OHLALA Mag

^{Photography by Alek & Steph}

Timo Descamps is an openly gay Belgian actor and singer. He is best known for his former roles on the Flemish television shows Spring and Familie. In 2007 he released his first music single "Phonecall" which rose to 36 on the Ultratop 50 and last year  2010 he filmed Judas Kiss playing the character of Shane Lyons. He was also named "Belgian Gay Icon 2011".

You come from Belgium where gay marriage is legal. Have you ever experienced any stigma about being openly gay?

I've been very lucky. Belgium is a very open minded country, a little like the Netherlands. Being openly gay hasn't really affected my work in Belgium. It's kinda like living in a bubble. I'm an openly gay actor working mainstream jobs in Belgium. I hosted my own kids show on a Belgian channel, I even worked for Disney Channel Netherlands for a few months. In the end people don't really care if celebrities are gay or straight. And that's the way it should be I think.

But then when I released the single 'Like it Rough', which is on the Judas Kiss soundtrack, the music video got a content restriction on You Tube. They marked it as 18+ because there is a scene in which I am making out with another guy. I was shocked to see this happen only two days after I posted the video, but it does make me realize that I'm really living in a bubble. Everything might seem ok in Belgium but there's still a lot of work to do before people will stop making a distinction between gay and straight. I think this all starts in the industry. Networks, filmmakers and celebrities should set the example, I really believe that if they combine powers they can even be of bigger importance than politicians.

Read the full interview after the jump.

^{Timo Descamp and his partner Danny photographed in L.A. by Alek & Steph.}

Photos by: Peter Dive

You’re a young, rich, successful British boy band member told the careers of everyone around you depend on you hiding your sexuality... Do you:
A: Ensure you’re photographed at strip clubs, bubbling over with champagne and birds B: Go off the rails, crashing and burning or
C: Give up fame and fortune for the USA, where no one knows you, come back stronger with artfully chosen and artfully played gay film characters and go on to write your own movie about one of the most divisive inequality laws in America?

Meet David W Ross, the Boldest Bad Boy on the Block



Oh he’s out now alright, and he’s ready to give back to his community

The story: As one of the four members of Bad Boys Inc in the mid 90s nineteen year old David Ross was a household name. A&M Records relentlessly publicised the band as a naughty but nice boyish foursome with sell out tours of Europe and Asia, hundreds of live televised shows and thousands of magazine covers and appearances. It worked. Their debut album, imaginatively titled Bad Boys Inc., was a hit and the five singles that followed brought massive chart success, riches for all involved and a loyal following of screaming girls. Problem was David liked boys. And he was ready to come out. That didn’t fit the profile of clean cut girl fodder that Bad Boys Inc’s creators were pushing so David, not wanting to ruin the blossoming careers of his band mates, revealed nothing more than a bemused grin when prodded by the media. It was painful and frustrating however, not least because he was also struggling to come to terms with the recent death of his mother. When the record label’s decisions for the band threatened more than just his piece of mind about owning who he was sexually, he saw an opportunity to end the lie. Two years after storming the charts with “Don’t Talk About Love” Bad Boys Inc was over and David fled the media furore and solo career offerings to move to the US where he was an unknown.

Drawn to acting, but choosing his roles with integrity, David triumphed in award winning projects such as The Receipt (Best Comedy, LA International Short Film Fest), Sneaux (nominated for six LA Weekly Theatre Awards) and Quinceañera (most notably the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award and the GLAAD Outstanding Film Award).



David has now written and will star in the feature I Do, an intelligent, sexy, romantic dramedy highlighting one of the most divisive civil rights, political, social, moral and religious issues in America today: marriage inequality. The film’s script has attracted prolific producer Stephen Israel whose films range in diversity from Kevin Spacey starrer Swimming With Sharks to festival hit Boy Culture. The film is a grass roots project and is taking advantage of the hugely popular funding platform, Kickstarter.com, to raise the first money in the budget. Kickstarter allows filmmakers to offer pledgers escalating involvement in the film’s process without losing control of their material and with a cut off period for creatives to achieve their goal. I Do has started strongly and has 71 days left to achieve it’s goal!

