Meet Howard Snooks | Model and commercial actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Howard Snooks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Howard, how do you think about risk?
I reinvented myself as a model, commercial actor, and social media influencer at the age of 67. I had been a psychotherapist (PhD, Clinical Social Worker, Smith College) for forty five years and had just retired. I had just been informed in mid 2015 by my wife of 34 years that she was divorcing me! I had no idea that she did not love me and that we were in fact not partners in life forever. That she did this because she did not wish to share a large inheritance was devastating to me.

Besides the divorce, my father, sister, and uncle had all unexpectedly died the same year, and I had a bizarre accident that led to my requiring emergency hip replacement surgery. Each of these events contributed to an extraordinary amount of stress—in a way that is hard to explain I no longer felt myself to be myself any more! I just put on a facade and went through the motions of being alive while inside I felt like I was inhabiting another body than my own! Eventually that feeling went away.

My hip surgery took place in another city,. Upon my return in mid January of 2016 I was sitting at the kitchen table, my sweet little dog Oso lying next to me and I was drinking coffee and reading the Denver Post (paper edition!). I looked around at this normal situation and said to myself: “I need a sign from the universe in order to find direction again and to feel real again!” I happened upon an article in the Post. Apparently advertisers were looking for Baby Boomer models. The demographic was quite large and prosperous, but there weren’t any models to represent that age group. I felt like I had a revelation, and felt myself alive again right at that moment.
Immediately in began to plan to become a model and actor-over the next few months I took a training course, obtained a portfolio, and found an agent. It was very fun and exciting; and most importantly I felt alive and well again! The risk I took was huge, especially because I took a leap of faith in a way that my had received my sign from the Universe! The investment and risk has paid off and I very much enjoy getting booked for commercials and doing runway shows. I have even been in two indie short films. Then road to becoming a social media influencer has been absolutely fascinating! I have paid a price—I have lost some friends and family members who have disapproved of my reinvention, people whom I had considered to be forever friends!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I had spent 45 years as a psychotherapist, primarily in private practice. A specialty was child custody evaluation appointments from the District Courts in the Denver Metro area. In addition I had a general psychotherapy practice. I had written a dissertation; prepared scholarly reports for the Courts to assist judges in making child custody decisions; I had a national presence in the clinical social work profession as a representative of associations and credentialing organizations. It was all intellectual and generally speaking my physical presence was modest and tailored to not cause much disruption.

In my reinvention I had to transform from a profession where one’s physical presentation is quite modest into one where I was “out there”, telling the world to “look at me!”. It was quite a jump 😅! I moved from blazer and chinos as my uniform to alternative, avant garde fashion design on the runway for Denver Fashion Week! I knew I had a good smile, silver hair which had become quite popular, and I had maintained a fit physique unusual for someone my age. Now I had to feature these things rather than try to tone them down.

However, I very much wish to convey that self-awareness and wisdom , and love for my fellow human beings remains my primary goal even as I have chosen a different venue for self expression. Self love and confidence are not the same as toxic narcissism, and I want my friends, followers and fans to know that about themselves as well. I respect those who track my new career and hope to be an inspiration as to what old age can offer in terms of remaining healthy and engaged in the world. I feel especially satisfied when a social media follower leaves me a message saying that I am an inspiration to them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a city experience, I think that RINO, Highlands, and LoDo are awesome and vibrant places to take visitors in Denver. Everyone who comes to visit here is always so impressed with the beautiful city of Boulder (where I have lived for almost 45 years) and the hiking and biking opportunities that abound everywhere around town. And everyone loves the scene on the Pearl Street Mall! Rocky Mountain National Park is so close and it is stupendous!

I would take a few days and take a trip to Durango with my out of state friends. I am from an ancient, pioneer ranching family. I have three sets of great great great grandparents who came to what is now Colorado between 1859 and 1866, from both sides of my family. My family settled in the Durango area in 1877, and it is so breathtakingly beautiful there, and has such a wonderful vibe, that I know my visitors would fall in love with the area. Also I could show them the beautiful, pristine ranches where my ancestors settled and where both of my parents grew up. Southwestern Colorado would be the perfect counterpoint to the more urban feel of the Front Range. It provides a good feel of the Western lifestyle while the Front Range points forward to what has become one of the premier locales for a progressive, sophisticated, attuned lifestyle in the midst of remarkable beauty.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I mentioned that I had lost friends and family members, and I had to transition from being a family man in a long and loving marriage to being a lonely, single old guy! And it happened in a flash! I owe a great deal to Denver therapist, Cameron Gridley (he no longer has a private practice) . In addition, I owe so much to friends who enveloped me in love and solicitude at a social club I had joined just before everything in my life changed. It is Highland City Club in Boulder. My friends and acquaintances there became my lifeblood, encouraging me in my reinvention, being wingmen when nervously re-entered the dating scene, respecting and valuing my contributions to the intellectual discussions members enjoy there, and in all other ways having my back! I also appreciate how the Denver modeling community welcomed me as their most senior male model ever! My talent agency, Wilhelmina Denver, has been effective and supportive in providing me opportunities to audition and get bookings for what turned out to be a large commercial production industry in Denver ( I never knew this!).

I also owe a lot to my adult son Joe , who lives in Denver, who recognized just how traumatic my experience of losing my marriage so suddenly was, and he stood beside me while I regained my feet. I received a great piece of advice from a friend of mine, Bill Stewart (who has since then, sadly, passed away) he had gone through a very traumatic situation earlier in his life. He told me that when attacked by former friends or when faced with what seem like insurmountable barriers, to adopt an athletic stance-both in terms of literally balancing on my feet in such a stance, but also reprising that in my mind. It was extraordinarily helpful!

Website: Howardsnooks.com

Instagram: @howardsnooks

Twitter: @snooks_howard

Facebook: #howardsnooks

Image Credits
Empatheyes Studio (Jeff Warnock) John Conroy Rob Lange Photograohy