Some people think that being a working male model is totally glamorous, filled with celebrity-packed parties, beautiful clothing, and ritzy apartments in the most cosmopolitan cities. But for Mark Reay, a 56-year-old 'silver fox' originally from New Jersey, it wasn't quite such a gilded existence.

True, the model, actor, and photographer lived in New York City and regularly attended Fashion Week - but he was also homeless. For six years, Mark called a sleeping bag on a friend's Manhattan rooftop home - all while working with some of the biggest names in the business and appearing in major movies and TV shows.

He'd had a long career as a model and fashion photographer by the time he ended up sleeping on that friend's roof, having begun to pose professionally after graduating from college. In his 20's, he lived in models' group apartments in places like Milan, Paris, and Madrid, and walked runways for major designers, including Versace, Moschino, and Missoni.

At 6'3" with a confident posture and grey hair, Mark looked clean and handsome. While most people imagine the homeless to be drunk and dirty, Mark always kept up appearances. To get ready for his modeling and acting jobs, Mark would use the public bathrooms in Tompkins Square Park. There, he would get dressed, shave, and brush his teeth. He even duct-taped a mirror to a bathroom stall to check out how he looked.

His jobs earned him a small amount of money which he'd spend on a $90/month membership to the gym where he could shower, as well as keep suits and an iron in a locker. He also shelled out for a cell phone, health insurance, and food that he'd pick up cheap at local delis.

To most people, that kind of rootless existence might seem awful - but Mark didn't hate it. His view of Manhattan was 'magnificent' from the rooftop, he said, and he felt like he 'had the world at his feet'. He would also be invited to sleep over at friend's places when the weather was particularly bad.

Then, in 2010, he reconnected with an old friend named Thomas Wirthensohn, a filmmaker. The two decided to make a documentary together about Mark's experience. The film, called Homme Less - a play on the word 'homeless' and the French word 'homme'.

However, by making the film, Mark was blowing his cover - meaning he can no longer sleep on the East Village rooftop that he'd called home for six years. Now, he splits his time between living with his mother in New Jersey and couch-surfing in New York City.