| "Before I even
arrived in L.A. there were pictures of my naked
ass on guysīrefrigerator doors all across the
country."
Tony Ward, one of
the most prolific and recognisable male models
of, well, ever, is standing outside the lobby of
the Culver Hotel in Los Angeles, talking about
being pigeonhold. Over his career, Tony has been
the subject of some iconic male erotic
imagery, shot by the haute vanguard of fashion
photographers, from Herb ritts to Steven Meisel,
Greg Gorman to Jack Pierson. "So thatīs who
people expect me to be," Tony says. "I meet
people and they go, "He Tony, are you gay, Tony?
Are you straight, Tony?" And I say, " Hey, Iīm
Tony, nice to meet you." I donīt define myself ,
I donīt de-fine myself at all. I do what the
fuck I want when I want and it upsets people
some of the time!" He pauses before adding, "A
lot of the time." For a guy who carries so many
titles - model, gay icon, photographer, painter,
actor, producer, director, husband, father - he
certainly dislikes labels. For a guy who, for
more tham 25 years, and most notably in the
early ī90s when he was dating Madonna, had his
personal parts on public display, he surely
doesnīt like to be, ahem, tied down. "I donīt
give a fuck about that. The nudity, the
sexuality out there, look, itīs like an
appendage, itīs like a finger. I donīt see how
people can stomach the torture of prisoners or
the slaughter of innocent people all over the
world and even raise an eyebrow over some sex."
....
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