CATLIN — Cory Heath laughs about the time he had drinks with Sarah Jessica Parker, the time he chatted with Cameron Diaz in New York and the evening he met Cuba Gooding Jr. at a party in Miami.

He goes into the VIP sections at New York City clubs, brushes past people like Mick Jagger and opens shows for top designers.

Not too shabby for a Catlin High School graduate.

Every few months, however, the Danville man returns home to enjoy mom’s cooking and go fishing with his friends. It helps him stay humble, he said during a recent visit to Danville.

At 25, Heath is a top model represented by agencies in New York, Miami, Chicago and Milan, Italy. He also appears in a new television commercial for Bud Light Lime, and two short independent films.

“This past year has been my busiest,” he said.

His latest venture is working with Andrew Buckler, a British designer who has started a series of six magazine ads to promote his clothing. The first full-page ad — in which Heath looks like a James Bond character — appears in the July issues of national magazines such as GQ, but not all issues.

His mother bought a GQ in Champaign, but the ad wasn’t there. It’s only in magazines sold in bigger cities and by subscription.

His parents, Karen and Darrell Heath of Danville, are proud of him. He also has two sisters in town, Tessa Heath and Lindsay Wheeler, who are both older than him.

“The camera likes him,” Karen said.

Heath is considered a “trendy” model, as opposed to a commercial one. He tries to keep his look fresh and edgy.

Class clown

While attending Catlin High, Heath was a standout athlete, especially in football. He was a class clown and teachers told him he’d be good in the entertainment world, he said with a smile.

Heath wanted to be an actor, and other people told him he should try modeling. His tall frame, good looks and piercing blue-green eyes — which are untouched in his photos — made him a natural.

Karen wrote to Cindy Crawford for advice, and her staff e-mailed back with tips on breaking into the modeling business and what to expect.

When he was 15, his mother drove him to casting calls in Chicago. He didn’t get a break until he was 17, when Elite signed him on, and he appeared in a Kohl’s ad.

He then joined Ford modeling agency, and that remains his mother agency.

When he graduated from high school in 2000, Heath enrolled at Southern Illinois University and studied political science, with the idea of becoming a lawyer.

But he never forgot that he wanted to be an actor, and also studied theater. He did a couple of independent films with Raz Productions in Champaign and also worked on a TV pilot “Circle” a couple of years ago, but it was never finished.

On his way

One day, he was in Chicago and met an agent from Italy, who wanted him to come overseas. Heath graduated from college first, and went to Italy to model.

He’s been in numerous magazines, both national and small, such as Soak, Clubline, Colt and Flaunt. He’s appeared in ads for businesses, such as Sears, Ace Hardware and Farm & Fleet.

He’s been in two commercials — the Bud Light and an Italian one for Dolce & Gabbana clothing.

In 2001, he tried out for a Tommy Hilfiger runway show in Panama. Out of 4,000 people auditioning, he was one of 16 chosen.

Last summer, he did a runway show for Diesel clothing in Florence, Italy.

But the most exciting thing was meeting Buckler, and opening the designer’s show in spring 2007. And now the ads are getting attention.

Karen said proudly, “It’s Buckler’s first big advertising campaign — and my son is the main guy.”

Heath drops the names of all the celebrities he’s met, including the late Heath Ledger. He recalled one time he was working as a caterer in New York for a small party, and one of the partygoers was actress Sarah Jessica Parker. Before the evening was over, he was sitting down, having drinks with her.

As for the celebrities, he said, “They’re all just people. They started somewhere like I did.”

He also has had a lot of pretty girlfriends, Karen pointed out.

But Heath shrugs it off, saying he prefers girls from around here because they like him for who he is, not for what he’s done.

Not all glamour

Although he leads an exciting life, Heath said the modeling business has its down side.

“It does get devastating sometimes,” he said. “You can go to 50 casting calls in two months and not get a job.” But, then you might get called for the next 50 jobs.

“It’s up and down.”

Also, in high fashion, he said, “You’re just a body. You’re a walking hanger.”

On the plus side, the models get free clothing. And it’s fun to travel and meet a lot of different people, he said.

He wants young people in the Danville area to know: “You don’t have to stay here. There are other things out there. It’s enlightening for people to experience different things and places.”

As for the future, Heath would like to use his law education to become an agent someday.

His mother is a registered nurse and his father works at Sears.



ON THE WEB

-- Contact Cory Heath through http://www.myspace.com/cory_heath

-- The commercial he’s in for Bud Light Lime is at http://www.budlightlime.com, called “Catch One.” He’s wearing a fedora, but the images go by quickly.

-- His New York agency is Red, which is at http://www.rednyc.com

-- Another site is http://www.fashionmodel.it; go to “look at the book,” then “man,” then uncheck the box next to Milan and go forward until you find his name.