Q&A with Work Out's Jesse

August 24, 2006

Yesterday, one of our OUTzone writers had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jesse from the summer hit “Work Out.” Jesse turns out to be the most charming person in the whole wide world. We caught up with him while he was running errands and he talked to us about training, pastry, and his dating life.

So “Work Out” definitely got a pretty serious audience. There was a lot of buzz and press and people jabbering about the lot of you. How’s that been going?

The whole thing has definitely been a little bit of a life change as far as people noticing me and people approaching me. Which is pretty funny. Oddly enough, the biggest change has been the traffic to my MySpace page.

Do you get approached a lot?

Most people who have approached me have been lesbians who are trying to meet Jackie. And, actually, a lot of teenage girls. I think now that “Will and Grace” is over, all these girls want their own Will. And it’s a gap they’re hoping I can fill. Seeing myself everywhere is different. I’m seeing myself on billboards and magazines and stuff, which is awesome but weird at the same time. Before the show, I thought I was going to be a pastry chef. But since this, things have really changed and opened up.

You were a pastry chef?

I was in a French cooking school. I graduated from Cordon Bleu and I was in the last three weeks of school when “Work Out” started filming. I was also a teacher’s assistant in the baking program. So I came on as the fat kid.

Stop it.

No, I mean, I work out like a crazy nut but when I went on the show, I was the odd man out. I mean, they’re all ripped. I never wanted to be big, super, uber muscular. The guys that I think are really cute are the little ones. Scrawny guys always have my heart. I’ve never really gone for being a big muscle dude, I do it just to stay healthy.

Skinny wiry guys with long limbs. I hear you.

Daniel Vosovic. I can’t even…

So let’s cut to the chase. Are you getting laid more?

You know what’s funny? No. I mean, we all thought “if nothing else, at least…” I remember that I talked to the guy who did a lot of the artwork for the posters and the billboard. He was like, “don’t worry you’ll totally get laid off of this.” I’ve yet to get really laid.

I’m pretty shy when it comes to approaching someone. I tend to shy away. I hope to start going out a little more, but I’m still busy running two businesses. I sell cakes sometimes and I have a healthy food delivery service. And I’m trying to make other media things happen. “Work Out” has kept me busy. Even though getting laid would be wonderful -- it’s been a while.

Oh my God, the comment boards are going to go insane tomorrow.

I was kind of sort of dating somebody but I’m not anymore. And I’m a monogamist. I don’t go out, I mean I go out with Jackie and most of the time I’m beating off crazy lesbians who won’t leave her alone.

So, you went from Pastry Chef to Personal Trainer -- how did that happen?

I was an actor.

It’s okay.

Right? I studied at CalArts, I was really into Shakespeare. It was my forte, and after being in LA after a few years, I signed with a management firm, because it looked like there were … interesting things about to happen. And everyone was always saying, “You’re going to have to make a decision about coming out or you’ll only do gay roles, blah blah blah.”

I actually had one of those made-for-tv-movie moments, where I went in to see them. They closed the door to the office and said, “Jesse, we think you can be a star. But we need to change almost everything about you.”

Like what?

Oh God. They said, “You need to change your hair, you have to take some diction classes, and you can never set foot in West Hollywood again.” And my heart was in it, and I was like, “Sure, absolutely.” Until about a week later, I called them and told them to go to hell.

That’s awesome.

Yeah. So, that part being over, the other thing that I always did was cooking. You’re always so body conscious when you’re acting. I was obsessed with this boot camp workout I had found. And so, I was auditioning and working the front desk at this boot camp place in Hollywood. And I was there every day, and thought, “I can do this.” I got certified to be a trainer, I started teaching the classes, and when I started culinary schools, I kept teaching. Thank God, too. I saw people gain 50 pounds in culinary school!

What do you think makes you a good trainer?

I love to see people’s spirits lift and I love to see clients fall in love with how they look and how they feel. I know I’m good at what I do. My workout is not for everybody. I don’t take clients with special needs. My training sessions are very intense. It’s actually rare that I find someone that can get all the way through the first session without throwing up. I push people to their limits, until they’re exhausted, and it’s amazing how their bodies transform.

