Cincinnatian Ian Mellencamp's last name may open some doors for him, but
it's his face, not his famous singer-songwriter uncle, that landed him
on the pages of Rolling Stone and Vogue and on billboards in New York City, Los Angeles and Paris.
Mellancamp's big modeling break came when he was picked to be part of
Calvin Klein's spring 2011 ad campaign. The 28-year-old hopes modeling
will lead to a career in acting or music, following in the famous
footsteps of his uncle, John Cougar Mellencamp.
Despite his growing New York cred, Cincinnati remains Mellancamp's home.
He grew up in West Chester and went to high school at Lakota West. He owns a house in Blue Ash and makes the 10-hour commute from his
apartment in Brooklyn to Cincinnati often. Soapbox recently caught up
the budding multi-media star for a chat about his career, his dreams and
why Cincinnati is always home.??
What got you into modeling?
IM: I was playing a band, and a few people mentioned that I should
be modeling. People recommend I try it out. I talked with a buddy in
Cincinnati and went over to New View Management Group. It was a
part-time thing to earn some extra money, but I never took it seriously.
What kind of work did you do in Cincinnati?
IM: I did a Speedway commercial and I did an online retailer as
well. I'd go months without doing anything and then every so often I was
getting calls.
How did you go from Cincinnati to Calvin Klein?
IM: Click Models' branch in North Carolina was looking for new talent at
the same time Calvin Klein was casting for their spring campaign. Click
was kind of the mediator looking for people for their agency. I was
chosen randomly from Cincinnati and they thought I had the right look
and that I would be good for the campaign.
So, wait. They basically picked you up off the street?
IM: Kind of, yeah. I took a couple of videos and sent them to CK and got
a call back. Then I had to come to New York City and meet the CK
casting people. They had seen video of me and at that point it was
narrowed down. It was just a matter of seeing me in person.
The photos of you that appeared in a lot of advertisements are of you
shirtless and another model taking off your pants. Did you know that was
going to be your money shot?
IM: At the time you don't know which shots they're going to use. I just
went with the flow. I really didn't care. I was just glad I didn't have
to take everything off.
How was it to see your face on a billboard?
IM: It's a big deal, but it doesn't freak me out. It is what it is. I
didn't know they were up in New York until people on Facebook started
tagging me. There was one on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles that I
would have never seen if I hadn't seen it on Facebook. One in Paris too,
Your uncle is pretty famous guy, musician John Cougar Mellencamp. Do you think that has helped you career some?
IM: Not all the time. Sometimes people know and randomly make a comment.
I can't be sure. It might help. I went to one of his concerts at Radio
City Music Hall with Meg Ryan (John Cougar Mellancamp's girlfriend)
earlier this year. That could be good if I'm dabbling in acting. I'd
like to transfer from modeling to acting if I can.
Your work for the Calvin Klein fall campaign is starting to surface now,
but you still travel to Cincinnati quite a bit. Will Cincinnati always
be home?
IM: Whatever happens, I can always have a home in Cincinnati. I lived
there most of my life. It always there in the back of my mind.
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