We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ronald Atkinson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ronald below.

Hi Ronald, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was a junior in college at the time when I really wanted to know what the overall industry is like on a professional level. While I was taking creative writing courses, I was also working on writing two screenplays that were based on various high school diary entries in which was also in the process of being written into a musical stage play. As I developed a greater understanding of screenwriting and the industry as a whole, I also shifted my perspective on what does it take for an actor or an actress to pursue the industry. One afternoon, I got a text update on a Power Rangers film that was in the works. I told myself, that’s the movie I want to be in. Without knowing who was casting, I immediately called Lionsgate studios to see who was directing the film, who was casting, and how do I get it in on the process. Unfortunately they couldn’t tell me the sources because they truly had no control over it, but I was able to keep doing my research. It was also during this time when I learned about actors needing an agent and a profile, and I signed up on Backstage. As a person who loves the theater, art, music, modeling, entertainment, etc. I find that one of the things that is barely taught, is how to pursue this industry in a professional way. I was on a campus filled with some of the most amazing and talented students. Unfortunately, I also found that many of them stop pursuing their gifts and talents after graduation. Why? Because not only is the industry difficult to navigate and get in, but it’s also very competitive. When I landed with an agent and I learned more about the model and acting industry, and that’s when I decided to dive deep and stick with it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Ronald Atkinson, I am a model, actor, and content creator. Originally born in Germany, I was raised as a military dependent where it eventually landed my family in Fort Riley, Kansas. My journey before I got into modeling actually goes back to my childhood days as an actor when my mom and I starred in a community production of A Raisin in The Sun. Since childhood, art has always been my focus in life, whether visual or performing. It’s something that remains one of my core gifts and talents. Walt Disney, was actually one of my first inspirations as not only an artist, but a visualizer, and a dreamer. In 2007 my mom, aunt and I went to see The Lion King on Broadway and that was one of the three productions that convinced me to really dive into theatre. Of course, it was the one Broadway production I wanted to be in, even though it was actually not my dream role but my dream production. I tell people all the time, that God works mysteriously, and sometimes you never know when your time is coming. The one true moment that I am most proud of, and will forever stick with me, is when I was obsessed with The King and I. I’ve seen the movie countless times, studied the score, saw the play, and while I was in fifth grade (2003-04), I prayed and said “Lord, it would be great if I can be in The King and I before my high school career is over with.” Like most of us, when we pray about something, we let it go. We don’t think on it, and we may not always ponder on it. But somehow flash forwarding to 2008, I was told our community production was producing it. I got excited that I had to ask to be the choreographer for the show, so I was hired as the assistant. Mind you, this wasn’t like a dying wish, waiting moment. This was something that was random and I didn’t even think twice about the prayer I said five years prior. Auditions came, and there were no guys who could portray the role. There was actually one guy we had in mind that we saw and wanted to cast as the king, months prior, but he was military so he moved. Anyways during auditions, I’m sitting at the creative team table, and the director looked at me, told me to read some lines, and left it at that. Two days later, got a call from him that I got the lead, at age 16, beating out the other men who tried out. It was surprising that this was one of the dream roles that came true. This production is one of the few that deepened my love for Asian culture, and always have. While I was in high school, the arts were never a huge career interest in me. That’s what happens when we mature and grow older, even though I still enjoyed it. I wasn’t even enrolled as a Fine Arts student, but instead, chose to enroll in the Business, Information, and Technology Academy. My main focus was business law, government, and the military. My senior year of high school, because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in college, I thought I’d give music a try because it was something I was familiar with, and I wanted to also learn how to compose music. While at the same time enroll in the Army ROTC program. With all of the months that went by during my time at Kansas State, It was time to narrow down to two choices; theatre or music education. I Started out as a theatre major and switched to Music Education by the second week of college. Because of the economy we live in, I was often afraid that people wouldn’t see Fine Arts as a good career to make money, and so I thought teaching would be the most beneficial, and even easier to finding a job. After graduating college, I went on to teach elementary music on Fort Riley, and it was then when I kept seeing this ad pop up on my Facebook saying “Audition in front of agents, producers, talent scouts.” I kept ignoring it thinking it was a scam, but on the final day prior to the auditions, I decided to take the risk, check it out, and audition. It was a conference room full of talented kids, teenagers, and adults showcasing their talent, and finally it was my time. I sung Oklahoma, did an acting monologue, and received a call back the next day. During the callback, was where I met a talent scout named Brooke, and she was describing the industry as a whole from famous people who were scouted and pursued professional careers within modeling, acting, singing, and much more. This is when I took the jump as I was seeing this as a great opportunity to travel to Orlando Florida and participate in the ARTS International Showcase. After taking what I had learned in Florida from different agents, photographers, casting directors, I went home, did my research, and landed with an agency in Kansas City. Though it was only the beginning, I had a long road ahead of me, and this is when I had to navigate and reflect on many challenges and decisions that I had to overcome.
