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The Daily Dish Million Dollar Listing New York

Ryan Serhant's Hand-Modeling Past Revealed

Watch behind-the-scenes footage of the ‘MDLNY’ agent's famous campaign.

By Pat Cauley

Every Thursday, celebrate #TBT with us as we open the vault to share photos and videos of Bravolebrities before they were famous--or revisit memorable moments from our shows. This week, we’re throwing it back to a time when Ryan Serhant’s paws were used for a lot more than shaking hands and signing real estate deals.

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Prior to becoming a New York real estate mogul, Ryan Serhant actually began his career in acting. “As all actors do, I had to take a professional head shot so I had something to pass out during auditions," Ryan told Glamour last year. "I chose a head shot with my left hand casually resting on my face. I had no idea at the time that I apparently have a uniquely beautiful and slender pair of hands. My photo printer ‘discovered’ this and sent my headshot to AT&T. I was booked for one of their print mobile ad campaigns, and things took off from there."

He’s referring to AT&T’s International Hands campaign, which used painted hands photographed in various formations designed to represent the more than 220 countries where AT&T offers international wireless service. Watch a behind-the-scenes video of Ryan working with Italian artist Guido Daniele on set.

So, what came of the Hands campaign? The ads appeared in newspapers, magazines and in creative out-of-home applications, including on the backs of airplane tray tables, in airport terminals, wallscapes, transit station dominations, three-dimensional cubes in Times Square, and more. It was even voted “America’s Favorite Magazine Ad” by Magazine Publishers of America.

So what were some of the essential tools Ryan used to become a successful hand model? As he told Glamour, Lubriderm is key. And never refer to a gig as a "hand job." 

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