The Real World‘s Scott Herman Wanted You To Think He Was a Homophobic Meathead (And Then Prove You Wrong)

By · 38 comments · Updated on March 5, 2009

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For most reality TV show contestants, the fame cycle doesn’t even last a full 15 minutes. But Scott Herman, the Massachusetts native currently flexing his abs on The Real World: Brooklyn, has big plans to change that. Namely, the model-actor (hopeful) wants to take his adonis physique from MTV and the pages of Men’s Health to a gig for Calvin Klein and beyond. (Hey, it worked for one CK model.) But for now, we know him as the good looking straight blonde on Real World — conscious of his beauty without too much vanity. And unlike plenty of beefy hetero frat guys we’ve meet before, Scott is not a raging homophobe! In fact, it’s his guy’s guy relationship with token gay JD and his burgeoning friendship with transexual Katelynn that bought the hearts of plenty of viewers … and Queerty readers. We grabbed his ear to see whether the version producers are showing us is really Scott Herman, and why the sexiest guy on the show seems to the be least preoccupied with sex.

I’m just a normal guy doing a TV show, but if I can take that fame that I got and put it toward good use and help my career and help people around me, then I want to take that opportunity and run with it

What makes somebody in your position want to audition for a show like The Real World?

It’s kind funny, because the majority of the cast, including myself, had no intention of doing the show. … I had a client that I trained at the gym for about three years, and for the last two she was telling me I needed to do something to get out of my small town. … She started pushing The Real World in front of me, and all of a sudden after a year of her nagging me to make a video, I made one just to shut her up, and I sent it and to be honest I forgot I even made it. And four months later I got an email saying it’s Round 2, and I was like, ‘Woah.’

So when they say they want you for the show, your reaction is ‘I’ll definitely do it’ or is there hesitation?

When I got the email for Round 2, for whatever reason in my head I just knew I would make it on the show. I had been coming to the city for modeling for four or five months beforehand and something kept telling me not to the move to the city yet … and then lo and behold, the show came and it was in Brooklyn, so it positioned me perfectly to start my career in modeling and acting.

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Walking into this show as a viewer, your profile is the “handsome muscle jock from Massachusetts.” A lot of people in the gay community, that image is so stereotyped. The way that gays are stereotyped, your image is stereotyped, which is: This guy could very easily be a raging homophobe. And, you weren’t — it’s almost a non-issue with you. What is it about you that just breaks that stereotype?

(Audio answer: Click play on your right)

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You’ve already had some success before the show. You had the Men’s Health superlative (“Best Abs). Given your exposure on the show, is this a better experience? Does this further your career? Does it damage it in any way? What are the effects of being on the show when it comes to modeling?

It’s definitely helping me, but I feel right now I have to wait till the whole show airs before I can land some of the bigger jobs. People need to make sure that I’m a good guy. So far the season portrayed me the way I am: a good guy. I didn’t do anything on the show that I would regret, so I know once the season’s done being show on air, I won’t have any regrets as to what they show. But right now it’s kind of a double-edged sword where a lot of bigger companies, I feel — I want to be the face of Calvin Klein … I feel like they’re just waiting to see how I’m completely portrayed. … Modeling and acting is in my destiny, in my future. I’ve always been interested in it.

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Are you still close with JD and Katelynn, the two members of the queer community on the show? What was your relationship with them?

(Audio answer: Click play on your right)

We see on the show Ryan had a conversation with Katelynn, and Chet seemed interested in anything to do with sex. Especially with Katelynn, I think there’s a lot of curiosity. Is that something you ever talked with her about? Literally, the biology of becoming a transgendered person? Did you engage her about that?

Yeah … I had general questions … the way I went about asking was a little different than Ryan and Chet. My way was more on a friendly basis where I think in the beginning where Chet and Ryan were like ‘Tell me because you’re my roommate.’ Even now, we all get along really great, and there’s no issues with Katelynn and the guys, and we’re all very cool about it. It was just, on the show, wanting to know, and not knowing — knowing, and then having her not tell us, it made us all a little crazy because we’re all friends.

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What’s the deal with Chet? Why is he so obsessed with sex?

(Audio answer: Click play on your right)

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You weren’t ever in those situations where cameras were following you “intimately.” Is that something you walked into the show knowing that weren’t going to allow MTV to pry into? Or was that just a matter of circumstance?

(Audio answer: Click play on your right)

On a show like The Real World, I think the biggest sacrifice would be privacy. You’re living on a glorified soundstage, with lights everywhere and cameras everywhere. Is that something that came naturally to you?

It was really natural for me. I had mentally prepared myself knowing there were going to be cameras 24/7. If anything, it was the ultimate ice breaker from going from never really being on film to having it everyday, I’m camera-ready every hour of the day.

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You talk a lot about breaking stereotypes …

(Audio answer: Click play on your right)

Are you dating anybody? Who are you still talking to on the show? Give us a status update.

I still talk to everybody from the show. Out of all the cast members, I’m friends with everyone. … As far as dating, I was dating a girl, and things just kind of fell through with that. For me, it’s been kind of weird. My dating is always very short-lived. I think it’s because at this point in my life the universe is trying to tell me get my career done, to build that foundation before you really start getting serious with someone.

Revisit Scott Herman as a Morning Goods star here