That’s just a short version how I got my start, but in between during my collegiate years, there was a lot that happened in between from writing plays, musicals, movies, and even trying to see how things worked on a business level. What I didn’t know, was what I struggled with before I actually went to the ARTS, was how the business side actually worked. I guess one thing that I forgot to mention, was that I had a love for men’s fashion. Not in a sense of overly dressing in flashy suits, but to appreciate the style. I was always the one with best looking suits at each dance.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I would’ve had a better understanding of how the industry runs and works. It’s one of the things I feel like they don’t always teach in college, especially now how things are very different than they once were. Too often, many think that if you moved to Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, or any of the major markets for modeling and acting, you are guaranteed a shot. It’s not like you can walk into an office and jump into success. It takes a lot of work, building, and skills. I have never watched a single episode of America’s Next Top Model, or any major television show about fashion and modeling, so I knew nothing of that until much later. I was 26 years old when I started to get my foot in the door, learning about how the fashion, modeling, acting, and entertainment industry worked. When I finally started to understand and realize how things operate, the more I begin to regret not starting this much earlier in my lifetime, or at least establishing a foundation. Had I known and gotten the full education behind it, I think better foundations would’ve been set. Let’s say for example, that it’s common that everyone in the industry has to have an agent. Who are they? Where are they? Are they trustworthy? I didn’t know anything about agents and representation. You can’t be represented unless you have an agent. Same for models. I never knew that there was a standard. You have to look a certain way, eat specific foods, and be of a certain age to do specific type of work. Fashion maybe one thing, but it’s also about showcasing your beauty and image to the world so that you’re labeled as ‘marketable.’ Social media wasn’t even as big growing up as it is today, so I had no resources of that. In the past couple of years, oftentimes I would sit in castings and rooms and seeing all of these gorgeous models with the perfect height, body, look, and I noticed how they appeared to get better treatment by staff and clients than myself, or anyone that looked “average” and mind you, during this time, I was actually pretty short and stocky. Still am, but I knew that it seem hurtful and unfair. I was tired of feeling stuck. I was tired of feeling letdown and rejected after every single casting and Go-see I was a part of. Eventually I had to learn how to grow thick skin and accept rejection. I was always used to it, but in this business, you can’t take it personal. Finally, after a model search, I told myself that I wanted to be just like them. Not in terms of looks, not in terms of beauty, but in terms of respect. Three years later, at the age of 28, I noticed myself on a church live stream and said to myself “Is that what I really look like?” Not only that, but also seeing my photos from a previous photoshoot. If this is the industry that I’m in, then I have to take it seriously and play by their rules. It took a lot discipline and determination to see and do what many people don’t agree with about this business.
First, I started with my diet. Since it was right after COVID, I did away with traditional eating habits. I reverted back to a 30-day challenge that my agent and mentor at the time introduced me to. Clean eating, whole foods, fruits and vegetables, protein shakes, pro-biotics, etc. Which wasn’t anything new, but I had to tailor it to fit my needs. Rather than eating big meals, I went to eating small portion-sized meals to meet my caloric goals. I had to plan, prep, meal plan, fast, everything you can think of. The only thing I didn’t do was actually count calories. Next, I wanted inspiration, so I often watched hours of YouTube videos about various models and actors, and hearing their stories, modeling tips, daily habits, nutrition, skin-care routines, workout routines, and even seeing what their lifestyle was as a person rather than a celebrity perspective. Who were they behind the glitz and glam? Can I see them on a personal level as if they’re a friend and a colleague? I was also getting an inside look into what fashion companies, designers, photographers, and editorial CEOs wanted. Though it was all for educational purposes, it was very inspiring and motivational. It was really the key resources that helped me broadened my perspective. The third thing within the process, was learning to train my body to the best of my ability. Instead of picking and choosing when to go the gym, I would make it a daily habit. I wanted to feel good about myself both inside and out, and that was where I was able to learn more about weight-management, thermodynamics, muscles, bones, etc. I listened and worked with my trainers at 9Round Fitness to kickstart and push me to levels I thought I would never accomplished before. As an asthmatic, it’s never easy growing up doing a lot of physical activity, but now it’s a lot easier because I am in full control and fully aware of what’s going on and happening.
