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Viewers voted RONNIE KROELL Make Me A Supermodel’s runner-up, but it’s his aspirations beyond the runway that make him a winner in our eyes
Money, exotic travel and hot, hot, hot men—who wouldn’t want to be a model? Well, are you whipping up all those yummy dishes from last season’s Top Chef? Not on the diet you’re going to have to go on, you’re not. Do you enjoy staying out late to drink every last $14 mojito the cute, faux-hawk guy buys you at the bar? Think again, starlet, you’ve got a 5 a.m. call time. Are you proud of that chest hair you’ve grown? Hold on tight and prepare to scream, “Kelly Clarkson!”
Really, are we surprised the girls from America’s Next Top Model end up beating the crap out of each other every season? (All is forgiven, Naomi Campbell!) So how, then, could our cover model, Ronnie Kroell, be one of the most down-to-earth, intelligent and inspiring guys we’ve ever interviewed? After all, he’s a model and reality-show star, right? It’s funny how many times I meet people, and I start to talk, actually having an in-depth conversation about politics or religion, and it takes them off guard,” Ronnie says. “I used to take it as an offense, but it’s just the idea that’s out there. People don’t expect us to have brain cells, I guess.”
We’re happy to report that unlike so many of his money-grubbing peers (I Love Money indeed!), our guy breaks the reality-show-model mold. He’s founded a nonprofit devoted to bridging diversity through the arts, stumped for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, started writing a book and continues to pursue that holy L.A./N.Y. trifecta: acting/singing/modeling.
A MODEL BEGINNING
While Ronnie might be gracing the covers of magazines, modeling in major fashion campaigns and sharing screen time with Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford on Bravo, life hasn’t always been this glamorous for the 25-year-old Chicago native who started in the industry 10 years ago.
“I had no clue about proper etiquette or dress when you’re going into casting calls and go-sees,” he laughs. “So little Ronnie at 15 got in his prom tuxedo and went into an open call. The agent was about ready to have a coronary laughing so hard at me!” The fashion bug bit our boy even earlier than his teen tux years: At 10, he had a friend whose mother worked as a photographer’s assistant.
“We would spend hours paging through fashion photography portfolios. I was really intrigued by the work and the industry in general,” he says. “My friend’s mom told me, ‘If you want to do this, you can do anything you want to.’ From that moment on, I had my eyes on getting into the industry.” Following the tux tragedy, Ronnie took the advice of the casting agent and got serious about his career in modeling. He watched his diet and stuck to an exercise regime. He soon signed with two agencies and began modeling professionally. His advice for would-be models? “Be yourself! There’s no one equation that someone could follow when it comes to breaking in. You’ve gotta do it in your own way and on your own time,” he says. “But you need to want it bad. It’s certainly not going to fall in your lap.
DO IT YOURSELF
Ronnie’s Cinderella story sounds all too easy, right? Well, he wasn’t rubbing elbows with Tim Gunn out of the gate. Work came slowly, so instead of waiting for success to find him, he took matters into his own hands—on Craigslist, of all places.
Through his own ingenuity, Ronnie started booking his own modeling jobs before stumbling upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the audition notice for Bravo’s Make Me A Supermodel. “When I spotted the notice, there were about two hours left until the Chicago audition,” he remembers. “I said, ‘What the hell, I’m going to go downtown and go.’” And like a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Glamour Factory, the producers gave Ronnie a callback for a spot on the new series. Again, instead of waiting around, Ronnie did his homework. (Hey, he was a full-time political science major at the University of Illinois at the time!)
“Once I knew I was being considered, I made a point of sitting down and watching marathons of America’s Next Top Model. I wanted to get a sense of what other model reality shows were looking for and what to be aware of,” he says. “If I could learn from other people’s mistakes, it was better than doing them myself.”
BROMANCE
Fans of the show know that Ronnie’s hard work paid off. He bested 12 other models and nabbed the show’s runner-up slot, a contract with New York Model Management, our cover and, of course, our hearts!
{mosimage}Ronnie says he’s proud this reality show actually kept it real, unlike some other like-minded programming out there. “After watching the show, I was really happy with Bravo. I never felt at any point that they exploited us,” he says. “They had to tell our stories in 45 minutes each week and did it without exaggeration. What you saw is really what happened.”
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And what we care most about that really happened, of course, is Ronnie’s friendship with übersexy castmate Ben, a straight and married correctional officer from Nashville. Their “bromance” sent smalltown housewives in curlers and big-city gays (and everyone in between) racing to message boards to dissect the newest sexy details on Bravo’s very own Brangelina, aka “Bronnie.”
Sorry to crush all those “internet dreamz,” but Ronnie is currently single. He hopes to eventually find the right (gay) guy to have a family and kids with but he warns potential suitors that he loves his freedom and individuality. “The time I spend with him will be quality,” he says with a genuine smile. “But it may not be quantity, because of the path I have chosen.”
A TRIPLE THREAT
Modeling has led Ronnie into the film world. He recently landed a role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding auteur Nia Vardalos’ new film, I Hate Valentine’s Day, but he’s not limiting himself to one field.
“It’s important to be a chameleon—to learn continuously and to be a sponge, absorbing as much information as possible,” he says. “Modeling, acting, singing, anything—if you love and desire something, you just have to pursue it.” For Ronnie, that includes being a role model for the gay community.
“Even before getting on the show, I have always been involved with diversity work by challenging stereotypes and prejudice,” he says. “And now I’ve been given a great gift, an opportunity to take that message to a much broader audience.”
It appears his message is already being heard. “The most touching thing is reading beautiful e-mails from young men and women, straight and gay, who say that watching me on the show has helped them to find their voice. And that they’re following their dreams, no matter what anyone has told them. And that I’ve helped them come out and deal with their personal orientation,” he says. “At the end of the day, if I’ve made that kind of impact and I can be a role model, then I’m all for it. I’m honored.”
INNER BEAUTY
When the time is right, Ronnie aspires to throw his hat into the political ring on the state level and hopes to be involved in the legislation that affects our rights and freedoms. Putting his words into action, he hit the campaign trail for Senator Hillary Clinton during her 2008 run for the White House, speaking at events and even being asked to ride in her motorcade.
Especially important to him, obviously, are issues affecting our community. “Gay marriage is huge,” he says of the recent ruling in California. “We are moving forward in acceptance and understanding while bridging the gaps between the gay and the straight community. But a great deal of the work rests on the shoulders of the gay community.
“For the longest time we’ve had to create a tight community to feel welcomed, accepted and part of a comfort zone. Now that these worlds are meshing, we need to be more open and aware of the ways we exclude the straight community,” he adds. “We have to try and find ways to bridge those gaps and find an understanding of one another to continue moving in a positive direction.” As if all that weren’t enough, Ronnie is also writing a book, titled Just Be You, that he describes as a discussion of “the emotional strength and courage that it takes to be ourselves. How being genuine earns the respect and admiration of those around us and ultimately leads to success and happiness.”
MODEL TO A "T"
Ronnie’s in a good place—enjoying some success and looking forward to more on personal and professional levels—and wishes the same for all of Instinct’s readers.
“I think the biggest thing people forget to do is voice their dream,” Ronnie says. “A lot of people have private dreams, but if you don’t share them with people, no one will know about it.”
“Being true to yourself is more important than any fashion law,” he adds with a laugh.“Wear the tuxedo to the go-see! It will make them laugh, if nothing else.”
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