A: I think the toughest part of life is when you have an internal goal or vision and you take the courage to actually implement it. It's probably the toughest thing one can do. Instead of falling into a comfort/security zone where you don't have to gamble with your future.
So when you say I got things on a platter, I'd like to say it was the complete opposite, because I basically gambled with my security by walking away from each of those security zones to reach for my dreams. I always wanted to be passionate about what I did and content internally, and each of these steps was a gamble. I had to travel around the world by myself before I made it.
To play Natal rugby I had to train so hard. I was under 20 and I made the senior side. To crack the movies, I had to read against 2000 guys at a time and I had to live alone and pay my own bills when I wasn't earning money.
I think I've done the opposite to what the question is asking me.
Q:But being gorgeous helped?
A: Absolutely. Don't let anyone tell you differently. In my life it helped me with everything. With the rugby and everything else. I'm very grateful for it. But there are millions of good looking people and the difference is that you need more than the looks to obtain whatever you need.
Q:What's your next project, filmwise?
A: My next project is a South African production. It's called While the Music Lasted and I have the lead role and we start shooting in February in Hillbrow and Manhattan, New York. It's directed by a South African director living in Britain.
Q: What genre of film is it and who will you star alongside?
A: It's very similar to Footloose with Kevin Bacon. Dancing is the vehicle to portray the story, pretty much like Footloose did. It's my first lead role. My dance instructor will be played by Brümilda van Rensburg.
Q: Do you dance?
A: I was South African breakdance champion when I was 16.
Q: And then you broke your bones...
A: (laughs) Yes, I'm still the breakdance champion! I broke 29 bones in my arm just before the last World Cup. I was playing for America so my dreams were basically shattered. (shows me two very long scars on his left arm). But that's when I got into modelling.
Q: What brings you to East London?
A: I've been very fortunate in that Kempston's Film Division thought that I'd be a good vehicle to expose their vehicles. There's just been this whole survey about the most marketable celebrity in SA and goodness knows how they do it, but I was voted the male celebrity of the year. It's a huge compliment because Mercedes-Benz is very elite.
Q: A couple of years ago you were arrested in New York for playing nude rugby in the street and you were also arrested in LA. What was all that about?
A: I'm not too proud about that. The one was a scuffle in LA. I don't drink anymore, but in those days I use to dabble in the drinking game. We'd played a rugby game in Manhattan and then, like all rugby players do, we had a couple of beers and played touch rugby in the middle of Times Square. My friend said whoever loses has to run back to the hotel with no clothes on, so when I saw this guy running to score a try, I dropped my clothes and as I ran around the corner, I bumped into the NYPD cops and I was kept in a holding cell for 24 hours. It was interesting.
Q: Is being good looking hard work or do you owe it all to great genes?
A: I owe it to great genes. If you call having fun hard work, then absolutely. I used to swim 1km every morning, but I haven't been doing so recently. Because I was in the modelling industry I always had to be in that type of frame, but now, as an actor, I feel more comfortable with who I am and I feel that I don't have to validate my external features to validate who I am as a person.
Q: Name a beauty secret of yours that no-one else knows about?
A: Not wearing underwear is probably my biggest secret. It helps your frame of mind -- you're more relaxed and so you look a lot more at ease.
Q: Do women hit on you a lot and how does it feel?
A: Absolutely. It's a compliment.
Q: Do you take them up on it?
A: (Extremely long pause) I love women. They are God's best creation that a man can set his eyes on --besides my new Mercedes-Benz.
Q: Do men see you as a threat? Does your former rugby fraternity snigger at the modelling thing?
A: If they do snigger it's in total humour. Do men see it as a threat? Sometimes it does become very uncomfortable around insecure men. My close friends know that I'm not a threat.
Q: How many magazine covers have you been on and what was the most prestigious one for you?
A: 19. I was on the calendar of the World's Most Gorgeous Men. Most prestigious magazine cover was Italian Vogue.
Q: Who is the most famous person you've ever met?
A: Leonardo di Caprio.
Q: Did you party with him?
A: He's a rock star. A lot of the time these people get misinterpreted. They are so intelligent, they are so gifted, they are so talented and you only realise this when you partake in events with them like acting or socialising. They deserve everything that they get.
Q: You say they. Who else have you met?
A: I've met a lot of them. If you're on the A list in Hollywood, you basically see the same 100 people every time.
Q: Are you on the A list?
A: Ja.
Q: Are you, really?
A: Yes, but more on the modelling side. I was voted one of the top five supermodels in the world.
Q: Would you describe yourself as a rich man?
A: One can never be poor enough and one can never be rich enough. I never measure my richness externally. I believe the richest man is the man who loves himself.
Q: But are you rich materially?
A: How do you ever compare? I'm comfortable.
Q: If you do make it big in the Hollywood movie industry are you prepared for the invasion of privacy people like Brad Pitt have to live with?
A: The higher you get the more dangerous it gets and the more you have to look internally to stabilise yourself. The frightening thing is not to become an introvert when by nature you aren't.
Q: Is it hard not to believe the hype about yourself?
A: Absolutely. It's hard. I oscillate in and out of it. Sometimes I fall for the same crap, sometimes I'm very grounded.
Q: What is your favourite indulgence?
A: Beautiful women.
Q: What is the worst thing you've ever read about yourself?
A: That I shave my armpits.
Q: Do you?
A: No, definitely not.
Q: What are you reading at the moment?
A: The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. He's my hero.
Where you can spot Brett
* American Pie 2
* www.bossmodels.com/boss_models/boss_men/
brett_shuttleworth/brettshuttleworth.html
* www.karinmiami.com/port/bretts.htm
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
