Nick Hounslow is no stranger to turning heads. At 17, he was scouted off the street by a modeling agency. Within a year, he was walking at Paris fashion week. Work brought him to LA and he fell in love with the city. Acting gigs followed suit, though not without initial struggle. Now, he’s set to reprise his role as Prince Alexander in the Christmas film, Christmas With A Prince: Becoming Royal. When he’s not acting, Nick is a popular celebrity fitness trainer, lending his expertise to stars like Gal Gadot, Julie Benz, and Claire Holt. He loves connecting with this clients to help them feel their best. You can catch Christmas With A Prince: Becoming Royal on November 3rd at 7 PM on UPtv.
Cliché: How did you originally get involved in modeling?
Nick Hounslow: I was 17 years old walking around London and was approached by Storm agency who represent Kate Moss. They took a couple of pictures and the rest was history. I had no idea what modeling was or what it entailed. At 18 I had my first Paris fashion week and walked in 3 shows. It was pretty surreal.
You’ve lived in quite a few places! What made you finally decide on LA?
Honestly it was work. I was in London and my model agency in Cape Town said I had booked a 4 day shoot for Bloomingdale’s in Los Angeles. That was my first trip here and I fell in love. I booked a target commercial and a pre-Oscars fashion show on the same trip. At the fashion show i was approached by a management company interesting in repping me for acting. A month later i was screen testing for Days of Our Lives. It all happened so fast. I didn’t get the Days gig. BUT I was intrigued enough by LA. I flew home to London, as I landed at Heathrow my mobile rings and it was my agents saying I had booked another commercial and had to fly right back without leaving the airport. I felt like that was a sign!
What was it like trying to get into the acting scene?
It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. It still isn’t. When I first got here I was modeling jobs, screen testing for various projects and then all of sudden it just stopped. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. LA can be a very tough place and you have to keep pushing forward and enjoy the process. That’s the trick right there to master!
Talk about your upcoming movie, Christmas With A Prince: Becoming Royal.
Christmas With A Prince: Becoming Royal is the sequel to Christmas With A Prince which aired last Holiday season. The first movie we see this playboy prince who gets injured skiing and is hidden from the paparazzi in a children’s hospital. There he is reacquainted with a former high school friend who is now his doctor. After some initial drama and misunderstandings they end up together. In the sequel we see their journey continue as a couple which lets just say isn’t without a ton more drama as they travel back to his native country.
What is your character, Prince Alexander, up to in the sequel?
From his initial playboy persona portrayed in the first movie we see a shift in Prince Alec as he realises he has a duty to uphold. His Father the King played by the amazing Charles Shaughnessy needs a successor and since his oldest son passed away it falls upon the youngest more irresponsible son Prince Alec to step up to the plate. However that seems a little harder for him to do.
If you were a prince in real life, what would you do?
Firstly use my powers for good….second, fix healthcare in America (coming from the UK I cant believe how lucky we are!), thirdly take a loooooong vacation maybe for 6 months traveling after fixing health care… Although fixing healthcare here might take a second so that vacation may come in about 2087!
Why do you think the movie was such a hit with viewers?
Who doesn’t love a feel good holiday movie? I honestly didn’t appreciate how big the holiday movie genre is. Being from the UK we have a couple of movies that replay every Christmas, but over here it’s a real thing. It’s so awesome! I’ve had the most amazing messages from fans all over the US and globally. One in particular was from a Mum whose little girl was in hospital over the holiday season and they watched the movie with all the kids in the hospital. She said how great it was and her daughter loved it. That was pretty cool for me!
You’re also a huge fitness buff and a trainer! Why is fitness such an integral part of your life?
I’ve always been into fitness since I was a teen. Fitness is such a huge part of my life. I qualified as a trainer at 17 so I could learn more and then started training others. Since being in LA I’ve helped other actors get into shape for certain movie or TV roles, traveling on set to foreign locations and managing their workouts and nutrition. I get the best of both worlds. For me, fitness keeps me sane. It’s my time to decompress, put headphones in and detach from the world even just for an hour. The bonus is it keeps you looking good. It’s 80% mental for me.
How do you go about connecting with your clients to motivate them to be a healthier version of themselves?
Every single client like every single role is unique. You have to get inside that clients head and understand who they are and what makes them tick. I approach both acting roles, auditions and clients the same way. You have to listen, watch, understand. Everyone’s journey is different. From the client who has to lose a large amount of weight to the skinny kid who wants to bulk up. I also use my own personal story to help motivate them. I used to be an overweight teen. I struggled and was bullied. I know what it feels like to not fit in and to dislike being in your own skin.
For someone who wants to start a workout routine, what exercises would you suggest?
I would suggest body weight exercises first. Movements that are not complicated and won’t result in injury. I also say do your research. find a trainer that can educate and motivate you and give you the tools to take away and train yourself. Start small and slowly increase. I hear all the time too many people rush in, train heavy and hard then crash and burn, injured and/or exhausted.
Are you working on any other projects at the moment or are there certain things that you would like to get involved with that you haven’t gotten the chance to?
I’m working on some really cool things that i can’t talk about just yet but watch this space! It is also highly likely that Prince Alec isn’t quite finished yet … Holiday Season 2020 …
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Nick Hounslow Melts Hearts in Holiday Sequel, “Christmas With A Prince: Becoming Royal”. Photo Credit: Nick Hounslow.
