Topsy-Turvey

He’s the guy you see – and hear singing out of tune – in the Penshoppe commercial of Mandy Moore. He was a virtual unknown then. Now, his name is music to everyone’s ears. He’s one of today’s most sought after models – he’s currently modeling for top hip brand Oakley. You see this 25-year-old Aussie hottie in print ads and hear his voice on Monster Radio RX 93.1. He’s been seen around town, too, with concert queen Pops Fernandez (the gossip mills have it that the inseparable duo are making beautiful music together). Here’s more of Brad Turvey – or why life’s topsy-Turvey without Brad:

YOUNG STAR: How did your modeling career begin?

BRAD TURVEY: By accident, I came to the Philippines on a holiday to visit friends, who were also on holiday and were in the modeling industry already. So, they just introduced me to a few people and one thing led to another.

Describe your personal clothing style.

Casual (chuckles) ... really, really casual. If I can walk around in rubber shoes, jeans and T-shirt every day to everything, I would.

What’s your fashion fetish?

To be honest, I’ve been an Oakley fan ever since I was like 10 years old. Oakley’s really the only sunglass brand I’ve ever owned. I think I have 14 or 15 pairs back home in Australia, stockpiled – we’re talking as far back as frog skins. A lot of sunglasses don’t suit me, but Oakley’s styling suits me. I’m really into the technology they’re using, the research, time and effort that go into R&D because I used to work for a surf company.

Do you have a shoe fetish?

Well, I like to keep it simple. I mean, I’m not into all these funky, hyper-colored/designed shoes. I like it simple, sturdy, comfortable. If it’s simple, it will go with just about anything, so Oakley’s got a lot of styles that are very easy to wear with other clothes. As for the shoe fetish, I love white shoes. I can’t wear them all the time; I get into trouble... gotta start wearing more formal shoes. But I like the Oakley shoes.

How long do you see yourself modeling?

To be honest, I don’t know. It wasn’t a career I ever thought I’d be in so... but then again, I never thought I’d end up living here in the Philippines either, so I’ll just take it as far as it will take me. As long as the modeling industry will have me, then I guess I’ll always have my hand in it... I guess in varying degrees, depending on what else I’m doing at the time.

If you weren’t a model today, what do you think would you be?

My dream job has always been to be a recognized bodyguard, not here in the Philippines though. It’s a little bit of a different scenario back home in Australia where bodyguarding is really a prestige job, a job you have to be trained for... I mean, we’re talking intensive, intensive training. It’s really a job that would give me a great deal of satisfaction. You know, just the challenge, responsibility, that’s my dream job.

Bodyguards have to be fit. How do you keep fit?

I don’t. If you had watched the Oakley Challenge on TV, you would have seen it right there. Actually, I used to go to the gym a fair bit but because of work lately, I haven’t much time to hit the gym. My knee’s recovered (he suffered a fall at the Oakley Bionetwork Challenge race held recently on Corregidor Island). Last night was my first night back into sports. I went out for a game of badminton, so I’m just doing little things here and there to keep myself in some kind of reasonable shape.

If you can change something about yourself, what would that be?

I’d get a better body... yeah, I’d get a better body! (Chuckles.) Other than that, I don’t know, I’d have to do something with my hair.

How’s your relationship with food?

Food... we get along fine! I have a great relationship with food. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs so food is my vice.

What’s your favorite food?

I can’t list one. I love Japanese, sashimi... I love Italian, pasta. You know what, just name it, I like something in it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Indian – there’s something I’m gonna like.

Aside from eating, what do you do in your free time?

What little of it I get, I usually hang out with friends. Normally, in Australia, if I had free time, you’d find me down at the beach. I’d be surfing or I’d be training ’coz I also do kickboxing. Either that or just hanging out with friends, driving my car.

Or dating? What’s your idea of a perfect date?

If I don’t get slapped, then... (laughs) and we’re still friends afterwards, then I’m happy with that.

Who’s your dream date?

Kristin Kruek from Smallville... yup, no question about it. (Kristin Kruek plays Lana Lang in the TV series "Smallville.")

Describe your ideal woman.

I don’t have a specific type so it’s more or less... I just gotta find the right combination in someone.

With regard to that, body or brains?

Brains... brains... brains, by a mile. I’ve been there, I’ve tried both and brains definitely kills it.

Which do you value more – your love life or your career?

