Ethan James Green Thought He Had Given Up Modeling. Then He Thought Again.

Instead, like me, they just text you. How did you shoot the image?

James Sakalian is my lighting tech, and when I have done self-portraits in the past—and this goes back to before I was modeling officially and putting my book together—I would have someone stand in, and I’ll frame the image up, photograph them, and then they’ll switch spots with me. So I did that with James. And then there’s the computer screen, too, so I can see where to go higher, or lower.

So, Ethan, are you going to be one of those models—I have always loved this phrase from those model headshot cards—“By Special Arrangement”?

Well, I am on the talent books, so basically, yes! It’s good, because…a male model is at the bottom of the totem pole in this industry. Some male models go through a lot of bullshit…I had crappy things happen to me. I tell a lot of models, male or female: You really have to look at modeling as a stepping stone, because the industry can be so quick to love you and then forget you. So you have to make the leaps and jumps when it’s time—and it’s a very quick moment.

Are you open to editorial, advertising, all of it?

Yeah, I think it just depends on what it is, but I am excited to show up, sit in the chair, get in front of the camera, eat lunch, get in front of the camera again, sit in the chair, and go home.

What about walking a show? Would you do that?

I think I might!

You’ve signed with IMG. Were they initially surprised you wanted to model again?

Dean [Rodgers] from the agency had asked me, because he has come to a lot of the shows at New York Life [Green’s gallery on Canal Street], and when he brought it up two years ago, my response was absolutely not. So then I reached out to him, and he was like, “Oh my god, please come in to see us!” When I saw him, he told me he thought that I was so not into it. And I said, “I guess feelings change.” I was happy—they were like, let’s do this. (Imagine reaching out and they were like, ahhhh…trying to nicely say no.)