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They were given instruction and practice on Basic Runway Modeling and the 
proper posture for walking and sitting. As part of their experience, students were 
given movement instruction and each was given a photographic shoot session, 
which included personal professional photographs to keep. To prepare the 
students for possible careers in the entertainment industry, they practiced 
speaking and modeling for TV commercials. 

Virginia Asbury, age 14, said that completing this class “allowed me to see myself 
in a new way.” Jordyn Rogge, age 12, liked the class because ‘she got to meet 
new friends”. Celeste Suddler, age 17, said her favorite instruction was “the 
makeup class”. 

Other graduates included; Leslee Brown, age 14; Sarah Dierlam, age 11; 
Kensey Jones, age 13; Emily Rogers and her twin sister Haley, age 11; Brennan 
Canaday, age 15, plans to compete in the Millie Lewis sponsored Actors, Models, 
Talent for Christ (AMTC) competition held in Orlando, Fl, this July. 

Green points to an image, then another. Then another. Each one has a story. Each one is special to her. And each one represents hours of cultivation, hours of work, hours of relationship building.

Smiling, she loses herself for a moment in these stories.

Waving her hand in front of these many display cases, she observes, "This is what we work for ... this is what we do."

What Green does is run a talent agency – Millie Lewis of Charleston, proving that you don’t have to be in New York’s Garment District or on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard to have an impact in the modeling and entertainment industry.

In fact, she’s doing just fine on Northside Drive in North Charleston.

If the entertainment world has a front line, Green is knee deep in the trenches. Like others in the placement agency game, she’s the first point of contact for many aspiring actors and models – what’s known as a "mother agent" in the biz. She’s the eyes and ears on the ground, uncovering new talent wherever she can and funneling it up the complex entertainment network.

And she has found talent in many different places. It’s there in the mall shops. It’s there in the beauty pageants she judges. It’s there in the classes her agency offers. It’s there at the national talent competitions, for which she prepares select students from her school. And it’s even here on the College’s campus, where she discovered Matt Czuchry ’99, Bryan Mayer ’06 (recent member of the Screen Actors Guild) and music major Josh Strickland (of American Idol and Broadway Tarzan fame) at the annual Mr. CofC Pageant, before helping them to the next level.

"Basically, I’m a facilitator," Green explains. "I help and I guide. I educate those interested in the fashion and talent worlds, trying to bring light into a dark industry."

And Green is no flashlight in the dark - she's a veritable spotlight. Her portfolio of talent discoveries includes actresses Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie and Rumor Has It) and Ashley Scott (AI: Artificial Intelligence, Strange Wilderness and TV's Jericho) as well as international models Breanne Riggs '10, Kimberly Robertson and Austen Brown.

Unfortunately, while fame may seem ubiquitous within Green's agency, it's not.

"It's a tough business," Green admits. "There are certainly a lot of highs. But - as we all know- not everyone makes it. Not even close. And it may have nothing to do with their talent - just the circumstances and what the casting directors, agents or entertainment executives are looking for at that time. I also serve as a support system for those low moments. I deal with the disappointed families, talking them through the process."

Green has been learning this process for 20 years. During college, the business administration major was first exposed to the talent world when her father encouraged her to take some "poise" instruction with Millie Lewis, a former cover girl-turned- talent agent who offered courses in Charleston. Her father hoped that these classes would soften his daughter's tomboy demeanor (Suzanne had played three sports in high school and "just plodded everywhere I went," she laughs), ultimately preparing her for a successful corporate career.

Green enjoyed the classes and forged a relationship with Lewis that would be instrumental a decade later. "After college, I worked in a variety of sales jobs in the Carolinas and Georgia," she says. "Being a woman in a man's world - especially in sales in the late 80s - it toughened me up."

Then, Green ran into Lewis in a chance encounter in Charleston and was convinced to start teaching some of Millie Lewis' Saturday classes on personal development and modeling.

