From American idol's first season to television appearances and movies, Jim Verraros is constantly on the move. On July 28 at 2 p.m., Verraros and actress Mink Stole will appear at Borders, 2817 N. Clark, to promote their new DVD, Eating Out 2.
Windy City Times: You seem like a busy guy. How do you handle everything on your plate?
Jim Verraros: It is all about balance. I don't live in L.A. anymore. I live in Chicago, so I think for me it works out the best. I tried the whole L.A. thing and, to be honest, it was not my cup of tea. I fly to L.A. to work then I come home at the end of the day.
WCT: Well, L.A. is fun to visit.
JV: Totally, but living there left a bitter taste in my mouth.
WCT: Did you always want to be a singer and what was your training?
JV: I grew with a lot of musical theater. At seven, I was cast in a high school show. When I went away to college at Columbia in Chicago, I heard about American Idol. I didn't want to be the next Justin Timberlake; I just wanted to go and see what it was all about. It was the first season so no one knew what it was. When I walked into the hotel there was no one in line. And I was like, 'Excuse me, am I in the right place?' And they said, 'We are just waiting for more people to show up.'
WCT: That's funny compared to how it is today.
JV: I know, because now they have huge arenas filled with people. The rest is history. I was ninth in the country. We got to put out a record on RCA and it went gold. I went on tour in 30 cities. I got to play at the Allstate Arena and it was the time of my life.
WCT: And now they are [ airing ] American Idol Rewind.
JV: Yeah, it's cool because it gives more recent fans a chance to see people like Carrie or other winners of the show. Kelly called it Ghetto Idol, which was totally what it was. I mean, we didn't have the big sets; it was all cardboard. We had to wear our own clothes and people were like, 'Ewww, we hate their outfits;' well, that is because that's all we had.
WCT: What do you think of Ryan Seacrest?
JV: He's kind of arrogant; I am not going to lie. He was cool at the time but that was before everything had taken off. The person that I really cared for was Paula. I just saw her in January and she looked great. I just don't like the flak she gets.
WCT: Tell me about the [ Eating Out 2 promotion ] .
JV: Well, I will be signing copies at Borders with Mink Stole.
WCT: I love her!
JV: She is such a gay icon, especially in the gay independent film circuit. To have her play my mother was such an honor. I am looking forward to seeing her again and hanging out.
WCT: Do you think there will be a part three?
JV: Who knows? Someone made a funny comment about calling it Eating Out 3: Menage a Twat. My character could go to camp and fall in love with some military dude. We could have a 'don't ask, don't tell' segment.
WCT: What's next for you?
JV: I thought about Broadway. It's just finding the right project. I am currently shooting a darker movie right now in L.A. and a musical in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next March.
See www.bordersstores.com . For more on Verraros, see www.jimverraros.com .
