Jim Verraros Discusses 'American Idol' and His Future

Jim Verraros quickly became well-known to American Idol fans in the first series. He was slammed by Simon but made it into the top 10 anyway, and has had a whirlwind of activity with the concert tour and all that has brought him. More recently, he had an interview in The Advocate in which he "came out" to the general public - not that he was hiding it, just that most people didn't know. (Indeed, perhaps the most amusing thing is that one of the RealityNewsOnline writers, who is also gay and also was attending Columbia in the Theater department the same time as he was, found out about the article and asked if he was the last person in America to know.)

Now that life has calmed down a bit for Jim, he took some time to answer some questions for Foxes On Idol.

Foxes On Idol: Hi, Jim, and thanks for taking the time for this interview. So the first question is: Now what?

Jim Verraros: Well, now I do what every other person who is trying to make it in the Entertainment Industry does. I just recently signed with an agency in their commercial and print (modeling) department and am going out on auditions. A lot of people seem to think that American Idol will grant you instant fame and fortune, but to some of us, that simply wasn't the case. I have to work ten times as hard to accomplish what I did WITHOUT American Idol. And when those opportunities DO come, I'll treasure them more because I'll know it was because of my dedication and hard work, and not from the help of a hit reality show.

FOI: I understand you've moved to Los Angeles. Are you pursuing anything specific there, or did you just feel that you have more opportunities?

Jim: Currently, I'm pursuing acting more than anything else. Second would be modeling, and last singing. I never felt as though I had the right voice to become a pop star. I think my voice is more suited for Disney or Broadway, something along those lines. I'm going out on auditions every day and just got a few offers for modeling campaigns, which I'm very excited to tackle. We'll just have to see what happens. :)

FOI: Why weren't you a part of the American Idol "Where Are They Now" special?

Jim: This did upset me, actually. But, to be honest, Fox wanted to focus on the people that were actually doing something NOW as opposed to future projects. I was invited to sing and speak at two events in Boston and Philadelphia early this May, but they wanted to publicize the contestants that were engaged in something NOW. To be honest, it was simply because I was not Tamyra, Justin, or Kelly. But I've gotten used to getting the shaft. Both me and EJay have. It's something you have to just accept.

FOI: Fox obviously knew about your LiveJournal, where you were open about your sexuality and which they asked you to shut down because they didn't want people promoting themselves (from what I read in your Advocate interview). Did the judges know? What about the others in the Top 10?

Jim: Simon said he always knew, but he's questionable too! LOL. I never hid anything from the contestants. Natalie Burge, from the top 30, was one of the first people to know, and it was simply because she asked. I am a firm believer in being true to myself, and everyone else did nothing but support me and my sexuality. After all, sexuality never had anything to do with my vocals or talent. It was simply a part of me that had nothing to do with the show. The rest of the top ten knew, and knew that it was a part of me, and was something they had all gotten to love and embrace. And I love them for that.

FOI: Do you think your sexuality had anything to do with the rough treatment you got from Simon?

Jim: LOL. No, I don't think that had anything to do with the rough treatment I got from Simon. I never made my sexuality an issue during the competition, although I'm sure people knew. Simon just likes to be blunt and that's what draws America to this show.

FOI: Has Simon said anything to you since you were voted out?

Jim: We actually saw each other a few times since I was voted off, and he's been very nice. The thing with Simon is, he's a good guy at heart. He and I had always gotten along off camera. He and I always hug when we see each other just because we're like that. He's a very different character, but once someone knows him outside of the show, he's a completely different person. He's never said anything negative to me since we've come into contact with each other. Just positive things and always being caring about what I've been up to since the show.

FOI: What do you really think of Simon?

Jim: Simon definitely knows what he is talking about. But, there are times when he's made some mistakes, just like any other human being. He's signed a lot of people who've become stars in the UK. However, the UK's music industry is MUCH different than America's. And sometimes I think he loses sight of that.

FOI: Randy?

Jim: A very good guy. He's got a great ear for talent, having worked with some amazing artists as a producer. He's worked with Mariah Carey, NSYNC, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion, so I definitely trust his judgment. He was never very harsh towards me, and if he was, I agreed with him. I definitely felt as though I was out of my league when I made the top ten. I was just extremely lucky and thankful that there were enough people out there who thought I deserved a chance.

FOI: Paula?

Jim: With Paula Abdul, what you see is what you get. She comes off as extremely sweet and encouraging, and that's the way she truly is off camera as well. I think it's different with her, because she was once a hit recording artist, so she knows first-hand what it's like to face criticism. She's a truly wonderful person, with a big heart, and am extremely thankful that I had the chance to be close to her.

FOI: What would you have done differently to advance higher?

Jim: I think about this a lot. And I think that I would've gone with an uptempo song for my top ten performance. I was originally going to sing "Get Ready" by the Temptations but Kelly had chosen it as well. So, we flipped a coin for it, and I won the coin toss. But, in rehearsals with our vocal coach, she thought that if I hadn't sung it falsetto, it wouldn't have worked. And I didn't feel confident enough that I would be able to pull it off. So, I went with "Easy" by the Commodores, because it had caught my ear, and I had practiced it as well. But, going back, I should've done an uptempo. I had an awesome song to sing the next round had I made it. I was going to sing "Pretty Woman," and I know I would've done well with it.

FOI: If you were a judge, what critique would you give to the rest of the Top Ten?

Jim: I am definitely not experienced enough to critique ANYONE, but I think EJay was truly overlooked. He was, out of all of us, the one with the most amazing vocal capabilities. AJ was talented, but there was nothing about his voice that stood out to me. He is, however, a very great guy and plays guitar and piano. So, in other ways, he's amazing as well. Ryan is very different vocally. She tried to do a Rock/R&B flavor to her music, but didn't fit her somehow. She's gorgeous and has a great stage presence about her. Her and I remain very close. Christina is absolutely breathtaking on stage. She definitely commands an audience and has a different sound as well. Her choice of songs were pretty good as well. RJ is absolutely phenomenal. I was surprised he didn't originally make it through to the top ten. He's got a gorgeous tone and is amazing. Tamyra is phenomenal and beautiful at the same time, and is truly a wonderful person. Nikki is awesome as well. She's hardcore rock, and has awesome stage presence, although her song choices were just kinda blah. But with the right songs, she's awesome. Justin is very great as well. He's got something different about him, like this amazing charisma and personality. Although cheesy sometimes, he's a wonderful person. Kelly is absolutely amazing. She's the girl next door with a booming voice, and doesn't make girls feel as though they have to be a size zero to be successful. She's down to earth and hysterical, and was one of the few I could laugh with. I love all of them with all of my heart and wish them all of the best, but now is the true test. Who will last and who won't? I think we'll have to see.

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