"Then," Green recalls, "she gave me an offer I couldn't refuse." Lewis wanted to grow the talent competition portion of the business and needed someone to take over her Charleston operations. Green took up the challenge, learning quickly the ins and outs of the divergent worlds of entertainment - the fashion side (modeling) and the talent side (acting).

"I didn't understand the intricacies overnight," she says. "Over time, I have focused on the building of relationships in the industry. You click with some, others you don't. I don't take it personally if they don't work - I learned to just focus on the relationships that do work."

She also learned to run a business along the way. Doing the accounting, the budgeting, the marketing, the managing, all the little things that keep any small company afloat. And she had to learn fast, experiencing a baptism of water, so to speak. She had only been in charge of the business for a few months when Hurricane Hugo slammed into Charleston in 1989, and in the process, flooded and wrecked her building. But Green, ever the competitor, was (and is) tough. She rolled up her sleeves and got everything going again - rebuilding it stronger than before. In 2003, Millie Lewis AMTC recognized Green and her team for their overall excellence and industry savvy with its lifetime achievement award.

You will often hear Green say, maybe to a dejected client, a prospective talent or a tired colleague, "Tomorrow is always another opportunity."

It's that optimism that keeps her going, keeps her ever-vigilant for those diamonds in the rough and keeps her working, day and night, to find her talent a place in print and on screen.

"This is a fascinating business," Green marvels. "And I love that I play a role in helping people take their first step on the way to making it."
 

It's Madelyn Cline, another one of our success stories! 

Cripple Dog Antique Car Show at Boone Hall Plantation

Suzanne Green-Kelsi Childress-Brittany Simons-Ernie Irvin( famous race car driver)
Vera Belan-AnnaLeigh Robinette-Louise Teems.
(Names are listed from left to right.)

Miss James Island High School
Cailyn

In December, Cailyn Oltmann was crowned Miss James Island. She is the daughter of Billy and Joyce Oltmann, granddaughter of Billy Oltmann III and Helen Pye, great granddaughter of Ellen Pye and Trudy Oltmann Hammett. Cailyn remembers feeling a mixture of emotions, including excitement and disbelief and really an honor to win.

Pageants are made to enhance the person," she added. "It is an opportunity to have an impact on your community and you do get a lot from it, in both a professional and personal manner.

At age 5 she joined Millie Lewis Models & Talent Agency where she learned the tools of Modeling and Acting. She has attended the Actors, Models & Talent Competition, (AMTC), and placed in many competitions. When I came in second place in the Family Runway, which I did with my Dad was really an honor. My passion is singing and I was privileged to be able to sing the National Anthem at the Charleston Rivers Dogs Stadium for a home game.

Cailyn wrote an essay about saying "No To Drugs" that won in a school wide contest. One of the poems she wrote not only won, but also it was published in a book.

In a Jewelry class at school she made a necklace that won second place at this years Coastal Carolina Fair.

Cailyn’s ambition is to go to Clemson and become a Pediatrician. Working with children and being able to help them stay well, would be an ultimate dream for me. I also love to work with animals and one day would like to become a rescue home for a certain breed.

To my Mom and my Dad for laying a good foundation…. Thanks!

NINE RESIDENTS ATTEND ACTORS, MODELS AND TALENT COMPETITION IN FLORIDA

Thanks to all the Models and Talent that came out to help raise funds for the firefighter's families.  Not only did we raise
over $800.00 in just 4 hours, but we had lots of fun. (I think the photos tell that story!!) 
Also thanks to Millie Lewis AMTC for their $500.00 donation!!!

Photos of WEZL cruises with Staff and Entertainers

Summerville Journal Scene
Janet Bell
jbell@journalscene.com

Aspiring actors and models from around the world recently gathered in Orlando, Fla. for the Millie Lewis Actors, Models and Talent Competition (AMTC)—and Summerville resident Megan Burke was there.

