The CLog
- Courtesy of Porter Hovey at http://www.porterhovey.com/
Brooklyn Decker is anxious. But her anxiety is felt by 20 other models and the millions of readers who are anticipating the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition hitting newsstands Feb. 9 (last year’s issue sold more than four million copies). No one outside of a small circle of SI staffers know who is going to be this year’s cover model, but we all know that gracing the cover catapults each model into the stratosphere. In her fifth year of being featured in the coveted issue, and at just 22 years of age, the young woman who grew up in Matthews (and refers to Charlotte often in interviews) arguably has one of the strongest chances to take the honor that helped turn Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, and last year’s cover girl Bar Refaeli into household names.
With a crazy Internet buzz, print campaigns with Victoria’s Secret, a starring role in the “Elle Make Better” fitness series, and not to mention her marriage last year to tennis star Andy Roddick, Decker (check out her photos on SI.com) should be this year’s cover model. There, we said it. Still, as we caught up with her less than two weeks before the SI issue debut, she was taking it all in stride.
Creative Loafing: How are you handling all of the anticipation and excitement around the swimsuit issue cover unveiling?
Brooklyn Decker: We’re actually the last ones to find out. They usually announce it on [The Late Show with David Letterman] the night before the swimsuit issue comes out. That’s when all of us find out. So I’ll be watching with the rest of you to see out who got it. None of us have a clue — it’s the biggest kept secret in all of the fashion world.
It is an amazingly kept secret, considering this Internet/technology age where everything leaks before it’s supposed to.
There are two editors of the swimsuit issue, Diane and M.J., and they submit a bunch of covers because every girl does cover shots. They don’t even find out who it is until the day before. It’s like Fort Knox in there.
What’s different about being in SI in your fifth year versus your first or second?
I feel a little bit like mother hen now. My first year, Marissa Miller was like my mentor. It was my first time ever walking the red carpet — she literally walked me through it and said “This is what you’re going to do.” She was always so welcoming and I really look up to her, so I kind of try to do the same thing with the other girls. The funny thing though is that I’m 22, so I’m really the same age as a lot of these girls who are just starting out. But I don’t feel like the young, fresh chicken anymore. I try to help ease the other girls into it because it can be really nerve-wracking and intimidating.
SI has used Twitter a lot to help build a buzz about the issue, and you’re also quite the tweeter (twitter.com/BrooklynDDecker).
I follow a lot of people in the industry; I follow personal friends. I use it for everything. For me, Twitter’s been great because it’s a great outlet to keep my friends, family, and anyone who’s interested in my career informed. As a model, you’re working on a lot of things that are secret and you can’t talk about them, so your fans and supporters don’t see anything until it’s released. It’s really a way for me to keep people posted like “Oh, I’m in the Bahamas” or “I’m shooting here.” It’s a nice way to give people an inside scoop of what’s going on. I can tweet pictures behind the scenes of shoots so they know that it’s all smoke and mirrors.
You recently made AskMen.com’s annual list of Top 99 Most Desirable Women, ranking No. 31, and ahead of women like Salma Hayek, (Twilight’s) Ashley Greene, and Kim Kardashian.
I definitely shouldn’t be on that list; I don’t know how that happened. That is some amazing company on that list. But I think it’s all fun and games. I don’t think you can take them too seriously. I guess if you’re in this business then it’s sort of par for the course. I’m still working towards what I want in this business, and don’t really think I’m where I want to be just yet. But if that’s a sign of me growing, then I’ll take it.
Have you built relationships with any of the other tennis wives? Like are you and Roger Federer’s wife hanging out?
Yeah, I have developed friendships. The guys who play with Andy are the guys he’s known most of his life. We’re all good friends and that includes their wives. It’s always fun to see them when we’re on the road.
You appeared last season on an episode of Chuck, and you’ve been doing more television auditions. How’s it going?
The whole acting thing, I’ve been fortunate to where some of the producers and directors have seen some of my stuff with Dan Patrick and some of my sports work — so I think they get that I have a silly sense of humor and that I have fun with my job. So I’ve been asked to do auditions, but it’s still sort of new and unfamiliar for me. But if a movie or show comes along and I want to go out for it, then I’d be so happy to do it. But for right now I feel like it’s a little premature for me to act like I’m this seasoned actress. I’m still learning.
Speaking of sports, your alma mater Butler High School won their first-ever football championship a couple of months ago.
I know, and I missed it! But I was so excited that they won. I actually tweeted about it. When I was [in high school] we would get down to the regionals or close to the final game, and Independence would always beat us. So this year to win was pretty unbelievable. I’m still in touch with my teachers so I was calling them and calling my parents like ‘How’s Butler doing?’ It’s so exciting — it’s like Friday Night Lights, but real life.
So when are you going to get a reality show? I’m sure many networks would love a show that showcased the life of a swimsuit model and her tennis star husband.
That is not happening (laughs). How have all of those [couples] turned out who’ve had a reality show? I can pretty much promise you that I will never be on a reality show. I would probably, like, guest judge on one of those modeling shows, but as far as having cameras follow me around and see my day-to-day life, that’s something I like to keep for me.
