Paul Forman

We met with the up and coming multitalented Actor- Model Paul Forman for a brief discussion about his life career and aspirations. For those who may not know, Paul is a British/French actor and a model based in London. 

His most recent appearance is in ‘Frank of Ireland’ (for Channel 4 and Amazon Prime) in which he plays the role of Stéphane, a French foreign exchange student.
His previous credits include ‘The Spanish Princess’, as ‘King Francis I’ and a lead in ‘Nevrland’, a coming-of-age psychological horror film. 

Alongside acting, writing has long been a passion of his. Paul has written a play, which is soon coming to London theatres, with him in the starring role and is also currently writing his first feature film. 

As a model, Paul has taken his work internationally, having worked in France, Germany, Italy and Australia, as well as his home in England. He has featured on the cover of ‘Attitude’ and ‘Desnudo’, whilst working for brands such as Cartier, Clarins, Schwarzkopf, Zalando and Next. 

Thank you for joining us, how are you?

Thank you for having me! I’m good, summer is approaching, life is getting back to “normal”.

How has this pandemic effected you?

It took away the minimal security I had as someone who is “self employed”. I saw my career and my life fall into a coma in the matter of days. But I’m a strong believer that every difficult situation you find yourself in is a lesson. It’s invaluable and I usually come out better and stronger.

You are a man of many talents, what are you working on now?

I’m not sure that’s true but I try to diversify as much as possible. I see it as obligatory for survival. I’m currently working on a play that I have written and which I’m planning on putting on when theatres are open again. I’m also auditioning and casting a little more than I was during the epicentre of the pandemic.

Tell us a bit more about the play you have written? what should we expect?

I don’t want to reveal too much but it’s my first play and it’s the story of a man living with grief. I often feel that the subject is often dramatised and misrepresented in the entertainment industry. From what I personally have witnessed, it is very different from all the films, shows and plays so I wanted to tell a story close to my heart, which truly shows what it is to live with grief.

Let’s go back in time, how did it all start? How did you get scouted, how easy was it to break into the acting world?

The actor and the model started in different ways but both originated from the same feeling of “being an outcast”. For acting, I was only in my first play at university (the French educational system isn’t very focused on encouraging the taking of the arts in your extracurricular activities). At the age of 19, I felt I was able to live and experience life and emotions in its purest forms. I often say that we act more in our everyday life than we do on a stage. There are no rules there, no egos telling us what we can and cannot do. “Breaking into” the acting world is the single hardest challenge of my entire life. I still don’t consider myself truly in it and perhaps I never will, as there are no guarantees that I will work. It could be 5 to 10 years until my next job. You just never know. That’s why I’m writing, to create further chances for myself.

As for the model, I definitely wasn’t destined for this career from a young age. I wasn’t tall or unique looking, I was very ordinary, in fact I struggled with severe acne. It’s from that feeling of alienation, throughout my childhood, that I build myself into the man I am today. I went to the gym, I constantly worked on improving myself, I made sacrifices. In time, I was scouted by a small agency in Chelsea. I didn’t work so I moved from agency to agency until I finally did. Now I’m getting closer to where I want to be but again, there are no guarantees!

Do you prefer modelling, acting or writing? If you had to choose only one of these carriers for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?

All of them have their pros and cons. My element is acting though so if I had to choose, I’d keep on pursuing that.

What has been the most incredible experience in modelling yet. (Favourite shoot, collaboration etc)

Besides ours you mean? It’s hard to pick a favourite. I really enjoyed my editorial for Desnudo as it differed from most of my other shoots. It’s always fun to keep things fresh!

What would be your dream acting role and modelling job?

My dream role would be to play in a Bond film (how stereotypical?!) and my dream modelling job would be a campaign for Calvin Klein. They have retained a tradition of iconic campaigns for so long no. it would be an honour to join amongst those ranks.

Where is your favourite place to visit and where to live? 

My home in the south of France. It’s a little paradise on earth and it’s so nice to take a break from it all and reset.

What’s your motto in life?

GROW.

You can follow Paul on Instagram at @peforman

Paul is represented by Supa and W Model Management in London

Photography Dimitris Theocharis.