From June 27 to July 2, Burke, 12, and her mother Penny Hansen and stepfather Craig Hansen attended seminars, rehearsals, workshops, auditions and competitions.

During the week Burke competed in six different categories: runway, swimsuit, photography, monologue, TV commercial and soap opera.
    

"I had so much fun I didn’t want to leave," Burke said. "I especially loved the runway and making lots of new friends."

She wanted to participate in the competition so badly that she sold candy bars, cookies and lemonade in front of Wal-Mart and Bi-Lo to help pay for her trip to Orlando. She raised about $700 for the trip. In addition to the money Burke raised herself, she received sponsorship from local companies like Sully’s Wholesale and The Krankee Yankee to help fund her trip.

Burke’s stepfather said the main thing about the competition was that she had the chance to meet scouts and agents. According to Hansen, Sawa Saito, an agent from Avenue One in Tokyo, showed some interest in Burke.

"We all enjoyed the AMTC competition," Craig Hansen said. "It was a good experience for all of us."

What is AMTC? Founded and owned by Millie Lewis’s daughter Carey Lewis Arban and her husband Dr. Bill Arban, the family-oriented, educational, invitational competition is a way for new models, actors, singers, dancers, and comedians to compete in front of the world’s leading agents.

The AMTC competition takes years worth of auditions and condenses them into six days for its participants.

Since education is strongly stressed by the Millie Lewis Convention, participants who are of school age must have a minimum "B" average just to be accepted in AMTC. However, "A’s" are preferred.

Participants are provided with a minimum of 24 hours of training before the competition, by an AMTC Affiliated Director, so they are ready to perform at their best and they know what to expect.

The Convention also offers workshops for contestants and their families by top agents, respected authors and national experts in acting, music, dance, modeling, nutrition and more.

Millie Lewis has produced models for major agencies in the world like Ford, Elite, and Next. Participants of the AMTC competition have starred in movies such as "Walking Tall," "Red Badge of Courage" and "Rookies". Some AMTC participants have excelled in pageants like "Miss U.S.A.," "Miss Teenage America" and "Miss United States Teen." Millie Lewis has even produced Broadway and theater stars for productions of "Miss Saigon," "Evita" and "The Lion King."

From the fashion pages of Cosmopolitan to the stages of Broadway, Millie Lewis has had a very exciting year so far.

Breanne Riggs had eight pages in the April issue of Cosmo and just booked a J Crew campaign. Suzanne Green, director of Millie Lewis Charleston, has just returned from New York after seeing Josh Strickland as Tarzan. The show just opened in April, which was an amazing month for Millie Lewis.

Strickland competed at Millie Lewis AMTC (Actors, Models, and Talent Competition) where he met his manager Ted Brunson. Green was very excited to spend some time with Strickland after the show.

"Josh is still Josh, but when he is on stage he is TARZAN," Green said.

Millie Lewis is also excited about their 12-year-old, Aaron Burr, who is traveling in the Broadway play "Dr. Dolittle" with nine-time Tony winner Tommy Tune. You can also see Aaron on "America’s Got Talent" as he is a finalist. Watch out for him in the next few weeks.

Many other success stories are continuing to develop. Watch our local girl Ashley Scott on the new pilot "Jerricho" this fall. Ashley was in the movie "Walking Tall" with "The Rock" and "Into the Blue" with Jessica Alba.

Others are Matt Czuchry on "Gilmore Girls," as Logan and Mena Suvari’s continued success since appearing in the Oscar-winning "American Beauty." All of these have competed and were discovered through the Millie Lewis AMTC.

Auditions are going on now for the winter convention at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort. Go to www.millielewis.com and www.millielewischarleston.com for more information.

Millie Lewis also has training for all ages, all types. Acting classes are taught by Richard Futch, who does a lot of casting for television and film in South Carolina. Great contact!

Louise Teems, the booking agent, has been very busy booking jobs locally from Bayliner Boats to "Red" magazine out of the United Kingdom. We sometimes just need real people with lots of personality.

