genuine Role Model

Benjamin Hall seems a level-headed young man who knows what he wants. His head doesn’t seem turned by the temptations prevalent in his chosen profession. He does admit that he started modeling late, and that he probably would have been more vulnerable at a younger age. He is happy with the path he has chosen and wants to follow it. Ben is a genuine role model for youngsters dreaming of entering the world of fashion and cinema.