Bob Paris

Last updated

Bob Paris
Paolo Tassetto con Bob Paris a Padova (Italia),1986.png
Paolo Tassetto (on the left) with Bob Paris in Padua, Italy in 1986
Born
Robert Clark Paris

(1959-12-14) December 14, 1959 (age 64)
Columbus, Indiana
Spouse
Brian LeFurgey
​
(m. 2003)​
[1]
Website http://www.bobparis.com

Bob Paris (born Robert Clark Paris on December 14, 1959) is an American writer, actor, public speaker, civil rights activist, and former professional bodybuilder. Paris was the 1983 NPC American National and IFBB World Bodybuilding Champion. [1] In 1989, he became the world's first male professional athlete to come out as gay in the media while still an active competitor in his sport. [2]

Contents

Biography

Early life

Paris was born and grew up in Brown County and Columbus, Indiana. From an early age, he was both artistic and athletic. He won National Scholastic awards for his drawings and paintings and wrote short stories. [3] Paris was also involved in his school's debate team and a member of the International Thespian Society. Paris played several sports in high school: track and field, golf, and particularly football. [3] After experimenting with weight training as a sophomore, Paris started to gain size and strength. [3]

He moved to southern California to pursue dreams of becoming a bodybuilder and actor. Within two years he had won two competitions: Mr. Los Angeles and Mr. Southern California. [3]

Career

Since rising to fame in the early 1980s, Bob Paris has appeared on the covers of scores of magazines worldwide. [1] He is noted for his aesthetics and artistic approach toward the sport.

On October 10, 1998, he made his New York stage debut, starring at Carnegie Hall opposite Bea Arthur, Sandy Duncan, Michael Jeter, Philip Bosco, Alice Ripley, and Tyne Daly in the Broadway musical Jubilee as the character Mowgli. [4]

In the July 1989 issue of Ironman , Paris came out in the media as a gay man. He was the world's first male professional athlete, in any sport, to come out in the media while still an active competitor in his sport. [1] [5] [6] That year, Paris appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss marriage and being gay. Oprah asked Paris, "Bob, why not just stay in the closet?" Paris said "you fall in love" and it doesn't feel right to hide it.

Paris and his then-boyfriend, Rod Jackson, became symbols for gay marriage and advocated gay rights. Paris's career suffered for it; he lost about 80% of his bookings and endorsements for bodybuilding. [7] He has said he received death threats through mail and by phone. [8]

He became a dedicated advocate for the rights of athletes [9] and an outspoken voice in the push for drug testing at the professional level. [1]

He retired from bodybuilding in 1991, but competed in the 1992 Chicago Pro Championships-IFFB, finishing 10th. [1]

In 2006, Flex Magazine ranked Bob Paris the most aesthetic athlete in the history of bodybuilding. [10] [11]

In 2009, he performed in a recurring role on the first season of the ABC Television series, Defying Gravity . [12]

Paris remains a civil rights advocate and public speaker. He is also a model and a classically trained theater actor.

Personal life

Bob Paris and Rod Jackson (on the right) in June 1993 Bob Paris and Rod Jackson (7294256320).jpg
Bob Paris and Rod Jackson (on the right) in June 1993

Paris and Jackson were seen as a model relationship in the gay community, yet they split up after seven years due to undisclosed difficulties. Paris and Jackson's relationship was constantly in the limelight, hence making the breakup very public. [13] Paris said that he kept trying to keep his relationship going even when he knew better; Paris felt that he would be giving gays a bad image if he and Jackson broke up. [8]

In 2012, Paris wrote on his website that he never wanted to be a "lifestyle bodybuilder." He said he enjoyed the discipline and focus bodybuilding engendered; he also simply just excelled at the sport. [14] To Paris, bodybuilding allowed him to be artistic and a jock all at once, and the sport allowed him to exert his physical presence to the world in a way that demonstrated that he was a man. [15]

As of 2015, Paris was still active in fitness, but not as intensely as he once was, and saw himself more as a writer over anything else. [14]

Paris lives with his husband, Brian LeFurgey, on an island near Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds dual American and Canadian citizenship. Together since 1996, Paris and LeFurgey were married in British Columbia after the province equalized the marriage laws in 2003. [1]

Books by Bob Paris

Photography books of Bob Paris

Bodybuilding career

As an amateur:

As a professional:

IFBB Mr. Olympia:

Additional professional competition highlights:

(NPC = National Physique Committee / IFBB = International Federation of BodyBuilders)

[1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Olympia</span> Annual bodybuilding competition

Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Joe Weider'sOlympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League. Joe Weider created the contest to enable the amateur Mr. Universe winners to continue competing and to earn money. The first Mr. Olympia was held on September 18, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, with Larry Scott winning his first of two straight titles. The equivalent female title is Ms. Olympia.

Lenda Murray is an American professional female bodybuilding champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Physique Committee</span> Organization of competitive amateur bodybuilders in the United States

The National Physique Committee (NPC) is the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States. Amateur bodybuilders compete in competitions from local to national competitions sanctioned by the NPC. While the term "bodybuilding" is commonly used to refer to athletes participating in contests sanctioned by the NPC and IFBB Pro League, nine divisions are represented including men's bodybuilding, women's bodybuilding, bikini, men's physique, classic physique, women's physique, figure, fitness, and wellness.

Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Demayo</span> American bodybuilder (1967–2005)

Paul DeMayo was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iris Kyle</span> American bodybuilder (born 1974)

Iris Floyd Kyle is an African-Indian American professional female bodybuilder. She is currently the most successful, female or male, professional bodybuilder ever. She has a total of twenty professional bodybuilding titles, with ten overall and two heavyweight Ms. Olympia titles and seven overall and one heavyweight Ms. International titles.