Green says to not only look at the fashion pages in magazines, but notice the advertisements in them with natural people of all ages, all types. Even though you would not want to give up your day job, locally you can make a lot of extra money on a part-time basis.

Millie Lewis is licensed by the Commission on Higher Education, and is a member of the Better Business Bureau, the Charleston and Summerville Chambers of Commerce and American Modeling Association, of which Green is past president.

Green personally feels God has a plan for all of us. She is always excited to be a part of making someone’s dreams and goals come true. Or just being the best they can be! Call 843-571-7781 for more information or to set up an appointment.

Millie Lewis also offers birthday parties, makeup artistry, private pageant and corporate etiquette training. Or just come get a professional photo shoot! Everyone is a model when they walk out their front door.

Staff Photo by Angela Lewis

Aaron Burr portrays Chee-Chee the monkey in "Dr. Dolittle."
Staff Photo by Angela Lewis

Millie Lewis brings back competition
BY DAVID QUICK
The Post and Courier, Friday January 6, 2006
Charleston, South Carolina
Fashion Section

Some 850 aspiring actors, models, singers and dancers will try to get noticed by some of the top casting directors and agents in the country, as well as learn a few things about the entertainment business, next week at the Millie Lewis Actors, Models & Talent Competition.

The competition, to be at The North Charleston Performing Arts Center from Tuesday through Jan. 15, will draw hundreds of entertainment and modeling industry representatives from New York, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Miami. Some big names include MTV, Twentieth Century Fox, Wilhelmina, Mark Burnette Productions and magazines such as Lucky, Cosmo Girl and Real Simple.

While the competition has been in existence since 1982, next week's event marks only the third time it has been held in the metropolitan Charleston area. The other two times were in the winters of 2003 and 2004.

"We're excited it's back in Charleston," says Suzanne Green, owner and agency director of Millie Lewis Models and Talent Agency in North Charleston. "Agents and casting directors love to come here and get away from their offices."

In all, an estimated 2,000 people are expected to visit the Lowcountry for the event.

The event is not open to the public, but Charleston's Millie Lewis will have 66 local people vying for top awards and the possible opportunities that follow them.

Past Millie Lewis contestants from Charleston who have taken part in the competitions and moved on to future fame have included:

--Mena Suvari, a Wilhelmina model and actress in the movies "American Beauty" and "American Pie."

--Matt Czuchry, who stars in the TV show "Gilmore Girls" and landed a role in the movie "Eight Legged Freaks."

--Ashley Scott, an Elite model who has played roles on "Into the Blue," "Dark Angel" and "Birds of Prey."

--Josh Strickland, who recently landed the role in Disney's Broadway production of "Tarzan."

Though the competition is hosted by Millie Lewis, the overwhelming majority of contestants are not from Millie Lewis agencies. Most are brought in by agents from around the country.

Categories in the competition are numerous. Some include commercial and runway fashion competitions, acting, singing and swimsuit competitions, in various age categories.

Dubbed a competition, a large chunk of the six-day event involves workshops, seminars and panel discussions.

Red Magazine (UK) Fashion Photo Shoot
August 2005

Demal Mattson with Bobby Guiney, "The Bachelor" in the "green room" prior to
the TV show The View on location at the College of Charleston.
Demal was chosen as Barbara Walters escort.

Child Performer Dazzles Judges/Scouts

By: Roger Lee, The Summerville Journal Scene
Originally Published on: 02/12/03
Page: 6C.

Brooke is the daughter of Dwight J. and Debbie Sikkema. She has one brother, 11-year-old Tyler, who attends Gregg Middle School. She is a member of the Bethany United Methodist Church choir and is a gymnastics and dance student. She started modeling classes at Millie Lewis of Charleston last summer and was selected to go to the competition after an audition in October.

She has always had an interest in music. Her mother says Brooke, at the age of two, learned "The Good Ship Lollipop" from a video and began singing. To date one of her favorite things is still singing along with the TV.

