Shaun McCarron is the outgoing, direct one; he calls things as he sees them. And although he has a huge charitable heart, it's often hidden behind his tough-guy persona.
Paul Anderson is the passionate, vulnerable, strong, empowered, driven one. Some view him, on the surface, as stuck-up, 'but I'm absolutely not; that's just my guard,' he said. Anderson is the pretty boy who acknowledges that he is much more high-maintainance than McCarron.
'Paul isn't necessarily the manliest man; he comes across as … a bit feminine, even though he's a 200-pound muscle guy. I guess it's his flamboyant personality,' McCarron said, laughing.
Combined, Shaun & Paul, as they have become known, are the breakout stars of Oxygen Network's The Janice Dickinson Show ( season three, now airing ) . They aren't just gay characters on the popular reality show, but a real-life couple. Each has multiple college degrees, striking good looks, charitable and personal goals and, well, basically no body fat.
'I think there are a lot of things ahead for Shaun and I,' Anderson said almost matter-of-factly.
McCarron was born and raised in New Orleans and attended the University of Southern Mississippi before transferring to the University of Central Florida ( UCF ) .
Anderson was born and raised in North Dakota, and graduated from Moorehead State University in Minnesota. He moved to Orlando several years ago to enter Disney's College Program.
They have been dating for about three years. 'When I saw Paul, I was instantly in love,' McCarron said.
The duo now lives in Orlando, at least for the time being.
Anderson works at a five-star hotel spa and also owns his own spa. He is a licensed massage therapist. McCarron just graduated from UCF with his MBA.
'We're here [ in Orlando ] because I was in school; that's the main reason. We don't know what we're going to do now; we're thinking about moving, perhaps to California,' McCarron said.
No doubt Hollywood is calling their names—and probably West Hollywood as well.
'The issues within the [ LGBT ] community are crucial, vital and I'm going to take every opportunity that is presented to me,' Anderson said. 'There is a bigger purpose for Shaun and I—beyond modeling, beyond our own personal benefit. Being a voice in our community is one of them; I really think that's the case, be it to promote gay marriage or just overall equality.'
They support numerous charities, including the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders ) and the Million For Marriage campaign. 'The Million For Marriage [ civil rights battle ] is a great opportunity for everyone to let their voice be heard. I think it can have an enormous impact. We want a change and deserve a change,' Anderson said.
They also are active supporters of the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, St. Jude's Hospital for Children, the Center For AIDS and The Trevor Project.
'To know I helped, to know I gave back, to know I made an impact feels great,' McCarron said.
McCarron and Anderson are each happy with their role on The Janice Dickinson Show, and each had a blast with the two-month filming, done last July and August mostly in the Los Angeles area.
'We met a lot of cool people on the show,' McCarron said. 'I went out there with the intention of not really meeting anybody, or getting to meet any new friends. But I ended up making some really good friends. And I didn't really expect that, so it was one of the real pluses of the show.'
But what about the reported tiff between the twosome and fellow gay cast member J.P. Calderon, he of Survivor fame?
Nonsense, McCarron said, laughing. 'There's no truth to that whatsoever,' he said.
In fact, they introduced Calderon to his current boyfriend, and all four had Christmas dinner together.
'I thought a lot of the stuff we did on the show was really good,' Anderson said, 'especially since getting on the show in the first place was, well, just a case of being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.'
The two were at a New Year's party in Los Angeles last year which Dickinson appeared at. She asked Anderson if he had ever modeled, and Anderson said yes. Dickinson then said she'd have a producer contact him and, well, sure enough, about two weeks later, the producer called.
'I'm really glad we did it,' Anderson said of Dickinson's show.
Getting to Know … Shaun McCarron
and Paul Anderson
Favorite music:
—Shaun: '70s genre music, especially The Rolling Stones. Painted Black is his favorite song.
—Paul: 'My musical tastes are so eclectic, just depending on my mood. I definitely like dance music, and in another life I probably was a DJ.'
Favorite TV show:
—Shaun: Anything on The Discovery Channel
—Paul: The Oprah Winfrey Show
Favorite junk food:
—Shaun: Chinese take-out
—Paul: 'I like so much, especially raw cookie dough.'
Little-known fact:
—Shaun: Enjoys gardening
—Paul: Is an uncle to two nieces.
Favorite actor:
—Shaun: Robert DeNiro
—Paul: Robert Duvall
Favorite movie:
—Shaun: Casino
—Paul: Willow
Favorite sport:
—Shaun: Bodybuilding
—Paul: Track and field
Favorite sports team:
—Shaun: New Orleans Saints
—Paul: Minnesota Vikings
Favorite athlete:
—Shaun: Brett Favre
—Paul: David Beckham
Best body part:
—Shaun: 'My eyes.'
—Paul: 'My ass.'
It's a fact:
—Shaun: Was a defensive back for the Southern Mississippi University football team
—Paul: Was a standout high school track athlete, particularly in the long jump and triple jump
Undergraduate college degree:
—Shaun: University of Central Florida
—Paul: Minnesota State University-Moorhead
