Although most of us at Models Direct wouldn’t think twice about accepting a modelling job for Chanel, it seems Paris-born Gaspard Ulliel did.

Despite having modelled before – in 2007, he appeared on the cover of French Vogue with Dutch supermodel Doutzen Kroes – when Ulliel was chosen as the face of Chanel for its new men’s fragrance, Bleu de Chanel, he admits he thought twice before accepting the job.

“Chanel is the greatest fashion house in France, but I was hesitant when they first asked me,” he recently told Vogue.co.uk.

“I thought it could be risky for me to do fashion campaign. I’m not like Brad Pitt or Gerard Depardieu, who already have established themselves as actors – I’m just starting. I didn’t want to be known as a Chanel model, over an actor, but I told myself it was the perfect project. Chanel is classy and highly respected. I like being associated with a fragrance more than I think I would with clothes, it’s more abstract you know?”

We suppose Ulliel’s hesitation is understandable, especially given the fact that he was also the face of Longchamp in the A/W 2008-09 campaign alongside Kate Moss, but we’re glad the Hannibal Rising star said yes.

The film for the campaign, which was directed by Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese and debuted in August 2010, turned out great. So even if Ulliel focuses on his acting career going forwards, we think this French film actor will always have a place in modelling!