In the YWCA talent search she placed first in Child Contemporary Vocal during the county competition and first in Child Vocal in the Tri-county competition. Even though she had success in those and other talent competitions, her mother says the family was not prepared for her achievement at the national competition.

Local model to compete in Tunisia

     A local model will be among the 60 women competing in Tunisia for the Elite Model Look 2002 International competition Sept 1-8.
     Breanne Riggs, a 14-year-old sophomore at James Island High School, was one of six models selected during the Elite Model Look USA contest in Miami on Saturday.
     She and two other local models, Valarie Kobrovsky, 17, and Christine Hegel, 14, made the all-expenses-paid three-day trip to Miami, during which they had designer fittings, runway rehearsals, nights on the town and makeup and hair makeovers.
     All agreed it was an exhausting but exciting experience. "My name was the last one they called," Breanne said Tuesday morning. "I actually stood up in front of the people for 20 seconds before I could get my mind straight to walk to the end of the runway."
     The 38 competing models were told Friday night that six girls would be chosen to go to Tunisia, according to Breanne's local agent, Suzanne Green, director of Millie Lewis Models and Talent in Charleston. Green, who has been in the business for nearly two decades, said the event was a learning experience for her as well as the girls.
     "It was unbelievable ... like the Olympics of the business. Just when you think you know a lot, you find there's a lot more to learn, especially about the things that go on behind the scenes," Green said on Monday afternoon. "It was just an eye-opener for me."
     The models traveled as a group to events throughout Miami, including a reception at the Versace Mansion and special appearances at dinner clubs, where the red carpet and cameras were out for them and their entourage.
     "You'd see a cluster of them, and all you could notice were these tall, thin, beautiful girls and you knew they were fashion models. They were all flawless," said Green.
     During the weekend, Breanne's photo appeared in the Miami Herald as part of a story on the event.
     "She was having her hair makeover, and the newspaper photographer took her picture with her hair wrapped in foil," said Green.
     Although only six of the 38 models will continue to Tunisia, all were offered contracts with Elite USA.
     "Gerald Marie, president of the Elite Group, told parents in a meeting during the weekend that all the girls are at the beginning of their careers and that not winning did not mean they wouldn't be successful models," said Green.
     Breanne is preparing for the trip to Tunisia, her first out of the United States. "I'm going today to get my passport - I'm still in shock about this," she said Tuesday.
     Of the 60 models competing in Tunisia, an estimated 15 will be receiving modeling contracts that will generate nearly $1 million each over the next two years.

ROAD TO FAME

By: JUDY WATTS    of The Post and Courier Staff
Originally Published on: 07/19/02
Page: 1