The last resource I wish I had a better understanding of, is using social media the correct way, despite what others may think of you. Growing up, social media always had people thinking about the negatives rather than the positives. I was often afraid to post content because I didn’t want to be judged. But I never knew that you also have the power to make social media as your own portfolio, or a way that can be used as art, business, or creativity. People often criticize that whatever you post, it’s out there on the internet forever and it will catch up to you later. What we didn’t know, was that the digital world is already here, and it’s quickly evolving over time. Technically, there isn’t a right or wrong way of posting. You just have to know what is you’re trying to target. Who is your audience? What’s your niche? Instagram is the perfect site that a lot of models post their work, but that also gives exposure for many talent agencies and scouts. This is something totally new that I wasn’t aware of or used to. Some of the world’s best models of today got their start by pushing themselves on Facebook and Instagram way before we seen a huge rise of social media. And this may lead into my final thought when it comes to resources, and that is friends and family.
Friends and family will always have your best interest at heart. But that’s not always the case. They may often times watch you grow, cheer for you, but they may not necessarily support or help you grow to success. Their opinions may differ than someone who you don’t know. I’ve learned that for any creator, their biggest supporters come from people outside of their own circle. Which also draws people in. I wasn’t getting any support from friends. Maybe a few likes, but they weren’t sharing my stuff or anything like that. There’s a saying that goes, if you build it, THEY will come. “They”, meaning, people who sees your talent. People who share your craft. Like-minded people. Inspired people. Your niche. Let them be the ones who carry you. Along with any of the resources, I was never afraid to give up my faith, or keep God first. Even if there were other plans along the way. Things work out. It took most of this to understand craft, and learn how to see the rules, but break the rules little by little. Even if one day I’m not the richest editorial model, how might I throw in my personality and uniqueness? How might I be an inspiration to others? How might I make someone else’s day? I stick with a few of those questions each day, and keep my head high and mind focused. Even when it comes to fashion, how can I put my spin and twist on things. Even I had to get comfortable with fashion trends and changes, even when it was out of my comfort zone.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I want to start off with the outward perspective, and that can mean a variety of things from how you look, how you dress, to how you or may view things outside of the industry rather than looking at things from within. Nobody truly understands it. In many moments, it can be very confusing, but I do hope this could clarify a few things that many people believe or think. One of the biggest struggles we face as models is body dysmorphoria. No matter how good or perfect we look on camera or in some sort of print, there is always going to be something that we don’t like about ourselves. Sometimes we may not like something though we’re stuck living with it each and every day. When we look at these struggles from time to time we may compare ourselves to others. For me, it was not only my weight, but my height. We also try to work around our imperfections by eating correctly, working out, wearing make-up, and sometimes even get plastic surgery or Botox. In the industry, there are different sub-categories that many models are placed in. I’m only going to narrow it down to two categories-high fashion and commercial. High fashion is what you see on the runways, editorial magazines featuring designer brands like Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Balenciaga. In this category we see the very tall and slim model figures who are usually 5’10 and above. Then you also have commercial, where it features models advertising a variety of things from products to clothes. In this category, they’re often seen as people who are average and ordinary. These are those you see on billboards, catalogs, print ads for a company, etc. The problem, is that from my perspective, I see high fashion to be elite. Which also means, models who model for these big designer brands, are often most seen, talked about, and also wear clothing that’s not only designed for high-rollers and celebrities, but people who are slim and tall. Since the 1980s, it’s been pushed for the beauty standard to be very thin and tall. I think fashion should be something that is not only iconic amongst everyone, but something that’s great for all people from various walks of life regardless of monetary status. If you look good in clothing, then you’re able to wear it. There shouldn’t have to be a standard of what you can or can’t wear. Which is why I wanted to see how can I bring my own flavor of fashion to the mix. What can I change or become the