SHOOTING FOR THE MOON. U.S.-born Daniel Henney started out struggling to make a living modeling for catalogs, but after moving up and persevering in the showbiz industry, he made his big-screen Hollywood debut in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” as Agent Zero. Here, He models the latest from Louis Vuitton
Harrington jacket, pleated khakis
Actor Daniel Henney’s heritage of Korean and Irish-American has served him well and he’s made the most of it. After his debut in the 2009 X-Men film he’s now ready for another step up, co-starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger (his big comeback movie), Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville and Harry Dean Stanton in an upcoming film entitled Last Stand.
DA MAN: You grew up in a small town in the U.S. state of Michigan, away from the bright lights of L.A. How did you get into modeling?
Daniel Henney: There are a lot of ways you can get into this business. But for me it was a no-brainer. I had no money, my parents spent all their savings on my schooling, and I didn’t fulfill their expectations. So, when the chance came to pay them back I had to take it. I have never seen that kind of money before, as I am from a small town. A runway show would make me a thousand dollars, which to me, was unheard of. I was spotted at a scouting seminar, and I was there to accompany my friend because he was interested to be a model. I ended up getting more response from them. He was quite bitter about it for a while. [laughs]
DA MAN: So it wasn’t a career for the long haul?
Daniel Henney: I didn’t even have a passport prior to modeling, and I had to go get one before I left to pursue modeling in Hong Kong.
DA MAN: It is interesting how you only went to Korea much later.
Daniel Henney: I went to Korea for the first time in 2005. Even my mom (who is of Korean descent) can’t speak Korean, and she is still picking it up. I speak Korean as good as a ’15-year-old’. I didn’t learn Cantonese even after spending four years in Hong Kong. I wasn’t motivated to then learn but now I wish I had.
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