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Former model recalls life in the spotlight
SARAH ABBOTT/South Charleston
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By Sarah Abbott
South Charleston High School
Nineteen-year-old Kurt Hanz, who arrived in West Virginia from Connecticut at age 4, got his start as a model when he was 10.
“I saw a sign at Town Center for a Facefinders model show,” he said. “I knew my talents had always been more in the way of comedy and acting, but I still wanted to give it a try.
“It was unbelievable to think you might make it. There were literally about 500 people,” he continued. “You had your five to 10 minutes in the spotlight and hoped you won. I did.
“I ended up the top male model in West Virginia in ‘97, and the grand prize was a ticket to fly to and get in free at a runway extravaganza in Palm Springs, Ca. at the Riviera. When I was participating, I was representing the state as well as myself.”
“It didn’t scare me. I loved it,” Hanz said of the experience. “Being on a runway is like being strapped to a rocket. It’s a fast ride.”
At the event, Hanz was immersed in all things modeling - including agents. “There was a table of agents present, looking to sign new models or actors (because modeling can lead to an acting job). You are exposed to the same people and agents in both fields.”
After getting several callbacks and talking to a number of agents, Hanz settled on the Rising Stars agency. His initial meeting with the company’s agent was an interesting one.
The agent had dropped his luggage as he was coming into the hotel, and Hanz stopped to help the man without knowing who he was. Later, that same agent gave him a callback card for Rising Stars.
When the two talked about acting, Hanz decided he wanted to live on the East Coast and got an agent in Washington, D.C. Rising Stars saw his potential and enrolled him in classes with the Erickson Agency.
“I enjoyed the acting,” he said. “After taking many acting lessons, I ended up doing runway and print modeling.
“The work was easy because I enjoyed doing it,” Hanz continued. “When I did acting, it was fun. I never knew what was going to happen next — it was like being suspended in air.”
But modeling wasn’t all fun. It was, after all, a job.
“I’d sometimes have to get up at 3 or 4 in the morning to be there at 6 or 7,” he said. “If you were late, you lost your job. It’s a tough business because there’s always someone ready to step in the moment you trip up.
“Being late is not allowed, and your attitude has to be right as well. Even as a kid you must present yourself in a professional manner. When everyone’s looking at you, it’s a great feeling, but it can be intimidating to anyone who is not used to being in the spotlight.”
Because his busy schedule had him traveling a lot, Hanz’s family began home-schooling him. Otherwise, Hanz says, he didn’t see much of a difference in his upbringing.
“I never really noticed how modeling affected my childhood. It was improved by the fact that I got to travel the U.S. and see many interesting people,” he said. “Most of my friends were either on tour with me or in the business.”
The job itself was also an educational experience for Hanz.
“Starting off so young taught me a lot about how the business world really is and about how people can be,” he said. “People come in looking for an easy shot at glory, their slice of the pie, and they don’t always make it — it’s a cutthroat business.
“You never know what to expect when you go into your agent’s office,” he continued. “But if you’re good, you start to make a name for yourself.”
Of the modeling world, Hanz said, “It really is the glamorous life you see in the movies. You walk on the runway, and everyone’s focused on you.
“There actually are after-parties!” he exclaimed. “There are the public ones in the grand ballrooms with loud music and stuff, and then there are the private ones by the pool that no one but agents, actors and models come to.
“It’s a lot like high school, with the ‘in’ crowds,” he said with a laugh.
Though Hanz still does some modeling on occasion, he retired from the hectic lifestyle a few years ago. “I got to the point where I wanted to relax after spending years on the road. I wanted to sail more with my family. In short, I wanted to have fun!”
Now he’s got a new passion: radio. “Right now, I’m doing some radio work. I like that I’m still involved in the media. I’m also a Ham Radio operator now, and that helps me with a different kind of communication development.”
“I’d like to get more into acting again,” he admitted, saying that he plans to do so after college.
“If I had the chance to do things differently, I would keep things as they are,” he said. “I’m very happy with that period of my life.”
Hanz offered this advice to those hoping for a life of fame and fortune:
“If you’re going to do it, learn to take a hit. Seriously. You’ll get knocked at times — from agents, judges, people behind and in front [of you]. It’s like ‘The Weakest Link’ - ‘You are the weakest link, goodbye.’ Don’t take it too hard. I’ve seen people let it get to their heads, and they break down.
“Don’t ever hold grudges, either. It can be hard to let go of them, but you have to think of how it will make you look if you don’t.”
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