I Do short synopsis: Jack is a British gay man living in New York raising his niece with his widowed sister-in-law. When his green card marriage goes horribly wrong, because he can't marry the man he loves to stay in the country, he has to make an impossible choice....

The politics behind the film: Many countries, including The United Kingdom, Spain and Mexico, now offer either Civil Unions or same-sex marriage providing nearly all the same rights of heterosexual marriage. In America certain States offer same-sex marriage but Federally same-sex couples have no rights, with more than 1,300 marriage benefits being withheld, including hospital visitation, pension and joint adoption and foster care - as well as gay couples being further discriminated against by paying higher taxes then their straight counterparts.

By focusing on one withheld benefit, immigration, I Do challenges us to re-think our beliefs on relationships, equality and love. Gay or straight. With the Prop 8 trial, the proposition that banned same-sex marriages in California, heading to the Federal Court of Appeals, coinciding with the run up to the Presidential elections in 2012, marriage inequality could become the defining issue for the race to the White House. Just last month the Obama administration announced it will no longer oppose legal challenges to DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, as it discriminates against gays. This is a step in the right direction but there is still much work to be done and DOMA still stands as a major threat to equality.

I Do’s release could be perfectly placed to help change the conversation in America and maybe the world. To show people that same-sex couples deserve the same chance to start families and be protected under the law. It is love that makes a family but it’s marriage that protects it.

What can be done to help raise awareness of the film and the issue? Please link to I Do’s Kickstarter page to pledge and see a video interview with David about the film

Join I Do’s Facebook page and get links to other campaigners

Tweet and follow the film’s progress at

The I Do Website tells all

For more on David

A Quick Fire Interview with David W Ross:

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has become my favorite of the franchise, even though I did not watch much (not to say none) of the other "housewives" before. I have seen a couple of episodes but DC was boring, New Jersey trashy, New York City I could not care less and Atlanta only saw parts of it watching The Soup on E! Which was more than enough.

To be honest I have started watching the Housewives of Beverly Hills mostly to see how they will portray the city itself and wanted to know a little bit more about Lisa Vanderpump whom I always found a bit obnoxious every time we went to her restaurant in Beverly Hills, Villa Blanca.

Then like millons of people, I got hooked. I LOVE Kyle Richards, and found Lisa Vanderpump quite funny, and of course how can you not love Giggy (who even has its own Twitter) For some reason I always felt bad for Kyle's sister Kim Richards who emotionally behaves like a 12 year old and also for Taylor Armstong who seems to be a really fragile woman and has one of the most unexpressive and cold-hearted husbands EVER! Camille Grammer is unique, living in her own little fantasy world. People love to hate, and she got a lot of love this season ... There's also Adrienne Maloof, a strong powerful woman who knows what she wants and you just don't want to mess with her! Overall I like them all :-)

On the drama side it was gentle: Camille Grammer tried to over-power her ending marriage by picking on something meaningless (but truth hurts when you don't want to face it) I think that Kyle managed the situation very well. I would have flipped some tables just like they do in New Jersey if I were her!

The other drama this season came from Lisa Vanderpump and Cedric Martinez her "permanent houseguest" What does that mean anyway!? I am not sure, but Bravo certainly gave this tittle knowing how things will go down the hill for them ... nothing in life is permanent!

As I always say it is 50/50 in every story, it is hard, not to say impossible, to judge a relationship of any kind from the outside. And honestly I think it makes things worst (or better for reality tv) when people try to justify themselves separately to gain cause. 

Just like you I am dying to see the reunion and hear what Lisa and Cedric and apparently Ken have to say about the situation. All I know is that what we see on television is not always how things are in real life ...

We photographed Cedric Martinez here in Los Angeles and we asked him a few questions about his pre-Real Housewives life. Enjoy!

Who is Cedric Martinez?

