The promising Justice Beverley teams up with Pat Supsiri for an exclusive MMSCENE Portraits series captured in Sydney. Justice also sits down for an exlcusive interview with MMSCENE Contributor Nikola Bajovic to talk about the start of his modelling career, working alongside Zendaya and Steven Klein as well as his travel vlogs.
Continue reading for more of the interview and the shoot starring Justice Beverley:
Looking back on the early days of your modeling career, what inspired you to pursue this path, and how have your aspirations evolved over time? – Traveling! The sole idea of traveling. I remember vividly the summer I was approached by my mother agency, I was headed to China, Japan and Korea on an unrelated film job. Prior to the trip we sat down and my future agent told me that opportunities to touch every corner of the globe are a serious possibility in the modeling world. And the best part was, outside of the photoshoots and castings, the rest of the time I was free to do as I please, be it film, backpack, meet people, explore. That was enough for me so I asked for a pen and signed the dotted line.
Can you share a standout moment or experience from your collaboration with Zendaya that you believe has significantly contributed to your growth as a model? – She is such a talented actor, artist and model; you see her everywhere doing seemingly everything. She covers so much ground it’s hard to imagine how one human can cover so much ground. To experience that first hand and work alongside her was contagious. If I were to pick a single moment from that shoot, it was the realization that to my right was Steven Klein, behind me was Law Roach and in front was Zendaya.
So many people who define the work I do, down to the clothes that I wear. Being surrounded by names you read about and seeing her balance herself between all of these avenues, is such a surreal experience, and that mature outlook is something I want to take with me.
Can you discuss a specific challenge you faced in your modeling career and how overcoming it has shaped you as a model today? – By now it’s a platitude, but Covid. I was 19 going on 20 when the pandemic hit and those should have been the most formidable years in my career, but things took a pause. On the brightside, I got to finish university and get my degree. On top of that, being from Texas, a handful of shoots flew in because of the laid back restrictions. This led me to shoot North Face Korea in Austin, which then, TL;DR, led me to stay in Korea, marking the end of a roughly two year period of little to nothing. It all comes down to perspective. What could have been a huge setback ended up being the very thing that guided my life and my choices, blocking off some avenues that I wasn’t quite ready for, but allowing me to see the path that led me here.
Your travel vlogs are really fun to watch! How important do you think traveling is for a young person? – Haha, thank you! Traveling is the most impactful thing that has ever happened in my life. I believe we all have this constant rate of growth as we are brought up through life and the more exposure you have to situations that counter our way of thinking enable us to adapt, developing us into well-rounded human beings. My parents homeschooled my brother, sister and I for a year when we were young and we lived in an RV visiting all the National Parks.
It’s not like we came from much either, my dad just knew something like that would lend itself to unparalleled lessons and would instill things you can’t be taught in a traditional setting. So before I become too old and stubborn, I am trying to see as many places as my eyes can see, talk to as many people as my voice will allow me and learn as many things as my brain can hold. And my videos are a reminder of those lessons.
Are there particular photographers, designers, or models who have significantly influenced or inspired your work, and how have they impacted your creative approach? – I am blessed to be among some of the best photographers, videographers and editors in the world…and they were people I grew up with. In our early teens, we all met in our school’s A/V class and formed a group called “The Tree Squad.” From there we would take trips, make short narratives and learn the nuances of our shared passion.
Growing up with those guys has been fueling and conducive towards our professional development. I’ve never seen anyone shoot better or produce higher quality work than these guys and they are the first ones I call when I need professional counsel.
Walk us through your preparation process for a photo shoot. Do you have any specific rituals or routines that help you get into the right mindset for a session? – Funny enough, all the things we were told to do in preparation for the SATs, midterms and exams — the “good night’s rest, a hearty breakfast, clear mind” — I never actually used for test-taking but I do before every single shoot. Modeling can be a mentally demanding and, sometimes, damaging job if you’re not careful. Being evaluated, and inevitably decided on, by factors that are oftentimes out of your control is an arduous lifestyle. Incorporating the most trivial reminders to take a breath or catch some sun, gives us that reinforced routine that pulls you out of your head.
As a model involved in various creative pursuits, how do you balance different aspects of your career, and what strategies do you employ to maintain a balance between different projects? – Having my affinity lie behind the camera has always gotten me to appreciate both sides of it. When I transitioned to more roles in front, my background not only gave me a better understanding of how I can better capitalize on what I need to do, it also improved my storytelling capabilities in production and gave me a greater holistic perspective. I’ve incorporated all of these aspects in my travel videography where, in many cases, I have been able to write, produce, star and edit the production myself. And to know that there is a piece of work in the world that you carried from start to finish is a satisfying feeling.
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring models who are just starting their journey in the industry, based on your own experiences and lessons learned? – I never waited. There was never a point on set or in the queue for a casting where I wanted to blend in with the crowd and wait to be called. I entered into the modeling world with a collegiate mindset: going to job fairs, searching for internships and carving out your own opportunities. This is very contraire to how things are handled here but I attribute a lot of my success to the work ethic and persistence I displayed but not overshadowed by a sense of humility. My agents probably don’t always like me for it but if I can be the guy you remember, I definitely won’t be the one you forget.
Can you share any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re particularly excited about, what’s the next chapter of your modeling career? – Too much to keep track of but I am excited to be posting about things on instagram soon! Maybe a few cameos, some familiar faces and even some more travels?? I am in this pivotal moment of my life where I am asking the question “What’s next?” There is a lot of anxiety that comes with that decision but I have a lifetime to be caught up in the linear, so, right now, a little ambiguity isn’t so bad.
View the complete MMSCENE portraits shoot featuring Justice Beverley in our gallery:
Justice Beverley is represented by MAZZA Models (his mother agency), The Squad Management in UK, and Two Management both in Los Angeles and New York, J Model Management in Korea, and Topco Models in Capetown.
Follow justice on Instagram @justicebeverley and for more of Pat’s photography log on to Instagram @patsupsiri
