This week's Model of the Week is RED Model Management’s Alex Murray, a North Carolina bred former basketball player who is set to win in the game of life. With an athletic build, sharp features and multifaceted look, the catwalk won’t restrain his talents – as he will soon soar into acting. And beyond his thespian aspirations, Alex is also pursuing a real estate license. So it’s safe say, Alex is a triple-threat model citizen. Read more about Alex below:

EBONY: Describe your first modeling assignment. How nervous were you approaching set?
Alex Murray: My very first assignment was a Nike lookbook shoot, which I booked just ten days after moving to New York City. I was extremely anxious and nervous going to set, since I was working with Nike… and we all know Nike is the biggest athletic gear brand on planet Earth!

EBONY: Though you are fast becoming a fashion force, which models are your personal icons?
AM: I am a big fan of Boris Kodjoe, Mehcad Brooks and of course Tyson Beckford. I really respect their journeys, which were similar to my own. All three were athletes as was I, and they have all progressed as models and jumped right into acting, and that is where I want to take my career.

EBONY: How has modeling shaped you as an individual, and has it changed your personal habits?
AM:
Now that I am a working modeling, I pay so much more attention to my own sense of style, and for everyone else I see in billboards, posters and etc for that matter. I have changed from dressing like an athlete all the time, to dressing like a model that can easily catch your eye and attention.

EBONY: Can you briefly discuss your evolved sense of style?
AM:
My style is anything I can put on and feel confident in. This ranges from very regal suits like what you would see from designer Tom Ford. Or I can easily pull off the urban look like a Sean John or even athletic attire such as Air Jordan gear. I am very versatile when it comes to what I wear and look good in.

EBONY: Personal style extends to grooming; do you have any must have products?
AM:
I have a few things: Noxzema deep cleansing cream or the Noxzema wipes if I'm on the go, and I use Boscia from Sephora. That's just for my face. For my body, I go with cocoa butter formula and just deodorant of course. As far as scent, my favorite colognes are Curve and Bleu de Chanel.

EBONY: So, heavy question…what adversities if any, do you face as a model of color?
AM:
I love it! I am not just a Black model; I am a Black citizen. I have lived my whole life in the south as a Black man so there is nothing that I will face in this industry pertaining to race that I cannot handle. The thing I've learned is that if you aren't what the client is looking for at that moment then you will not book the job.. plain and simple, no matter what color you are.

EBONY: I appreciate your candor. How does your family feel about your career?
AM:
My family is extremely supportive of my career. If it weren't for my sister and my stepmother talking me into doing it, I wouldn't be modeling today. So I’m all about the family support, I would love nothing more than to be able to take care of my family. The hardest part is being away from my six-year-old nephew Amari and my mother Carolann Murray.

EBONY: So what’s next for you Alex, any big projects on the horizon?
AM:
Currently I am working on my real estate license here in New York. I started my class at the beginning of January and now I am only a test away from having my license, so that’s something I’m very proud of.

Kevin Bass