     Breanne Riggs already has signed with the Ford agency in Chicago and Elite.
     Christine Hegel's first experience with modeling was at the AMTC competition in January.
     When Valarie Kobrovsky and her mother, Susan, went to Atlanta last month, the intention was to find a modeling agent. Was she successful? Oh, yeah.
     She and two other Charleston models, Breanne Riggs and Christine Hegel, are joining 31 other models from across the country who traveled to Miami on Wednesday to prepare for the Elite Model Look USA 2002 contest. Considered the top model search in the world, the contest will be held Saturday night.
     Of the 34 contestants, several will go on to compete in Tunisia, North Africa, in the Elite Model Look Worldwide contest. The winners will be offered nearly a million dollars in modeling contracts.
     Rodney Harris, Elite Atlanta's men's director, scout and member of the new faces development board, said he wasn't sure exactly how many models would be chosen to go to Africa.
     "The number of models that will be chosen in Miami to compete in Tunisia will depend on the strength of the contestants," said Harris.
     It's unusual for three people from one city to be competing in the national event, according to Harris.
     "Out of all the areas I've seen, South Carolina has some of the most beautiful girls," said Harris, noting that a model from Columbia is also in Miami for the Elite Look competition. "I am extremely impressed with the talent coming out of South Carolina right now."
     Harris was especially impressed with Kobrovsky, Riggs and Hegel.
     "When I saw Valarie, I thought, 'She's amazing,' I asked her mom to let her compete at the open house. We are expecting really big things for her," said Harris. "And Christine is amazing. She's 5 feet 11 inches, a redhead, a youthful beauty with an amazing slim, tall body - a super personality that really radiates. And Breanne is a very classic beauty that will be around for a long time."
     Harris said two other Lowcountry models, Stephanie Brooks, who signed with Elite during MP Enterprises Model and Talent Expo in November, and Randi Allen from Millie Lewis also made it into the group of 29 semifinalists at the Atlanta open house, actually got started model-
     ing when I took a class at
     Millie Lewis last summer. Later that year I was at my hairstylists' - she owns Karen's Hair Fitness - who'd heard about the American Model and Talent Convention and she told my mom she should take us to it. So we went to the competition and I got first place for swimsuit and second for photography and was an overall finalist," Breanne Riggs said.
     During the call-backs at the competition, Riggs met with several agents.
     "An agency called Hype kept calling Suzanne Green at Millie Lewis after the competition wanting to know when I was going to be able to come to Chicago to meet with them," Riggs said.
     Riggs, 14, was among the group of six models that ML owner Green took to Chicago and Atlanta earlier this year for interviews.
     During the trip, Elite Atlanta was impressed with Riggs and signed her. In Chicago, all the models met with every agency in town.
     "Even the ones we didn't get call-backs for," Riggs said.
     Among the agencies that Riggs impressed was the Ford Agency, which had not offered her a call-back at the competition.
     "When we got there, they decided they liked me and I had to choose between Hype and Ford. I decided to go with Ford. I'm signed with Ford Chicago and Elite Atlanta," she said.
     Several weeks before the Elite open house in Atlanta, Green called Riggs to tell her she should enter.
     "I had a family wedding planned for that weekend and couldn't go, but was invited to send my photo to Karen Lee at Elite Worldwide in New York. She had seen me at the competition and had liked me," Riggs said.
     Lee extended an invitation to Riggs to be one of the 34 to compete in Miami.
     "I'm extremely excited. AMTC was a national competition, but not as big as this. I never dreamed I'd get this far."

Actress, model first black Miss S.C. Teen USA

     At 17, Austen Brown already carries the titles of professional actress and model.
     Now, since her double win in the spring and fall of 2001, the West Ashley teen-ager can add beauty queen to the list.
     In May, Brown was crowned Miss Teen North Charleston and, in November, she went on to win Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2002, making her the first black winner of the state title.
     It's a distinction that Brown delights in and also questions.
     "I think it's kind of a shame," said Brown, about being the first black winner since the pageant's inception about 20 years ago, "but on the other hand, it was really an honor."
     Of the 57 girls who competed for the state title, only nine were minorities, she said.
     "I wonder why it's not a more diverse population," she said. "One of my goals is to try to diversify."
     But for Brown, a senior at Academic Magnet High School in North Charleston, her main goal is to become an actress one day, preferably on the big screen. She seems to be well on her way to making a name for herself in both modeling and acting.
     At age 4 she joined the Charleston branch of Millie Lewis Models and Talent, based in West Ashley, where she learned the tools of the modeling and acting trades.
     She has worked some summers in New York, appearing in national commercials for Ford Taurus and Sunbeam Bread.
     She also has modeled for catalogs, and she's even on the cover of a series of karaoke CDs, she admitted with a laugh.
     Brown was a featured extra in the film "Clockers" and was in "Mother of the River," a PBS film.
     Closer to home, she has done voiceovers for some local radio stations.
     The pageantry aspect, she said, will only contribute to her long-term goals, in both a professional and personal manner.
     "Pageants are made to enhance the person," she added. "It is an opportunity to have an impact on your community and you do get a lot from it."
     She admitted that she initially thought of pageants as being somewhat artificial, and she laughed while recalling the heavy makeup and big hair she had to wear for the pageant. Still, she said, it was a very liberating experience.
     The pageant included a swimsuit competition, evening gown wear and an interview segment. Brown remembers feeling a mixture of emotions, including excitement and disbelief, at the win.

