Abed Green is a man of few words.
And why not? The young freelance model and social media favorite has no sob stories to tell. In fact, his thrust into life under the observing eyes of the public is one that’s basically built on happenstance and just making the most out of his time while in quarantine.
Much like the rest of us, the Filipino-American student athlete turned fashion model took an opportunity in the midst of the great pause that we are presently in, trying to find the most fruitful of ways to be sane and empowered amid the darkness of being stuck and cooped up at home.
“Wala naman akong ginagawa eh. So, yung time lang na in-invite nila ako na mag-shoot, yun lang yung time na nakalabas ako. Wala naman akong in-expect but I just had fun,” (“I am not doing anything. So, the time when they invited me to shoot was the only time that I was able to go out. I didn’t expect anything but I had fun.”) he shares matter-of-factly, taking about celebrity fashion stylist Ton Lao and his new fashion retail business giving Green the in he never knew would spark an interest in life under the spotlight.
It was at this moment, in August of last year, when Green would then be inadvertently plucked out of his life in between online classes while remaining a varsity member at Enderun Colleges, home basketball practices and workout routines, and his own social media activities that he would break new ground to what would be a promising career, with all eyes on him.
Oversized denim jacket, Bershka.
Shorts, Ton Lao.
And what he reserves in his words, he more than makes up for what he shows to his growing social media following. For starters, by the time we shot him for his Rank Magazine feature, his followers on Instagram alone has yet to reach 10,000. Not even a year in, his numbers has since climbed to 23,000 as of this while his newly-created TikTok account, made out of curiosity and, admittedly for fun, has now amassed over 100,000 followers in a span of months. Judging by the instant metrics provided by his social media clout, it is safe to say that the Internet likes what they’re seeing.
“I didn’t feel any different. It was all fun for me. It didn’t feel really weird, because when you are an athlete, everyone is really looking at you. It is somewhat more nerve-wracking since you don’t really want to mess up when you are playing,” he responds when asked about his introduction to a more public life.
Top, Uniqlo.
Underwear, Pump!
He adds, “I am just happy to do what I do. Nothing that I do now is just forced on me. My family supports me, my teammates support me and even my coach. So, it’s hard not to like it and I am just excited to see what’s next.”
Lao, who egged him to try his luck in modeling, and has also served instrumental in him trying it out in acting workshops, led Green to be signed under Manila-based modeling and talent agency IM Agency. At the time of the interview, Green has also stepped into the world of acting workshops that then got him to be now a signed talent for Cornerstone Entertainment.
Denim pants and underwear, Bench.
“If you ask me a year ago, when I haven’t done any of this, I would never think I would consider it. But now, I discovered this is something that I want to do so my focus is here. Hangga’t kayang pagsabayin ang modeling at acting, tas may pag-aaral pa, why not? “(As long as I can juggle modeling and acting, and with my studies also in consideration, why not?)
“At least now, I don’t feel any added pressure trying to balance it since the situation does not require me to leave class to make it to another opportunity. It’s a process. Hindi naman ako nagmamadali. (I am not in a rush.)”
At present, while slowly hurdling life as a talent raring to make it big even in a time of uncertainty as this, Green is making sure he goes at it with an unwavering dedication, much like an athlete set on his goals, soon maybe appearing in a film just like his role model, Derek Ramsay.
“Yung hiya, slowly nalalabanan ko na. Basta alam ko na gusto ko tong ginagawa ko. (Being shy is something that I have been slowly working on. But I know that I like where I am and what I am doing now.) Soon, when the opportunity comes, I’d do everything that I can to do justice to it cause I know I will work hard for it. I am just happy that someone who looks like me, a Filipino-American gets to showcase what we can do cause I didn’t have that growing up and I can do anything. I am a model, I am a family guy, I am a student and an athlete, I am a fitness enthusiast, and I am an actor. I am more than what you see me on social media. I am not one thing.”
In a span of a year since he was first introduced, albeit informally, as a model, copping roles in fashion campaigns for known telco and fashion brands, and now that he has recently announced a lead role he is set to play for an independently-produced film, it is safe to say that Abed Green is next.
Produced, styling, and creative direction by Leo Balante
Photography by Rxandy Capinpin
Grooming by Mila Renaldi and Leo Balante
Special acknowledgments to May Flores at IM Agency