voice of? Who can I represent? Because I struggled with my weight at one point in time, I knew I was labeled as a “commercial model.” I didn’t like that “label” but I also told myself that I’m more than that, so I had to play the game of thinking how the high-fashion industry and models think as well as doing what the models do. A huge misconception, is that models are born pretty, but in fact, it really takes hard work to stay consistent. If you’re in the business, you have to play by the rules a bit. That also means keeping up with what the industry wants in terms of professional demands. And I say this from experience, that if something were to happen or change, and you couldn’t fit into some clothing or you don’t look a certain way, or something by all means, you’re automatically rejected and cut from a gig, sometimes even agencies. That’s when they say you’re “unmarketable.” It’s just how it is. It’s not always fair, but that’s how they work. So for me, it literally took work, and I’m still working towards that progress to get where I want and need to be as a model. In the old days, you would see models in magazines and runways. Now, they’re all over the internet and Instagram, so it’s easier to not only compare yourself to others, but also see where the competition lies. It’s even easier to have a platform and form a following. Leading into social media, like I said before, where I come from, people view social media as a negative source. But again, professional demands, us models have to keep up with it. It’s pretty much not only our lifestyle, but our digital portfolio. With that, people often mistaken anything that doesn’t come off as modest, is often mislabeled as pornographic. It’s simply not the case. Again, goes to labeling clothing and models as something sexual when in fact it’s not. I struggled with social media, because I wasn’t too keen on it at the beginning. When Vine came out, I think that was when it became a global sensation to take social media and use it to your advantage. I didn’t do that. Coming from a community that despised it, was a lot of pressure. When TikTok came out, I started to use it for comedic skits as well as relationship advice. It was tough, and I felt like I wasn’t growing enough. But consistency is key to maintain it. That’s when as a model, you have to put in the work to put yourself out there for the world to see and showcase. I think the hardest part with exposing myself on social media, was that I was dealing with people who saw me differently. In other words, people who knew me in real life, saw a form of my true self, which I don’t often expose, but in ways that I feel the need to not hide anymore. Yes, I may seem super nice, humbled and classy, but I can get wild too. We’re all human, and I think it’s important that we showcase our human side to the world and not just a fake persona, or mask. I really wish I connected more to a target audience of my age and demographic. However, it takes time. I think in general was that during this transition, I felt like I lost a lot of friends, because they probably didn’t like the new me, or this transition I was going through. It happens, so I learned to make myself believe that not all friends are your friends forever. When you’re on the right path, I believe that God will place the right people in your path. Those are the branches to keep your foundation solid. No matter what, they will stand by your side regardless. One thing that people don’t like, is rejection. And I’m not just talking about rejection from a gig or an audition, but rejection in general. Whether from friends, family, etc. when you’re on a journey, you will lose people, and it does get lonely at the top. It even hurts when you find out that your followers lose respect for you, or you may get cancelled for something so minor. I think this industry teaches you to get used to it, and embrace rejection as an opportunity to push yourself to be better and great, and to keep moving forward with a positive mindset. For me, it was a struggle getting rejected every day, and rejected from friends, but I had to remain thankful for having thick-skin. We get labeled with all kinds of things, and judge for all sorts of things. Even as being perceived differently than what our hearts and personalities are truly are, and that’s what I realized when I was going through the modeling journey. One of my favorite quotes is “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it” and with that quote, it reminds me that we are going to be mistreated, lied about, talked about, and judged until the day we die, yet many don’t see or understand our struggles. But if we’re going to keep moving forward in life, we must do a great job of being who we are and staying true to our heart.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/RonaldAtkinson9
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonaldAtkinsonJr
• Twitter: @RonaldAtkinson9
• Threads: @RonaldAtkinson9
• TikTok: @RonaldAtkinson9

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Jae Feinberg- Jae Feinberg Photography, Fairlight Hubbard and Amy Phillips of Eye Model Management, and Tusch of Adventure and Travel Photography and owner of Feni Foto