Millie Lewis Convention to be in Charleston for first time

By: JUDY WATTS
Originally Published on: 10/05/01
Page: 1

     Stardom comes to some unexpectedly, but for most it comes after years of hard work and training.
     An estimated 850 contestants from around the world will make the first step in what could be a journey to celebrity at the 2002 Millie Lewis American Modeling & Talent Convention scheduled for Jan. 17-21 in Charleston.
     "This is the first time the competition has been held in Charleston," said Millie Lewis owner and director Suzanne Manseau Green. "It will be held here the following year also." Green said that approximately 50 agents will attend the winter competition and will represent such prestigious agencies as Ford, Elite and Wilhelmina, among many others.
     Auditions for the team of models and actors that will represent Millie Lewis Charleston at the January competition will be held Oct. 13 at the Millie Lewis studio on Savannah Highway.
     "We took 69 contestants in January 2001 to the Hilton Head AMTC," said Helen Pye, school director. "And we are expecting an even larger group for the January competition in 2002, in part because it will be right here in Charleston."
     The competition draws schools and agencies from around the world with more than 30 schools expected to bring clients to the January competition. Each school is screened by Carey Lewis Alban, daughter of the late Millie Lewis, before it is accepted to the competition. All participating agencies and schools are licensed by the Commission on Higher Education, according to Pye.
     "Millie Lewis has had many success stories over the last 22 years," said Green.
     Among the stories are actors such as Mena Suvari, who competed at AMTC for the first time in 1992 at the age of 12. Suvari recently starred in the movie "American Beauty." She also starred in the smash hit "American Pie" and has reprised her role for "American Pie II."
     Also making a mark in Hollywood is Matt Czuchry who won the "Mr. College of Charleston" contest in 1998. Part of his prize was a 15-week advanced course at Millie Lewis Charleston. He has gone on to appear in TV's "Freaks and Geeks" and the films "Mary Jane's Last Dance," "Swimming Upstream" and the Warner Bros. suspense flick "Arach Attack."
     Ashley Scott, a former St. Andrews High School student, recently played opposite Jude Law in Steven Spielberg's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence."
     "She started out with us and is a sweet, sweet girl with a lot of personality," said Green. "She's one of the three big, big stories out of Millie Lewis Charleston.
     "Hers and stories like Mena Suvari's are important because they show that you really have to hang in there," said Green. "Mena wanted to be a model. She didn't want to be an actress. When we took her to competition that's what she went for." Suvari signed with the Wilhelmina agency's kids' division, but once she got older Suvari had to make a decision.
     "She loved the business and decided to go into acting, and seven years later she's a success - talk about perseverance. It's not an easy business and there are struggles," said Green.
     Green said that those who are selected from the audition can compete in runway, print, swimsuit, TV commercials, spokesperson, monologue, singing, dance, soap opera or situation comedy categories. Contestants are eligible to win trophies, cash prizes and contracts with some of the top agents in the world.
     The process for participating in the competition begins with the Oct. 13 audition. Kim Meyers, the International Scout of American Modeling and Talent Convention, will be on hand during the audition to discuss the competition, show a video about it and detail the costs and what's involved in competing.
     "The scout comes in and gives out the packets on the fees. The amount varies, depending on the competitions in which they choose to compete," said Green. Green added that the audition process is very selective.
     "Kim makes a selection from those who audition. Not everyone will be ready for this competition, but they can audition again." She said those who have competed in the past are eligible to compete again but do not have to audition again.
     "We start preparing the people we select by the end of October, so we have three months of training to get everyone ready to compete in January. This is different from a model search, where you just go on a runway and walk - this is a competition. They have to be ready," said Green.
     "We have been named Agency of the Year for the last four years running," said Green. Call 843-571-7781 to schedule an audition time.
     Judy Watts,fashion editor, can be reached at jwatts@postandcourier or 937-5743.

