I was born in Whittier, California... early in the morning on April 20... putting me right on the cusp of Aries/Tarus. I ended up with 4 older brothers, one older and two younger sisters. My middle name "Quentin" derives comes from the Latin word for five, as I was my parents 5th son. I was also a sixth child, and might well have the middle name of "Sextus". The problems THAT could have caused while I was growing up still makes shudder. I attended the Saint Mary's Catholic School in Whittier for 1st through 7th grades: An intersesting but thorough education from Dominican nuns.
The Summer between 7th and 8th grades, my family moved to Orange County, where I then attended El Dorado High School in Placentia... a school still under construction. It had itself opened for the first time just that Fall, and offered only 7th through 10th grades, making it a surreal combination of both middle school and high school. Allowing for construction and the growth of Placentia, at the end of each of the following two years, the school added an upper level class and dropped a lower level. So I had the strange honor to be one of the few dozen people to have graduated from El Dorado twice... once from the 8th grade and again four years later when a senior. I entered CSUF the follwing September.
In the Spring od 1996, I made "sure-thing" bet with a female friend... a bet I subsequently lost... and as a result had to model naked for a local art class at the local community college in Fullerton.
I was so embarrassed, one cannot even imagine.
I changed in a cloakroom, walked to a platform that was surrounded by youg artists, dropped my robe and began posing. The only sounds that made it through to me was the ticking of the clock and the skritching sound of charcoal on sketchpads.
Remember nightmares we have growing up... the ones where we'e in front of a classroom or meeting and realize we are stark totally naked? This was that same nightmare, but brought to a grim chilly reality. The thoughts that crossed my mind over the next three hours could fill a book all by themselves. I concentrated on NOT letting Nature betray me, and concentrated on what kind of pose to give next. When the class was over, I let out a shuddering sigh of relief. But before I retrieved my robe, there was heard a smattering of applause. As I picked up the robe sevveral students came forward and shook my hand. Naked and still speechless, I accepted the handshakes and words of thanks. I was stunned. It seemed that I had a natural talent (yes, pun intended).
The art instructor was so pleased that she passed my contact informations on to her peers in art. Within a few months I was being asked to pose at facilities all over the place. Go figure... being paid to stand around naked. What a world!
In late 1999, reknowned local artist Karl Gnass, was acting as special instructor and consultant for a unique film project at Sony Imageworks. He had gotten my number from the prestigious Art Center College of Design after inquiries of them in his extended search for a very specific type of model: a male who was unabashed, with a reubenesque body, an an outgoing personality, and a good imagination. He gave me a call, saw my web site, and hired me immediately. I was then requested to work with the Sony CGI animators so they might use my body and my poses to create the character of the Mountain Troll for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The Troll holding Harry by the foot and swing at him with a wicked club is me posing while holding a stuffed toy monkey and swinging at it with a yardstick. The Troll trying to shake Harry off his shoulders is me giving a piggie-back ride to that toy monkey. And no, I was not wearing a loin-cloth when posing. The wrinkled butt you see as the Troll is walking away from the viewer and down a hallway, is mine.
This was an epiphany. I could use what God gave me and sahe of myself to entertain others. Modeling gave me the confidence to be just myself, even in just bare skin, in front of a group of strangers.. so this made a move to film and television as easy as falling off a log.
I have since become the "go-to" guy for any project needing an unabashed male, and have proudly shared my skin for many films and TV programs.
Hey, Michael!, So good to connect with you here. Where've you been all my myspace, dude!? Yes, I'd like to do more fantasy-sci-fi projects. If you know of any such work, please let me know. I'm shooting a Nike ad next week and I have an audition for a lead role in a feature film! Perseverence does pay off. Thanks for your continued friendship and support. Love and Hugs! -Sanyo, "MamaSan"
What is this?!! I'm such an a-hole that your birthday slipped by me without a well-wish? Nevertheless, I bet you had an awesome one because you make it so. Happy Belated, sweetheart! I missed your bear/bare hugs last night at the T&E show in Asheville!!
I know this is corny, but thank you again so much for the picture! I'd love to hear about your misadventures sometime! I hope you are living it up and wide open!
