I had the rare honor of doing an interview with a very successful male model turned actor. Oris has multiple years of experience in front and behind the camera. He’s highly acclaimed for being the most photographed and publicized, international fashion, runway and print model of his time era. You can see Oris in the all new fourth season of the US and UK Hit Action Drama series «Strike Back», where he plays Brigadier General Lewis of the United States Air Force. Oris is also now on a world tour with the hit play «The Diary Of Black Men» and he is currently in talks with a major fashion house to collaborate with his new clothing and accessories line for summer release. Oris, how did you get into modeling?
I believe the reason I got into modeling was faith. It was a path I never intended on walking down at all, but looking back today I am very grateful I did. Not only has it opened doors beyond my wildest dreams, but modeling really helped shape the person and artist I am today. It has set the tone to my mission in life in a way I never expected. I was living in Miami Beach in 1993 after walking away from New York, where I had been living for almost 10 years. It was in New York where I was trying to find my place in the music industry and my place in life as a young man. It was there where I had had it with life. 1993 was a strange year. I almost died from a robbery and I was shot 7 times defending a friend of mine who at the
Actor, producer, writer, and fashion model
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART DIRECTION BY GIULIANA CASAROTTI,www.giulianacasarotti.co.uk, Make-up by ndigo London, Model: Oris Erhuero, Tuxedo by Dolce & Gabbana.
Oris Erhuero
time was a very famous Rap artist. From being robbed and almost killed, I fell into a coma and was in and out of surgery quite a bit. The moment I got better and out of critical condition, I decided that this was it; I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the beautiful Big Apple. And this is coming from a man who left London, England at the age of 16 to pursue his dream in the land of the free- LOL ..During my young years in London, I felt like Europe had nothing to offer me as an artist and an actor studying drama and films. I felt like a bird in a cage that wanted out. I just wanted to fly. So moving to New York was the ideal place for me at that time. Little did I know that life would send me down the path to the world I am in today? While in Miami, I decided to get a job waiting tables, I honestly had given up on my dreams and was just happy to be alive, period. During that time, one of the biggest hurricanes in history had rocked America’s coast called Hurricane Andrew, it had hit the state of Florida causing billions of dollars in damages. I left New York on a bus and came to Florida after it had been ripped apart and was being reconstructed. It was crazy, but in time Miami was back on its feet and I can gladly say that I was part of a community of people from all over the world wanting to start a new life and help rebuild the little and best of Miami beach. Modeling agencies, night clubs, cafes, restaurants, films, TV shows and commercial shoots started to come in from all over the world. It was during that same time when the late Gianni Versace moved to Miami from Milan and was constructing and building his villa and flag ship store. Photographers, models, actors, and artists all started to flock in from nowhere. It was like an electrifying wave of creative and beautiful people with incredible ideas coming into Miami. One evening, I served drinks to a man named Azabra and a very beautiful model. This was when my life took a turn forever. He happened to be a very young insightful and vibrant photographer on the rise from Toronto. He invited me to sit with them and they questioned me about why I was working as a waiter in Miami. They said that I should be in Europe modeling and making waves as an actor to be reckoned with. It was weird because he saw my future right away and for a second I thought this guy was nuts. But after the next few weeks, he was doing test shoots of me daily and sending them to agents. The rest, as we know, is history.