Where does that come from?

My family. I come from a long line of workhorses. My grandfather was very “American dream,” he started out driving a delivery truck for bakery companies until he was Vice President of the company. I wake up between four and five am every day, I deliver my food, I train all day, I meet who I need to meet, and then I’m up cooking until eleven o’ clock. I’ve dedicated myself to that. And it’s because of my father and my grandfather who have instilled this work ethic.

So Jackie left you in charge of her house and it got trashed. How did that go?

Okay. I got screwed. Seriously, I thought I had another day. When the party ended it was late, and I had an early session, and I thought I’d clean it up when I was done, but lo and behold, Miss Warner came home early. Which …. I am a responsible person. And I absolutely would never leave it like that. I got screwed.

People have actually called the gym and told Jackie to fire me because of that. They played me this really intense message, by this homophobic lunatic, who kept saying, “Tell that gay guy he has no head on his shoulders. You should fire that gay guy.”

“That gay guy?”

Exactly. Can I say something about the gay thing, while I’ve got your ear? It’s been bothering me and I want to talk about it.

By all means.

I get compared to Doug on the show. I’ve been getting people emailing all this stuff about me. I don’t know if you read the comment boards.

Exhaustedly. I can’t get enough.

Here’s the thing: Doug gets portrayed as this golden Adonis sweet man, and somehow I’m the screwed up tragic homo that’s ruining the image of gay men all over America. Whatever. The thing is, it's pretty hard to find a young gay trainer for reality TV who a) isn't in the closet or b) hasn’t done any porn. I’m an out, young, proud trainer, and I think I’m a totally positive role model.

Of course you are.

What’s funny is that all the comments about me are about how “Jesse needs to butch it up.” And that is really irritating. There’s such segregation within our own community about butch vs. femme. Which one is right? Why is butch better than femme? I already reached the point where being in the closet and not being myself was not a life worth having. And then you get up the nerve to come out and you get hit up with it again from your own community.

I was a little offended, actually, when Doug did this article for an online magazine, and he totally bashed me in it. I don’t think he knew he was bashing me, but he said that he was glad that he was on the show so there could be a positive gay role model and he was glad that I was on so that he would appear more normal.

I love the implication that you’re really femmy. I love even more that you’re not the normal one.

It was jaw-dropping. Doug trains in cowboy boots and tight jeans, is tanner than everyone in the world, with the dyed hair and he gets to be the normal one?

Are you guys still friends?

We had a confrontation about it. Pretty much, though, he’s such a puppy. If the puppy pees on the rug, you yell at it for a second and it looks so hurt and scared and confused, so how do you stay mad at a puppy?

Speaking of gay role models, we hear some pretty strong opinions about Mimi around here. What’s your take?

I like Mimi. I actually spent a lot of time going out with Mimi and Jackie, I think that Mimi and Jackie are both wonderful people and sometimes, even if you’re wonderful people you’re not always the best thing for each other. I think they’re sort of addicted to each other.

Mimi is very compulsive and honestly, if I was in Mimi’s shoes, and I was having a rough time with a boyfriend, and he went on another date, yeah, I’d kill him. I wouldn’t be able to handle that either. I understand her freaking out. Being in an insecure place in your relationship and then having all these cameras around and all the things going on around your girlfriend. And you know, the show is definitely edited in Jackie’s favor. You have to admit, if nothing else, Mimi is good TV.

So you’re all still friends?

Oh yeah. And talking to Mimi, she’s had some little meltdowns over this. Publicly, her image is this whacked out nut. Privately, it’s different. The gays, though, we love a good crazy. We also love a good slut, that’s why Rebecca is so popular.

That’s funny.

Yeah, well, with Rebecca -- what you see is what you get. I’ve had a couple conversations and they’re usually about penises. Don’t print that.

I’m totally going to. You are delightful, please come see us when you’re in New York.

I would love to.

We’ll do everything we can to set you up with Daniel V.

Oh my god, I don’t know what I would do. He’s so my big, big crush right now. I think he’s amazing!