Sam Homan is one of Ireland’s most successful models and one hell of a baker.
The Dublin native’s unique look, cooking skills and all-round lovely humble attitude makes him our new favourite model in Ireland.
Not only has he got devishly handsome good looks but speaking to Goss.ie Sam reveals his dreams of settling down and why the modelling industry isn’t as great as it seems.
With blazing blue eyes Sam has had a colourful career in New York, Milan, South Korea and more. He admits it is hard to keep in shape due to his love of baking and at the end of the day he is homebird.
Strike a pose: Sam is a top model | MICHAEL BASTIAN
So Sam let’s start at the beginning, how did you get into Modelling?
I was actually going out with a girl at the time and she put my photo into a competition which I won and then her sister sent my photograph into an agency here, then the agency rang me and were like ‘hay do you want to see me’ and I didn’t know who they were and I just hung up and then they rang me back and said to come in for a chat. So I went in for a chat and they were like you have a casting today so I went and did the casting and got the job and from there I just went off.
I used to do acting when I was a kid and I did different jobs. I did delivery man for a butcher company, merchandise, stacking shelves for Cadbury’s. I worked in a garage for a good few years and I used to be a personal trainer and an aerobics instructor as well.
In Ireland is it easier for you because there is less guys modelling?
At the time it was, but coming back to Ireland and I am seeing more and more trying to get into it. But I always say to people if you want to give it a full time go get out of Ireland. This is a really soft lovely industry over here, image is really nice and everyone is really friendly which is great and everyone gets to know eachother and just have a laugh but then you go abroad and then it’s real competition and real bitchiness, an industry where everyone can be d***heads, two faced, its kind of a nasty industry but it’s alright if you have your head on your shoulders.
What is your most memorable shoot looking back at everything you’ve done?
The funnest shoot I’ve ever done was the Peroni one. Actually a lot of the alcohol campaigns were fun, it’s just more relaxed on the day because they want it to be a fun atmosphere and they want a fun photograph to come across or a fun video and so the Peroni campaign lasted a whole day and basically we just got trashed for the whole day and had loads of fun and they were like we need to have a party scene and everyone had a great time. It’s all part of the day’s work.
Cara Delevigne is quitting modelling because of the comments about weight, does that bother you?
I’m going back to New York Monday week and I’m a little bit shitting myself because the very first time I went over I got told to lose 10lbs in ten days and I did. It was a massive crash diet but I nailed it and rocked in there and my agency were really happy with me. It’s because I was in Greece at the time and I was on stay over there and they were taking us out five nights a week and we were just getting drunk and getting fed and having loads of fun. I was having too much fun and not working out as much as I should have and I ended up being really bloated and they took Polaroid’s of me and sent them to New York where they were like ‘you need to lose 10lbs in ten days’ or this isn’t going to work out.
When I’m in London or New York I walk everywhere, you walk up and down the subway steps, it’s an extra bit of cardio that you don’t really think about walking everywhere, going up and down steps. If there is an escalator I’ll walk or run up it, I won’t stand there. But when I’m back in Ireland I get too comfortable using a car and not walking as much so I always tend to put on a few more pounds. I have to get back onto this again and get into shape. I’m always very conscious of my body because I come from a background of being quite heavy up until I was 18. I was 17 stone. So my body doesn’t want to be ripped and I don’t like being ripped either because, obviously it would be lovely to be ripped, but it’s a lot of hard work to maintain and I like to have a lot of fun and I bake and cook and I like to enjoy myself where you see these people, which I completely get and fair play to them, they are breaking their balls to get in amazing shape but for me I did that before, I got into banging shape but then my agency saw me and loved it.
Sweet: Sam’s other love is baking |Â LIANNA TARANTIN
How did you get into baking?
I think it came from my mam growing up as a kid she did the usual Christmas treats and birthday cakes for us all and then I just took an interest in it and when I was in school I wanted to get into woodwork but all the places were filled so I ended up doing Home Economics for six years. There was a little bit of baking and cooking involved but then there was lots of science and stuff which baffled me but when I took up modelling I used to bake and bring things on set, they used to like my food and said ‘you need to do this’ but I thought if I do it I won’t enjoy it and then I went f**k it and I was in London at the time and I signed up as a mature student in DIT Culinary Arts. I did one year out of four years but there was too much theory for me.
I’m very good with my hands, I do a lot of woodwork as well and I like creating things and I also like feeding people. They say I’m a feeder. I always loved the idea of feeding people generally, it’s a lovely thing to do, to be able to provide a lovely meal and have loads of fun, seems like a great idea to me. I bring everybody over to my house and spend the money that I would spend on a night out on everybody else.
Did the female models not hate seeing you coming with sweet treats?
Yeah but again its everything in moderation but at the same time look at everybody out there at the moment you’ve got Theodore and Rosanna into their food and doing healthy things. Think about what you are putting into your body and cut out all the shit, bake and make our own stuff and you know exactly what’s going into it and then if you make it you know not to make too much.
I’m a ceoliac and so is my mam and brother and my dad is diabetic so that’s where all the gluten free, sugar free stuff comes from because I’m making stuff for my family but I do make heavy stuff as well but I tend not to eat that stuff because I know what I put into it.
You’re a model getting more and more recognised for your baking, Roz Purcell is the same, what do you make of her success?
She knew what she wanted to do, she did Miss Universe and she’s worked hard and I’m sure she does a lot of hard work behind it.
Celeb cooks: Roz is becoming well known for being a foodie | VIPIRELAND.COM
You are off to New York soon, what are you doing over there?
I have an agency over there and I’m going over for a stay which means I’ll go over and stay for two months and do loads of castings and if a job comes from that, that’s what happens basically. That’s what my life consists. I go and hope for the best.
Have you ever had random request from women or men who have asked you to come over to their house and bake in there kitchen?
Not yet. I’d happily do it and these are things that are all going to happen when I settle down. It’s all going to go that way, take me over to your house and I’ll show you how to bake with ingredients that actually make it look good and taste good.
If you could be any cake what would you be and why?
I’d have to be an 85% dark chocolate cake with raspberries.
Tell me about your tattoos, when did you get your first one and what inspires them?
I wasn’t allowed to get tattoos until I was 18. I turned 18 and that day I went and got some stupid outline of a dragon with fire – because you know that was cool 12 years ago! And then I got eyes on my arm then I got the eyes covered up with a crap angel and then I got colour added and different things. I’ve been getting them for 12 years.
Do you get them in different parts of the world?
Yeah it depends if I’ve gotten one recently or not, my whole stomach and chest was all done in England, I got one done in New York, Milan but mostly Dublin.
Chats: Sam spoke to Goss.ie about his career and what lays ahead
More models are tattooed, have yours affected or helped you career?
The funny things is that if you are going to be a tattooed boy you’ve got to be an extreme tattooed boy with tattoos on your neck and hands. I’ve gotten jobs because of my tattoos and I’ve lost jobs because of my tattoos. I’ve gone into jobs sometime and they say ‘hmm’ and I’m like ‘You can say no I’ve loads of things to do today and you humming and hawing is taking up my time’ and they’re like ‘no’ and it’s like ‘thanks lovely meeting you’. You’re in an industry that you get judged on your appearance but you have to not take it personally, try work that one out. I’m very used to rejection. It’s like 97% rejection 3% success in my industry. If you take badly to rejection you go nowhere and it’s worse when you go abroad because you are going to get judged on every single inch of your body.
You can turn around and say no, you can say no to everything you just have to put up with your choices. Don’t ever regret anything in life, if you don’t want to do it don’t do it. If you are a little bit insecure about any part of your body be prepared.
What is it like being a model and working with other models?
I’ve met loads of nice people and I’ve met Cunts as well . At the end of the day you are just friends until the end of the shoot. I’ve a million different acquaintances around the world but I’ve fuck all friends. That’s kind of sad and hard at times but at the same time that’s the life I’ve chosen. And it gets very lonely and you go out and try meet people in whatever country you’re in but then in New York I’ve loads of good friends. I’ve gone on stay four times now so every time I go over I add more friends.
Do you ever get homesick?
There is those times that you just want some Irish. Everybody wants a little taste of home. Sometimes I don’t want to Skype people because I get a little too homesick because it can be too hard. I’d rather not hear your voice. Yes it’s your comfort but it’s your family and friends. There was a hard time when I was in Hamburg and I had to be home there’s no point sitting here crying on Skype so I just left. At the end of the day it’s in my own power to leave or not. So many people think that the agencies control them. You pay the agency 20%, i don’t pay my friends 20%. They aren’t your friends, I am the product, they are selling me, I am making them money. If i ever want to do something personally you have to make it work.
The grass is always greener on the other side, the grass is as green as you make it. It’s like anybodies job is easy if you know what you are doing.