Cedric is French, fun, loving, impulsive, caring and gay!

How and why have you decided to move to the USA?

I always wanted to move and live in the US, but when Ken and Lisa invited me, I did not hesitate at the opportunity, I packed 2 suitcases, and came here in a heart beat.

What was your life like before moving?

I was traveling a lot for modeling, and also I was managing the last Bar that ken owed. Then he sold it just before i moved here. 

How did your childhood influence the person you have become?

As you know i did not have an easy childhood, but I would not trade it for anything. It gave me the drive to create a new life for myself, and I always look at the positive side of things, my abusive background was always a reminder of where I did not want to end up. So all I wanted was to leave all of that mess behind and be a better person.

What is your greatest fear?

Not to find the right man to raise a family.

Your definitions of friends and enemies are:

Friends will love you when you are good but love you more when you are down,

Ennemies are a reminder why one needs good friends. 

How do you look at your experience with reality TV?

I absolutely loved it. I thought having a camera in your face for so many hours would be off putting, well what do you know, I was a natural, and loved every seconds of it.

If magic lamp existed and you had 3 wishes, ... what would those be?

My 3 wishes would be, meet mister right and raise a family, make lots of money so I could take care of my sister and her kids, and found out who my father is.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Creatively, spiritually and emotionally for me is very much linked to being around positive people and my close friends. without that I am not inspired at all.

Your most marked characteristic?

I have a very dry send of humor

What is your most treasure possession?

A key ring my ex fiance had engraved. he did not have any money at the time, but to this day I have it with me.

What do you most value in people?

Loyalty, loyalty loyalty and honesty

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?

Captain Janeway, from star trek Voyager, yes I know i am a trekky.

What is your motto?

My motto is the more they tell me I can't do something, the harder i will work to prove them wrong.

What is next for you?

The world is my oyster at the moment. I am finisihing writing a tell all book, i am taking acting classes, doing some modeling again and my ultimate dream is to end up on a soap.

- Cedric Martinez  [Cohen Thomas Management & AKA Talent Agency].

Don't miss the season finale of The Real Houswives of Beverly Hills January 20 9/8c on Bravo and the reunion the following week! Watch a preview of the reunion HERE. More photos of Cedric martinez AFTER THE JUMP.

+ Cedric Martinez Official Site

+ Follow Cedric Martinez on Twitter

"Everyone loves Paul. A fresh face with D1 Models, he is already making his mark in the fashion world. With a boy-next-door look, he still has something really unique about him that makes him stand out. He's also got a surprisingly clever head on his shoulders behind that cheeky smile."
- Cecilie Harris Photographer - Cecilie Harris Official Site

What is your greatest fear?
The fear of being alone. I hate being on my own for even an hour. The people around me and the friends I make are an important part of me.

If you were a reincarnation of someone or something what or who would it be?
Slash - I read his auto-biogaphy and he has lived without the thought of the consequences yet has come out on top. That is just simply the one true way to say to yourself, 'I've done it my way'.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Being a model is by he far the coolest thing that happened to me. The thought that I could be he guy on that poster with lipstick kisses all over it on some girls wall makes me just want go all the way.

What do you most value in people?
Humour. All my friends to me are the funniest guys in the world. I like to sit there and be in hysterics for two hours from just general stories from their day.

Where would you like to live?
When im young I would like to be in the hustle and bustle of things, but I visited dorset when I was a kid and it just had the nicest atmosphere. If I have the money I would hope to retire there, but still have my summers in the carribean.

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye. Probably been said a million times by people my age, but just the idea that he doesnt have a clue what he's supposed to do in life reallly puts any issues I have in perspective. He's just the most realistic and believable character in fiction I have come across.

What is your motto?
Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse.

The quality you most admire in a woman?
She's got to be hot.

