NYLE DIMARCO
122
If you haven’t noticed we are living in a hyper-visual world; there are more reality television stars than ever before and every day it seems insta-famous people pop-up out of nowhere. If you are searching for a bright spot in this saturated world of media personalities than Nyle DiMarco will bring you hope. Yes the winner of both America’s Next Top Model season 22 and Dancing With The Stars season 22 has been seen a few times without his shirt, but don’t let his sexy stare and model good looks fool you Nyle DiMarco is a force for change and is using his fame and platform for good. DiMacro added producer to his name this year as Children Of A Lesser God hits Broadway starring Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff and started his own foundation that raises awareness and funds for deaf people around the world. Look out! Here comes Nyle DiMarco. We sat down with Nyle the day of his cover shoot for MAN of METROPOLIS. MM: Do you ever daydream about your time on America’s Next Top Model & Dancing with the Stars? That is a very visible way to “grow-up” in front of America, let alone come out? What memories come flooding in when you think about both experiences? Did you keep any of the clothes or costumes?
ND: I’ll admit I do day dream about my time on ANTM and DWTS. More about how I surprised myself with my capabilities that I never thought I had. And, mostly about how my Deaf community supported and positively reacted… it was validation that I was doing the right thing and that this was destined to happen to me. I wanted to keep some of the clothes but both shows wouldn’t let me!
MM: Best Memory or Lesson from ANTM:
ND: The very first day of ANTM, Tyra Banks marched down the runway on Hollywood Blvd with thousands of eyes on her and told us all, “Never take NO for an answer.” And to this day, I still live by that quote. There is a lot of uncertainty in the entertainment world in regards to having a Deaf person involved in creating projects or being in them. Some people might be hesitant to cast or bring on a Deaf person, possibly due to a presumption about inability, but I’m not going to take no as an answer. I know that not only are we more than able, but we have a lot to offer. MM: Best Memory or Lesson from DWTS:
ND: To be honest, I surprised myself every week on a live stage without being able to hear… and that is a friendly reminder that I can do absolutely anything if I set my mind to it.
“Our overall mission is to better 360 million Deaf lives worldwide.” MM: Hardest thing about being on TV?
ND: The burden of representing the Deaf community, since there are 360 million of us worldwide. It is a heavy burden but I am more than happy to take it on because I know I can improve the lives of Deaf people by hopefully breaking down stigmas and educating people about our culture. People are afraid or cautious of what they don’t understand, and we have a lot to share!
SUMMER 2018
