1) How did it feel to be demoted as an on-air correspondent? What were the ramifications of EXTRA's actions?
It smarted, of course. And I will never really know the reasons for certain. There were no legal ramifications, but it certainly didn't hurt my career! If anything, it launched me and helped legitimize me in the eyes of many. I have not stopped working since Extra, and that was well over a decade ago. Maybe their demoting me was the biggest favor they could have paid me!
2) Who has been your best and most influential guest on your vlog to date? Why?
We're at well over a million views for the show I did with singer and actor Paul Lekakis. It's a testament to the viral power of the internet and You Tube.
3) Were you out and proud during your modeling days? Why/Why Not
Well, I still model. I didn't really have "modeling days" -- I've never worked professionally as a model, but I've done it for promotional purposes all my adult life.
4) How do feel about being a gay icon in this day and age?
If I am indeed an icon, it's a lot less treacherous than I imagine it must have been for the pioneers of the gay rights movement a few decades ago.
5) Do you feel that people take you less seriously since you've used your body for a good cause? You asked Reichen on one of your shows, now I want to know how YOU really feel...
What I've used is my IMAGE. My body is my own.
6) Please give advice to someone in who is struggling with coming out and being their true selves:
You may encounter difficulties as a result of coming out -- non-acceptance by some close to you, etc. -- but the joys and rewards of being open and honest in your life will far outweigh the difficulties. This is the case for nearly all of us. Furthermore, the more people who come out and live in the fullness of who they really are, the easier it gets for those who will follow. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for the next generation.
7) What is your take on GLBT marriage? Do you see yourself marrying the man of your dreams?
I enthusiastically support LGBT legal equality including the right to marry. When I find the man of my dreams, I will definitely marry him. :-)
8) I want to know (and I'm sure others out there in cyber-land want to know as well...), what's your ideal first date:
Quiet dinner, good conversation on the sofa, some hot make-out and the expectation of more on date #2.
9) What are your key elements in being in a relationship? Be 100% honest!
Do you mean what attracts me? Or what do I look for in a mate? First and foremost (at the beginning) there has to be a chemical/sexual attraction. That's the glue that will hold things together until a deep love takes over in its place. Then, I need to be made to laugh. He's got to be smart enough to be clever, and humble. He must have a sense of purpose in his life, and be interested in things that extend beyond himself -- a sense of spirituality and a sensitivity to the world in which we live.
10) Are you really 38?! Get out! What do you do to keep looking as ravishing as you do? Please share any "beauty tips" with us!
I am definitely 38. If I look good for my age, it may be because I sleep adequately at night, drink plenty of water and no alcohol, eat a clean diet -- sometimes raw vegan, other times just a healthy bodybuilder's regimen, exercise every day, don't use party drugs, engage in regular spiritual practice, and get facials once a week. Beyond that, it's luck and genetics.
*ALL CONTENT IS COPYRIGHT MATERIAL - INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY GIUSEPPE*
