Interview by Despina Dimotsi. Issue 8, Fall 2025
Nektarios Kirkopoulos is a Greek International Model born in Germany. He is in to the fashion industry from last 14 years. As a model, he has worked in 8 different countries
He has worked with Celebrities like Nicholas Cage, Maria Garzia Cucinotta, Gauri Khan. He has done shoots for various brands, some of the few are Volkswagen, China Eastern Airlines, Maestro, Huawei Phone, China Citic Bank Visa, Nescafe gold and popular suiting brand Ermenegildo Zegna. Nek’s versatile and glamorous work and his involvement in many social and charity programs lead to the increase in his popularity resulting in a broad portfolio of Clients,Fashion Ramps, TVCs, Movies, Magazine Covers, Editorial shoots, Television appearances, Interviews and achievement of awards like Top International Model 2011, Model of the year 2013 and Best model of the Decade 2015.
Nektarios Kyrkopoulos is a renowned Greek international model and actor who’s made a name for himself in the fashion and entertainment industries. He’s worked with top brands and has appeared in various TV series and commercials, including a Pakistani series on Netflix.
DD: Nektarios, we would like you to tell us how is it that a model from Greece has worked in so many countries that are very different from each other?
NK: At the moment it happens, you don’t realize it, you just experience it. You get carried away by all the intensity and dynamics of this job, i.e. travel, airports, transportation, preparation for the projects, that you don’t have time to think about how important and how big and fabulous it is. I realized during the quarantine period that I spent in Greece, how great what I have done is, I can say I am very proud of all that I have accomplished.
DD: Which market is the most demanding in terms of modeling? What are the main differences between Europe, America and Asia?
NK: All markets are demanding with their own specificities. The most difficult part I can say is staying in the country you work in, and if you are hardworking, the length of time you stay is extended, which makes things more difficult because you will have to adopt the lifestyle there. The difference is that in Asia you get paid by the hour, you work by the hour, everything is faster, more efficient and less artistic in terms of results, while in Europe you have less money but the result is better, so you have to choose where you want to be.
DD: Photoshoots, catwalks or spots? Which is your favorite, which is the most difficult and why?
NK: What I prefer and have absolute control over the result is photo shoots. Money is much better and it’s also more creative! In commercials I like the result but I don’t like the process at all like in films. All this creates stress for me, being the center of attention and having a lot of people around me. Asking different things of me creates stress for me as a process! As for shows, I don’t prefer them because there are lot of hours and few money.
DD: How important is, in order to take the first steps towards an international career, for someone to have International awards in modeling? You already have enough awards!
NK: I won the awards several years ago when things were completely different. Everything happened so smoothly and beautifully so I have the best memories when I was at the beginning of my career. I was definitely happy, it was a vindication for my career, but in modeling, what matters is being efficient, being good at your job, and bringing the results that the photographer and the client want.
DD: Having collaborated with famous people like Nicholas Cage, Maria Garzia Cucinotta, Gauri Khan, we would like you to tell us about an experience that you remember most vividly from that time.
NK: What I definitely remember was working with Maria Grazia Cucinotta in Shanghai when at the entrance I saw two limousines entering the studio which smelled of espresso. This was ten years ago in China, very rare for that time. There was a big buffet with European food and a lot of people gathered around a girl. They had framed photos of all her work and I was telling my assistant what Maria Grazia Cucinotta’s photos were doing here. I came to this project straight from another job so I wasn’t aware of the details. It was one of the best things in my life, especially in a place so far from Europe. Maria Grazia Cucinotta was professional, serious, strict but also sweet, and we had a wonderful collaboration.
Gauri Khan is the biggest producer of Bollywood. When I arrived in India on the second day we had a photoshoot at her house on the fifth floor, in the most expensive area of Mumbai. They selected me in a very strict and big casting with many candidates!!! After 2 months we met at an award event in India, she remembered me and we greeted each other. This experience was incredible and just being next to her, going into her house and spending almost a whole day together was very important. Even though she was distant there was a strange energy, a strange chemistry between us. I consider the magazine edition that had some of my photos in it, a big plus for me.
DD: What was your first cover, in which magazine and in what year? And how many covers do you have today including ours?
NK: I have done quite a lot that I am very happy and very excited about. What I definitely remember is that it was a luxury magazine in Korea, a hardcopy magazine of very good quality, and the result was fantastic. The best one is definitely the latest, the newest, the freshest.
DD: You mention that you have said “no” a lot in your career. Is it easy to turn down offers without it being negative later? Tell us a little about that.
NK: When you reject a proposal it’s definitely not easy. I’m both an emotional and deep person so I think it’s not easy!!! but it’s much better than doing the job and not feeling good about it and regretting it later. So it’s better to say no in advance. As easygoing a person as I am in my life, I am as difficult, demanding, strict and perfectionist at work. I want to have my own team, photographers I know because I feel comfortable and familiar with them.
DD: What field would you be interested in pursuing in the future after modeling? Maybe television, cinema οr something completely different?
NK: I am at my best, I do not stop evolving and experimenting with various things such as tourism in Greece. In general I am happy, I feel good so I am still looking for it. I am actively involved in modeling which is a profession that has never abandoned or disappointed me. What matters is that we stay healthy, happy and have good people around us, which is a bit difficult these days, but I am optimistic, active, I have faith in myself and nothing scares me.
Photo credits: Panos Barous, Santorini