Such is the life of reality TV’s latest overnight sensation. Marriott, 28, is the star of Fox’s “Joe Millionaire,” a new weekly series that takes the conventions of “The Bachelor” and adds a twist. Like the ABC show, single women on “Joe Millionaire” vie to outwit, outsmart and outdress each other in an effort to land a handsome quarry as a husband. But there’s one big difference: the 20 women in the contest were told Marriott is worth $50 million, when he’s actually just a $19,000-a-year construction worker. (The audience at home is in on the joke.)
Ratings for the Jan. 5 premiere beat the debuts of every other new show this season. Of course, exposure does have its downsides. Hours before the program was even broadcast, the Smoking Gun Web site uploaded pictures of Marriott modeling some skimpy swimsuits in a catalog called California Muscle. But was he embarrassed? Please–this is a guy who put himself on a reality show. “They’re wonderful,” he says. NEWSWEEK’s B. J. Sigesmund got much more out of Marriott. Excerpts:
NEWSWEEK: How many weeks did you train to learn to fake being a millionaire?
Evan Marriott: I trained to ride the horse. I learned how to fence–though that was actually on a date. I learned about wine and etiquette and stuff like that. But you don’t train somebody to be a millionaire. That person is who they are … I took the $50 million lie that Fox threw out there, and I said to myself, “Screw the lie, I’m gonna get to know these girls, they’re all super hot.” I don’t know what red-blooded American male wouldn’t want to be in this position.
Have you ever dated anyone who had a lot of money?
I had a girlfriend when I first moved out here [Southern California] who was in the news industry. She did the weather for Channel 4. She drove a Porsche, and she lived in a house on the beach, and you know, she was a hot girl and we had a lot of hot times, but it wasn’t because she had a hot wallet.
This was a really big week for you. What agents have you heard from? Have any movie deals yet?
Well, I was approached last night at a premiere by another network about a movie they thought I’d be perfect for. I thought that was kind of shocking. My comeback is, “Gee, I’m a bulldozer operator. I can’t imagine why you want me for this movie.”
OK, I gotta talk to you about the pictures of you modeling swimsuits.
I don’t wear those things, I was just showing them off. But you know what I think? I think they’re wonderful. I’m a typical dude, bigger is better. I weigh 250 pounds in those pictures. And I feel like a toothpick right now. This girl comes up with a copy and asks, “Can you sign this for me?” That made my day. I was like, “Wow, I’m signing a photograph that I look pretty damned good in.”
How much do you weigh now?
I weigh about 210 now. And in that picture I weighed about 245 or 250.
How did you end up doing these pictures?
I was approached by a woman at Gold’s Gym in Venice. She said she had a friend who did this catalog, California Muscle.
You posed, and you earned $1,000 for four hours’ work. Did they let you keep the bathing suits?
I never would have worn those Speedos around just to go swimming or anything, but, gosh, you know, they didn’t look all bad, at least I didn’t have a bunch of fat hanging over those, you know? I wear those Calvin Kleins, the ones that come low on your leg there.
Oh, are we now talking about your current underwear?
Of course, at the end of the day those things are hiked up your a–. But other than that, that’s what I prefer.
Did you know that those pictures were going to be released this week?
I told Fox that they could come out, and they said fine. And when they came out, like I said, I couldn’t be happier. I wasn’t shocked at all. In fact, I was hoping “Entertainment Tonight” would have shown them more, but they didn’t.
Don’t worry, they’ve been e-mailed all over the Internet. You had a lot of exposure.
Funny enough, the woman that had that one picture this morning where I’m in the Speedo, she told me, “My husband pulled this off the Internet for you to sign.” And I said, “Now that’s kinda scary.”
Had you watched the other shows in this genre? “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelor 2”?
Actually, I don’t watch reality shows. I don’t watch TV much. I watch basically sitcoms. I like “Frasier” and “Seinfeld.”
You must have watched “The Bachelorette” last night. You’re inevitably going to be compared with that show.
I wanted to, but I was at a premiere last night.
You’ve already gone Hollywood. Do you plan to go back to construction work?
I plan on returning to construction when this is all said and done.
Let’s talk a little more about that. Don’t construction workers make more than $19,000 a year?
You know what happened? I didn’t work the whole year. I had a deal with the guy I worked with where he just did a 1099 on me, and I did my own taxes. Because after September 11 last year, a lot of things kinda died, you know. Construction died as well.
Even in California?
Oh, yeah, I’m in the earth-moving business. There’s big money in that. A lot of people didn’t want to pay. So that’s what it was. It’s funny because people have asked me that: ‘you only made $19,000?’ I mean, well, if construction workers made more than $19,000 or were well-to-do, they wouldn’t get the blue-collar rap that they do.
Can you give me an estimate on how much you made in 2000 or 1999?
Well I was a bellman in those years. I only got back into construction in the last year and a half. I worked at the Regent Beverly Wilshire as a bellman.
OK, and what can you estimate you made that year?
God knows–I had tips, man, a lot of that was tips, dude.
So less than $19,000?
I couldn’t even begin to tell ya. I wouldn’t want to give you a figure because I’d probably be wrong. How much do you make?
I don’t have to say because I’m not on a reality TV show.
Well, this is reality, dude! What did you claim on your tax forms last year?
I’m the one conducting this interview!
Oh, c’mon. I’m just playing with you. I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m always poking at people. Hey, call again if you wanna talk, you just hit me at a bad time. I’ll tell you anything you need to know.
