When model Darien Willardson told me he was visiting New York, I was so excited to meet with him. I really admire his determination, energy and creativity. Even though it was snowing, he put on his cowboy boots and trudged into the city for our interview.

I loved how much energy he had both in front of the camera as well as off camera. I have to say that I really appreciate his acting experience! He was really comfortable in front of the camera. When I was testing my camera, he started making funny faces! He made the whole experience fun  – we were cracking jokes and laughing during the interview.

He didn’t mind when I made him do a few versions of his video interview which personally, was a huge relief. Not only was he patient while I got all the pictures and footage I needed, he also gave me different ideas for our interview.

Without further ado… Enjoy Part 1 of our interview!

Meet Model Darien:

What is your style? A mix between country, skater and hipster. I’ll wear skater boy shoes and slim fit jeans.

Where do you love to shop? H&M, Zumiez, PacSun, Calvin Klein, J. Crew, and Ralph Lauren.

Who is your role model? Johnny Depp because he plays all of his characters really well. Also, Heather Ledger.

What is your #1 hobby? Snowboarding. I actually used to be a snowboarding instructor at Powder Mountain.

Do you have any quirks? Hmm selective hearing? Day dreaming? I would say visually creating something in my head.

What is something that you can’t you live without? My friends and family. I like having people around.

What is your greatest accomplishment? Being a model and actor. I’ve been in 6 films – My top ones are Storm Rider, The Last Straw, Wild Horses and Noctrune.

What are your goals and dreams? I want write a book about my life and my recovery of being a heroin addict.  I was addicted to drugs for a year of my life when I was 19-20 years old. Since then, I’ve been clean from heroin.  I want to inspire people who are addicts to better their lives and dream big. I want them to think with an open mind and an open heart. I would tell the story about the young creative storyteller that went into drugs, got clean and is now acting in movies – It’s a huge jump. I was the black sheep in my family. Even the lone wolf – I want to show that you can change.

Do you have any advice for aspiring models? Find a hobby. You should have a deeper talent and broaden your talent spectrum. For example, learn how to snowboard. Also, you should also embrace your weaknesses.

Darien has modeled for Theory Clothing Line (NY), Magnum Bikes ( Salt Lake City) and Jane.com (Salt Lake City).

You can follow Darien on Instagram here: @darienwillardson

Stay tuned for Part 2, our video interview!

Love always,

Jenny A.