Lowcountry model becomes Cosmo guy

By: STEPHANIE HARVIN    
Originally Published on: 6/26/98
Page: E1

Yes, he is a hunk. But Scot Sanborn would never call himself that. He's just a hometown boy at heart even though a photograph of him will be prominently displayed in a special issue of Cosmopolitan magazine as one of this year's "America's Most Wanted Single Men Across America.'' The Charleston man is withholding judgment on this latest break in his modeling career. I'm not sure. I don't know what to think about this,'' he says in a phone interview from Miami, where he is staying with his family.
"My picture was used as a promotion in the current issue, and two girls approached me on the beach, asking if I was Scot. It was kind of neat.'' Another woman called just to talk. And that was before the special edition hits the stands on Tuesday. Before the press conference in New York City, where Scot will join 36 other bachelors in the launch of the magazine. Before a round of parties to introduce the guys to the New York scene. And before thousands of American women see him, well-tanned in boxers on a full page in the magazine, complete with a Post Office Box address.

The magazine will be on the stands through August, so plenty of people will see it. The 1995 Citadel graduate has to think about this idea of national exposure even though he has been working toward this for the past two years through Millie Lewis Models and Talent.

He started modeling just to see what it was like, something to do while he worked on his MBA at The Citadel. He soon found that he could work as frequently as he wanted, as modeling jobs were plentiful.
Other people consider him cover guy material. For instance, he was contacted by an agency in South Africa and was working in Capetown this winter when Suzanne Manseau, owner of Millie Lewis Models and Talent, called to tell him his photo was accepted by Cosmopolitan. He was thrilled but also elated by the fact that he would be flying home soon to meet the photographer for the photo shoot. He was starting to miss Charleston.

This is a guy who wants to support a family, marry a soccer mom, drive a pickup and park it behind a white picket fence. Exotic locales, while nice, start to wear thin. "They treated me like a king in South Africa. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I've never traveled abroad, and it was wonderful. "When I wasn't working, I was spending long days in the sun on the beach.'' Sounds great, but if your heart is at home, modeling means just the opposite. "To make money in this business, you have to travel all the time. The agency in South Africa wanted me to go to London and Germany, but I just needed to get home. "Big cities scare me.''

Sanborn enjoys having his picture taken, doing the work. So much so that he is discovering a passion for photography - from behind the camera. He wants to pursue his new interest this fall, heading to Randolph Technical College in North Carolina to learn the technical side. That is, unless this is the big break he has been waiting for.

"You can model only until you are about 30, so I want to concentrate on something to fall back on as a business. I want to be a photographer, so right now I've been working as an assistant when I'm not modeling. "I know some models who have families and send money home while they travel all the time. That's not the way I want to be.'' Sanborn has gotten used to seeing his images stare back at him from the newspaper, catalogs and even a billboard or two. But the notion of being in a national magazine, especially Cosmo, is a whole lot bigger. "It's great exposure, but it's almost oppressive to think of so many people seeing the picture. "I hope that someone will see me and like the look, ask me to be in a big catalog like J. Crew. I really can't imagine what this might bring, and it's kind of scary.'' The best case would be to make some money for a while so that he could invest it to take care of the future. Then he could settle down and lead the kind of life he wants. But there is another aspect to the Cosmo article that makes his hometown nature sing. "It struck me the other day that it would be neat if some of my old friends from grammar school or high school in Florida saw it, and we got in touch again because of it. That would be really great.''

Scot Sanborn  - AGE: HEIGHT: 6' 2"  WEIGHT: 190 lbs. HAIR: Blond  EYES: Blue  STATUS: Single