I’m more for the heart. I’ve gotta be happy with my personal life and the things I do, more than my career. My career, I can always change.

Are you the marrying kind?

Hopefully, if someone will marry me, yeah... that’ll be nice. (Laughs.)

What do you think about having children?

If the world’s ready for mini-Turveys running around, then yeah, I’d love to. Someday, when I’m financially, emotionally ready, I’d like that.

Who’s the Brad Turvey most people don’t know?

You know what, I could have told you a lot of things before, but ever since I’ve been on radio, I think everyone pretty much knows everything about me. I think all my deep dark secrets came out on radio already.

That must have been cathartic?

Oh, believe me, I’m not the only one (laughs). They put me through hell. Actually, it’s a good way for people to relate to me, especially because I’m a foreigner in a foreign land. It’s really just to break down those walls of insecurity that I used to have, it gives people more insight, I’m more open...

Who/what’s your biggest inspiration?

That’s gotta be my mom, for sure. I mean, my dad passed away a few years ago so my mom is my inspiration. I think I gotta do her proud.

Who’s the most influential person in your life?

Aside from my mom, my brother ’coz I’m the kuya so I kinda gotta live up to expectations. But aside from him, it would also be me. I’ve got my own expectations and I’m really very competitive in every aspect.

Who’s the one person you’d like to meet?

I would have wanted to meet Bruce Lee, he’s a legend... and Brandon Lee, he’s my idol.

What’s your motto in life?

Just live it up, don’t be afraid to take a chance. It’s not always a good thing to play it safe; sometimes, you gotta take the risk.

Speaking of risk-taking, what happened to you at the Oakley race?

Actually, we (Brad and teammate STAR lifestyle writer Ana Kalaw) were running up by the big memorial which overlooks the tadpole where the dead tree is. We were running in the grass on the side ’coz it’s quicker than running over the ledges. And just a couple of meters in front of me, I could see like a ditch, a hole. So I thought, "I don’t want to step in there, I’ll step to the side of it." But under the grass, there was like this mound of dirt, which I couldn’t see ’coz it was grass, right? I was expecting my foot to at least go another eight inches into the grass before I hit ground, but to my shock, I got caught mid-stride and just jarred straight onto this mountain ... So I went through the next three legs limping, with my leg all bandaged up ...

You had another (mis)adventure following the race. Could you tell us about it?

Though we were the only team to forfeit, the most exciting part of the whole day was we raised the Oakley Bionetwork Challenge to a whole new level with a bangka ride going back to Bataan. And this wasn’t the bangka you know that’s got seats, windshields on the side, and is big and stable. This was like a canoe with toothpicks on the side. It didn’t have seats; all it had was one middle section in the front and one in the back where they put their cargo. These guys were standing on top of the bangka. So they let Geoff (Briz, his buddy and co-participant) and I stand in the bottom part, in the cargo section. We were tilting from side to side... it was bad that they had a 44-gallon drum in the back, mind you, half-filled with gasoline that got flipped out of the boat. And then we started turning around and I thought these guys were finally seeing reason – we were not gonna get across so they were turning around. And then they were all yelling, screaming, pointing and Geoff’s like... ’coz I don’t understand much Tagalog... "Oh God! I’m gotta get religious on you here. They’re gonna pick up the drum. I was like, "Why are you gonna pick that up, just leave it!" "Sir, we can’t, it’s got our gas in it." So we really had to maneuver and pick up a 44-gallon drum half full of gas in those waves and get it back into the bangka. I wouldn’t normally be worried coz I’m a pretty good swimmer but when it came down to it – right before we left, someone told me to be careful coz that stretch of water is kinda notorious for sharks – I was like, "Oh, hell, do not tip us out of this boat!" I have no problem swimming, I’m fine with that, but if there are sharks in there, this ain’t gonna be fun. It got to a point, within earshot of the shore, Geoff and I jumped out of the bangka. We were up to our necks in water, but we just wanted to feel our feet on something solid so we jumped out neck-high in water and we were so happy with the guys for getting us across alive. We figured that for risking their lives, we needed to give them some kind of reward, so we gave them a lot of our Oakley stuff – some shirts and the cap I used for the race. Geoff and I rate that bangka ride as the most memorable, craziest thing we’ve done so far.

In a word, describe Brad Turvey.

Unpredictable.

* * *

E-mail me at ice_wave_42@yahoo.com.