Gorgeous Blond Trevor Van Uden in an exclusive Interview for PnV Network (Part II)
By Tom Peaks @MrPeaksNValleys
Now, we present Part II of our exclusive interview with blonde supermodel Trevor Van Uden. Today, he talks about some of his favorite shoots and photographers, working with the Jenner sisters, zip-lining the Great Wall of China and nudity. Here is the man as well as great images of one Trevor Van Uden:
You have shot with a lot of the most popular male model photographers, Trevor. I want to ask you about a few of them. You worked with Brian Jamie. And I know you love his use of color but, it was not a color shoot. What was it like to work with him and can we get you two back together because that last shoot was fantastic?
Thank you! Brian is great! He is so funny and easy to shoot with, not to mention, a great guy. Brian was one of the first photographers I shot with when I made the move to NY in late 2014. I think that he has a great grasp on what he wants but is able to let go and allow you to improv a little bit, which allows him to catch the personality and individuality of the person that he is shooting. Yes, I would definitely love to do another shoot with Brian; he is really making some big moves and taking some great images.
Closer to home in LA, you also worked with Scott Hoover. His work is indeed very popular. What is the magic behind Scott’s success with models?
Scott, he is amazing. Well, from my point of view, Scott is great because he is such a great friend to everyone, is so approachable and easy to talk with. It is because he is so open and honest, that helps you feel you can be as well. I think it’s these personality traits and how you connect with someone outside of shooting that ultimately shows up in your work together.
And Photographer Harol Baez, I see you have done a lot of work with him, tell me about him.
Harol is incredible. He really knows how to turn out an image. His work has so many levels and elements that it is hard for me to describe, being that I am not necessarily a photographer. We have done number of shoots, a few in NY and one out in LA. He is definitely one to watch and will be doing some major work in the future.
For C-IN2 underwear, you posed for Rick Day. You did some video as well. Rick is such an icon. How was working with him? You looked great in all that colorful underwear.
Loved working with Rick. He makes you feel great. He is so upbeat, and funny, and, like you said, he is an icon. It was an honor to shoot with him. He gave me a lot of great direction which helped make those images and the video really work.
You did a video short (and photos) for Joseph Lally called “The Versace Man.” That was very erotic! You made out with your mirror reflection. Tell us about that project and how you came to be a part of it. How comfortable were you shooting that sexy content?
It was great to work with Joe. My favorite part was getting to speak with him before the shoot. Joe has a unique point of view, and it is refreshing because it sparks your imagination. That is what really got me comfortable with shooting the story with him. He had a very full and vivid story in his head and he was able to communicate that with me in a way that made it make sense and make me comfortable shooting.
Did you get to keep the lace and shirtless men underwear from the Lally shoot? Hahaha, no, no, that is back on some clothing rack somewhere…
In the last year, you worked twice with photographer Steven Klein. Early in the year, you were on the cover of LOVE Magazine with Kendall Jenner. Later in 2015, Steven had you do a cover shoot for Interview Magazine with the younger Jenner daughter, Kylie. First, is there a special chemistry you had with Steven…those were big projects? Tell us how you landed these jobs and how excited you were. How did it feel to make such prestigious covers?
Wow. Yeah, shooting with Steven has definitely been a highlight. I love the intensity and focus in which he approaches his work. It is a very creative process working with him and his team and so it was a great opportunity to learn and be on set with him for the LOVE and Interview shoots. Even to watch them shoot the other models and how Steven and his whole team work together to make certain shots happen is really neat, and I was able to watch it all happen and take it all in while on set those few days.
Interview Magazine was an adventure for sure. I had gotten a call late the night before from my agent that there was a casting and fitting downtown, so I rushed down there and was one of the last two people to be seen. That is where I found out that it was shooting for the next day. I found out I had been confirmed for the job probably less than an hour before the call time and when I showed up there were actually three other male models on set that day. Mid-day the creative team decided they were going in a different direction and in the end I was the only guy left on set, along with Kylie. Pretty wild!