Robert Michael Cicherillo is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dexter Jackson (bodybuilder)</span> American bodybuilder

Dexter "The Blade" Jackson is an American retired IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilder and the 2008 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding and 2012 Masters Mr. Olympia champion. With 29 wins, Jackson has the most professional men's bodybuilding titles. He has the distinction of winning the Arnold Classic a record five times. After winning the Arnold Classic in 2015, he placed second in the 2015 Mr. Olympia. He is from Jacksonville, Florida. He retired from professional bodybuilding following the 2020 Mr. Olympia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrem Charles</span> Trinidad and Tobago bodybuilder

Darrem Charles is an actively competing IFBB professional bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Heath</span> American bodybuilder

Phillip Jerrod Heath is an American IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilder. Known as 'The Gift', he is a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, having won the competition every year from 2011 to 2017. Heath is tied with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the joint-second number of all-time Mr. Olympia wins, behind Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney, who are joint-first with eight wins each. He was known for his rivalry with Kai Greene.

Christopher Lee Cook is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toney Freeman</span> American IFBB bodybuilder

Toney Freeman is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder and brand ambassador residing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Johnnie Otis Jackson is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder and powerlifter. Jackson has been said to have one of the best developed upper bodies in professional bodybuilding in the world. He is known for training in Arlington, Texas, with fellow American IFBB pro competitor Branch Warren. Due to his strength, he has sometimes been referred to as the world's strongest bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Curry</span> American professional bodybuilder (born 1982)

Brandon Curry is an American professional bodybuilder who competes in the men's open bodybuilding division in the IFBB Pro League. He is a former Mr. Olympia, having won the title in the 2019 Mr. Olympia competition, and two-time Arnold Classic US winner.

Debi Laszewski is an American retired professional female bodybuilder. She ranks as the 3rd best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List.

Rodney St. Cloud is an American retired professional bodybuilder and pornographic actor.

Bodybuilding in the United States traces its early history to the 1860s when it was based on the east coast. By the 1940s, it had arrived in Hawaii. In the same period, the country was involved with the early internationalization of the sport. The sport had a golden age during the 1960s and 1970s when much of the activity was taking place on the west coast. Bodybuilding for women began to take off during the 1970s. A number of changes took place in the 1980s.

Jeremy Buendia is an American professional bodybuilder who competes in the IFBB Men's Physique Division. He is a four-time Men's Physique Mr. Olympia beginning from 2014 to 2017.

Egberton Rulove "Roelly" Etienne-Winklaar is a Curaçaoan/ Dutch IFBB professional bodybuilder.

Christopher Adam Bumstead, also known as CBum, is a Canadian retired Classic Physique IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilder. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Bumstead made his competitive debut in 2014 and obtained his IFBB pro card after claiming the 2016 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championship. After coming in second place in the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique category in 2017 and 2018, he earned six consecutive wins from 2019 to 2024, the most wins since the creation of the category. He is widely considered as the greatest classic physique bodybuilder of all time.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Legends of Bodybuilding 2, Winter, 2012, Robert Kennedy Publications
  2. ↑ Romesburg, Don (November 22, 2005). "OPENLY GAY U.S. ATHLETES TIME LINE". Advocate. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Bob Paris". IMDb. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Jubilee Carnegie Hall Concert (1998)", ovrtur.com.
  5. ↑ Ironman Magazine, July, 1989
  6. ↑ Buzinski, Jim (August 8, 2011). "Moment #57: Bodybuilder Bob Paris comes out". Outsports. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Former Mr. Universe Bob Paris on Oprah, coming out, marriage - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times". www.windycitymediagroup.com. April 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Mr. Universe Faced 'Tremendous' Repercussions After Coming Out In 1989". The Huffington Post. February 25, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Bob Paris "The Flawless Marvel": Height | Weight | Arms | Chest | Biography". Fitness Volt. August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Perfect 20: Simplyshredded.com Presents The Top 20 Most Aesthetic Physiques Of All Time". SimplyShredded.com. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Retro Athlete: Bob Paris". Muscle & Fitness. March 27, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Gay Iconography: The Strength of Bob Paris". Towleroad Gay News. November 7, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  13. ↑ Frutkin, Alan (December 10, 1996). "Wedding Bell Blues". No. 722. Advocate. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Bob Paris" . Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Bob Paris". No. 766. Advocate. August 18, 1998. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  16. ↑ Paris, Bob. (1991). Beyond built : Bob Paris' guide to achieving the ultimate look . New York, NY: Warner Books. ISBN   0446391468. OCLC   20757296.
  17. ↑ Paris, Bob. (1993). Flawless : the ten-week, total-image method for transforming your physique . New York, N.Y.: Warner Books. ISBN   0446394068. OCLC   26403318.
  18. ↑ Paris, Bob. (1996). Natural fitness. New York, NY: Warner Books. ISBN   0446670294. OCLC   32665052.
  19. ↑ Jackson-Paris, Rod, 1961- (1995). Straight from the heart : a love story. Jackson-Paris, Bob. New York: Warner Books. ISBN   0446670669. OCLC   32913836.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ↑ Paris, Bob. (1997). Gorilla suit : my adventures in bodybuilding (1st St. Martin's Griffin ed.). New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN   0312194587. OCLC   42306679.
  21. ↑ Paris, Bob. (1998). Generation queer : a gay man's quest for hope, love, and justice . New York: Warner Books. ISBN   0446675350. OCLC   41591976.
  22. ↑ Paris, Bob. (2002). Prime : the complete guide to being fit, looking good, feeling great (1st ed.). New York: Berkley Pub. Group. ISBN   0399527192. OCLC   47803575.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.