+ OHLALA EXCLU / LONDON FRESH FACE / PAUL by CECILIE HARRIS

Most of you know Shane Jenek under his stage name, Courtney Act, an Australian drag celebrity, pop singer and entertainer, he was a semi-finalist on Australian Idol in 2003. We have featured Courtney Act several times on OhLaLa inclusing an interview of Courtney Act back in July for the release of Disgraceland [COURTNEY ACT / WELCOME TO DISGRACELAND] Today we get to ask Shane Jenek a few questions and show you images we've got to snaps during his stay in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago.

Who is Shane and who is Courtney Act ?
Who is Shane? Well... I am an Australian boy, who loves to have a good time... knows how to have a good time... and usually does!

Courtney is an entertainer, a glamazon and a lot of fun… but she’s not like other girls.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
I love performing, I love being creative. I love when people find their passion and follow it... those things turn me on.

If you were a reincarnation of someone or something what or who would it be?
Sometimes I think I was a black female backup singer with a really big voice in a past life. I think that would be fun. Like... one of the other Supremes.

Your most marked characteristic?
I always have fun. Not matter what I am doing. I think you have to find the fun in everything that you do and if you can't.. then you should not do it.

What is your most treasure possession?
I have a pair of shoes that were made for me by The House Of Gaga after I sang at Lady Gaga's birthday party. They are amazing! They are black with silver spikes and crystals all over them and can be seen strutting it in my new clip!

What do you most value in people?
I value people who are passionate and who know how to have a good time. The two are a wicked combination.

Where would you like to live?
Well funny you should mention it... I think I am going to enter the Green Card lottery. I am having a secret love affair with the LA... It is such a great city, great weather, great lifestyle and so much opportunity...

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
Do the Spice Girls count as fiction?

What is your motto?
It has to feel good

Where do you see your self 5 years from now ?
Well I am bound to hit puberty eventually... and when I do... I guess Courtney's time will be up...

She is one of the most interesting actresses on TV today. Candis was born as Brendan McDaniel in Hawaii. Brendan transformed himself into "Candis Cayne" and became one of the United States' most popular and sought-after female impersonators. Candis first made a name for herself at the famed NYC gay hot-spot "Boy Bar", where her performances drew raves. A classically trained dancer, Candis has thrilled audiences from coast-to-coast with her amazing gift for dance, choreography and glamour. 

From Dirty Sexy Money to Drop That Dive, and CSY:NY to Nip/Tuck, Candis could show her range and diversity. Those photos were take a few weeks ago in Los Angeles by celebrity photographer Mike Ruiz for a series named Transformation [OHLALA EXCLU & INTERVIEW: TRANSFORMATION - CANDIS CAYNE BY MIKE RUIZ]

Yes you have all recognized Cleopatra Jones :-) but below you will find the Ohlala interview with Candis. Enjoy ...

+ Candis Cayne Official Site

+ Mike Ruiz Photography

How did you find the Mike Ruiz idea of Cleopatra Jones ?

I loved it! I've seen her for years and always loved her I thought it was a great idea!

What are the new projects you are working on ?

I'm auditioning alot and working on some of my own show idea's, I went through a little bit of a change recently firing my manager and changing agents, I start anew, and it feels great!

If you were a reincarnation of someone or something what or who would it be?

I think I am a new reincarnation of myself lol ,but I would love to came back as Cyd Charrise!

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally ?

Intelligence, Joy , and spontaneity (and a hot man) lol

Your most marked characteristic ?

I guess I'd have to say my hair.

What is your most treasure possession ?

My Dogs Sampson and Dalila, oh and all my gowns lol (I had to throw in a little glamour)

What do you most value in people ?

Honesty

Where would you like to live ?

I'm here baby! I love LA, but I'd love a house in Maui, And Italy!

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction ?

I have alot so I'll name a few , Wonderwoman (Hello), Dorthey Gale (yay), James Bond (yummy) Eliza Dolittle (lol) Gandolf(magical) 

Margot Channing, And All the women from "The Women" (1939), I could go on lolol

Where do you see your self in 5 years from now ?

Hopefully Working alot, and Hopefully living in LA ... with a house in Maui and Italy lol

xoxo