And, of course, the daughters of Caitlyn Jenner (previously known as Bruce), Kendall and Kylie, are hugely popular with teens. What were they like to work with? I noticed there is an obvious trend where they both ‘rode’ you in the images? What’s up with that, Trevor? Is this passive Trevor a new trend or is this your way of saying the horse is your spiritual animal?
It very well may be – who knows? No, just kidding – I think that it was just something that fit the story of the editorial and the overall creative vision Steven and his team had. For the most part, both stories were focused on the women and I was along for the ride on set. The Jenner sisters were great to work with. Kendall is definitely very strong and focused, and Kylie was very bubbly and fun. And of course, both shoots caused us to get very close very quickly but it was all light, comfortable, and professional. In the end we ended up with some powerful and strong images thanks to them and a great team.
You seem very comfortable with nudity. Was it always that way? Is that confidence gained over time or something that just felt naturally right in front of a lens?
Well to be fair, I have not yet posed nude but have appeared nude. So we will see when and if that day comes. No I was not always comfortable with that feeling though. It’s those times where I find myself most critical of myself. I have had to learn and build a sense of confidence in front of the camera in those situations. I mean, I do my best to take care of myself, so that affords me some comfort in knowing that, but yes it is something I have had to build over time. Learning and understanding what you have is important too.
I understand you attended the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing? How was that experience? What did you think of China?
The Olympics were incredible. I still cannot believe we got to go. My sisters and my brother and I got to go to China for two weeks because my dad was living there at the time. We got tickets to a lot of the in-door and beach volleyball games. The level of play was amazing to watch; everything was just an experience since it was my first time out of North America. I even ran into my college volleyball coach there in the stadium! Surprise!
China was incredible, what I enjoyed most was being outside of the city. We got the chance to run on the Great Wall, and we even ziplined off of the wall over a lake. So cool. Another highlight was climbing a mountain in Xi’an at night! There were five different peaks with “hotels” at each peak, and turns out we kept going to the wrong peak.. so it was a long hike. But we finally made it, and woke up to see one of the most incredible sunrises ever, and to learn that we were hiking on a path with 100 foot drop off on either side!
Tell us in a broad overview about your fitness and nutrition routine.
I could probably go on and on here but I will keep it brief. I’ve had to switch it up a lot since college but overall, I would say my routine is experimental and I am not afraid to try new things. I love to exercise outdoors, especially when I am home in California. I train 6-7 days a week, with a mix of calisthenics and weight lifting and activities like cycling, running, yoga, and dance.
Nutrition is where I put the majority of my focus and where I believe everyone can get the most benefit.
What’s next for Trevor Van Uden?
I guess we will have to wait and see. I have some very big goals and dreams and will definitely be putting in the work behind the scenes.
Time for the Flash Bulb round…fast, short responses:
–Favorite sin food:
Dark Chocolate or breakfast burritos 😛
–2 physical features that you get the most compliments on:
Hair and Smile
–One political issue that could motivate you enough to become an activist:
Civil Rights, Health/Obesity, Environmental/Global issues.
–-What do you wear to bed?
The sheets
–Favorite
a) American city to visit: New York
b) international city: Internationally, only been to cities in China so far, Shanghai was my favorite, but looking forward to traveling to cities in Europe and South America
–-Least accurate stereotype about male models: that we can’t turn left
–Favorite vacation site: Jalama Beach
–East coast or West coast? tough…West Coast
–-Since your hair styles change a lot, what was your least favorite ever worn?
True, I have had it buzzed and I’ve had it down to my shoulders – I think Medium is where I find myself more most often but depends what mood I am in I guess.
What are the best ways for people to contact you on social media?
The Best ways to contact me/and interact via social media are probably in this order looking to get into twitter and snapchat a bit more , but instagram and facebook are probably the outlets I use the most to communicate
Instagram : @trevorvanuden
Facebook: Trevor Van Uden
Twitter: @trevorvanuden
SnapChat: trevorvanuden
If you missed Part I of our Trevor Interview, you can find it here:
