**By Josephine Agostino
The supermodel turns his hand to mentoring in a new Aussie reality show.**
There’s Naomi, Linda, Cindy, Claudia — and then there’s Tyson Beckford. When it comes to supermodels, few males have risen to the heights of this six-foot-two hunk. From being the face of Ralph Lauren to named one of the world’s “most beautiful people”, the 37-year-old New Yorker is now making a name for himself on the big and small screens. While his latest role is a tough guest judge on the Aussie version of Make Me A Supermodel, the single dad doesn’t mind being friendly — especially when it comes to the show’s host, Jennifer Hawkins.
What do you think of the aspiring models on the show?
You guys have a far better cast than we do in the States. They’re so talented. I spent some time with them and got to know them.
Are you a tough judge?
I’m very tough, but the kids understand the reason I’m being tough is to prepare them for a really tough business. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and I want them to be tough-skinned. I’ve had people throw my portfolio at me. You have to be able to pick yourself up and bounce back for the next go-see. There might be another 100 people who might like you, even if the first one doesn’t. Don’t let that one bring you down.
Are you becoming the Simon Cowell of modelling?
Yeah, I’ve already got that in the States, that I’m so mean. These kids know I’m not being vindictive.
What does your 10-year-old son Jordan think of you being a model?
He knows about fashion. His mum is a stylist, but we try not to force it on him. He’s very helpful, though. He’ll tell you who can walk and who can’t. He’s got a good eye. I can ask him about my suits and he’ll give his opinion.
Have you ever done a job that’s made you blush?
No, I’ve never had to wear a man thong, or those types of things.
Do you think your friend Naomi Campbell has been portrayed unfairly?
Always. I believe she’s been given a bad rap since day one. You don’t see the charity work that she’s done. That woman does amazing things. We were in Nigeria and she said that every country she goes to, she visits a children’s hospital there and she brings them toys and she buys it all herself with her own money. I saw her, I witnessed it. All you see is the cell phone stuff, the fights. People don’t know the back story of the fight in the airport. She was called a racial name, that’s why she got upset. You call any person a racial name, of course they’re going to get upset. She told me, this guy called me such-and-such, and I was like, if you called me that it would be a brawl. I understand why she went the way she did. If you called [Barack] Obama that name, I’d guarantee there’d be a fight too.
So you say actresses are a lot more diva-like than models?
Yeah, they demand more attention, whoopla. I was in the supermodel era and none of them were like that.
What about Linda Evangelista, who said she wouldn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day?
That’s the going rate. You can’t blame them on that. That’s not being a diva, that’s just being smart and knowing your worth. Them girls are smart not getting out of bed for that rate. I agree with them — I don’t think I even got out of bed for less than that myself.
Is it true you were involved in gangs before you were discovered as a model?
I was involved in street stuff, illegal street racing. I was constantly getting into trouble. I’m not going to lie, I spent two nights in jail on two separate occasions. I wasn’t the pretty boy in the cell or anything — some were a little scared of me. I don’t think I would have gone down that path. Going there for minor things let me know you could spend the rest of your life in those things. I like my freedom. If I didn’t be a model, I would have straightened up eventually and probably gotten my own automotive garage. And I kind of have one now. We build crazy race cars and fast motorcycles.
That is interesting, given you almost died in a car crash in 2005?
It’s okay because you’re on a controlled track, and on normal roads you have knuckleheads. My incident was a hit and run and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was in my truck, I got hit from behind, it did a tailspin and I got pushed into a light pole by a big Mack Truck. My car got caught in flames and it nearly blew up with me in it. But I was able to get out of it. That was a wake-up call for me to get a lot of things done in my life.
You’ve appeared in a few movies now. Who is your favourite actor you’ve worked with?
Lawrence Fishburne, he was a lot of fun. Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson. They’re all great.
Make Me A Supermodel premieres Wednesday, August 6 at 7.30pm on Seven.
For more of this interview, see this week’s 60th anniversary issue of Woman’s Day (on sale August 4).
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