Recently, photos started circulating on social networks of male models that were present at one particular media event. Women found themselves curious and wanting to get to know them better, and guess what? We did exactly that! We interviewed one of the two models and decided to find out what this man is all about. To join our already sizzling list of Man Of The Week, here is the delightful and charming, Craig Smith:
Name: Craig Smith
Age: 31
Occupation: Financial Trader / Professional Model
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
I’m an English boy, born & bred just outside of London. I graduated with a decent 2:1 from a red brick university that I thought was the ‘be all and end all’ at the time but now has no defining influence on my life other than 3 years of campus life debauchery. For the past 5 years I have been living and working abroad in Australia, Singapore and now Malaysia. I live a bit of a split personality, lifestyle trading a Foreign Exchange currencies (FX) account half the time and professional modelling the rest. I love sun, yoghurt and David Attenborough documentaries.
Why did you choose this particular line of career?
As a kid I wanted to be a fighter pilot but colour blindness put pay to that idea pretty quickly. I studied a scientific degree and there wasn’t a clear career path to go into. A friend of mine started showing me stock charts in my final year at university and that was me hooked. I knew I wanted to be a trader after that. The modelling didn’t start till later on when I had more time and confidence to do it.
What do you love most about modeling?
The creative nature of it for sure. No two days/shoots are the same. I get to travel to some great locations with interesting people and end up with some cool pics or video at the end of it.
Why did you choose to stay in Malaysia and how are you liking it?
I left Singapore at the end of 2011 and came to Malaysia for a break and to stay with a friend for a few weeks before heading back to London. Two and a half years later I’m still here! I like the weather too much I suppose. Food’s not bad either so, yeah I love it.
Are there downsides to being a professional model?
I can’t eat as much Nandos as I would like, which is the biggest shame. Need to stay in some sort of shape. The potential is there to make good money but it certainly doesn’t come in like a regular salary. Although I’m lucky that I also make money elsewhere so, it doesn’t bother me too much.
Do girls find your profession intimidating?
Some do, I suppose if they have seen me on adverts or something before meeting me in person. They presume I’m really confident and form a perception of what I might be like but in reality I’m quite shy. With regards to FX trading, most girls have no idea what it is so I just get a lot of blank stares on that one.
What is the first thing you notice about a girl?
They way she carries herself. Confidence and purpose to the way she moves is a turn on. Sexy eyes never hurts either.
What is the strangest thing you’ve had to do for a shoot or for work?
My first year in Malaysia I decided would be a ‘yes’ year on the modelling front. I didn’t really know the market here so thought I’d do everything that was offered me, which got me into a few interesting and morally compromising situations. I had to act out a TV commercial once entirely in front of a green screen, waving at imaginary people and etc. who were all photo-shopped in afterwards. That was a bit weird.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
It could go two ways and I’m open to both. Either back in London trading a small fund full time or still here in Asia living the dream trading from my laptop on the beach! I will definitely phase out the volume of modelling I do but hopefully will still be doing some commercial campaigns here and there as its great fun. Failing that I might go to Hollywood and become a movie star.
Tell us something interesting
I find nerdy things the most interesting like quantum physics. According to the current standard model of cosmology, the billions of galaxies and stars in our own universe is just one in an infinite number of universes existing side by side like bubbles. Which means there’s an infinite number of me writing this and an infinite number of you reading it, playing out in just a slightly different way. Amazing. But on a personal note I’m about to get another tattoo, a big one. But you’ll have to look out for future pics to see what it is!
