Tony Ward (model)

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Tony Ward
Tony Ward.jpg
Tony Ward, photo from a movie
Born
Anthony Borden Ward

(1963-06-10) June 10, 1963 (age 62)
Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Model
  • actor
Years active1981–present

Anthony Borden Ward (born June 10, 1963) is an American model and actor. [1]

Contents

Early life

Tony Ward was born in Santa Cruz, California, on June 10, 1963, to Robert Borden Ward, from Kansas, and Karen Elizabeth Castro. He is of English, Scottish, Irish, Swedish, and Portuguese descent. [2] Ward is the second of three sons and spent his childhood mostly in San Jose before moving to Sonora where he graduated from high school. From there he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of being an actor/model/dancer. Tony was discovered by a scout while attending West Valley College in Saratoga and started modeling at age 18.

Modeling career

Ward began his modeling career in 1981, [3] first for Calvin Klein underwear with images by Herb Ritts. Later he worked with photographers including Karl Lagerfeld, Steven Klein, Steven Meisel, and Terry Richardson; and for fashion designers such as Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, Fendi, H&M and Hugo Boss. [4] [5] [6]

Ward is signed to DNA Model Management in New York City, Why Not Model Agency in Milan, Italy, Premier Model Management in London, Photogenics Model Management in Los Angeles, Unique Models in Copenhagen, and Bananas Models in Paris. [7]

Ward has his own fashion brand SixInTheFace "Hand Ravaged Clothing by Mr. Ward". [8] [9]

Ward also shot for photographer Jim French of Colt Studio Group.[ citation needed ]

Acting career

In 1996, Ward had his first starring role in the movie Hustler White , directed by Bruce LaBruce and Rick Castro. In 1998, he appeared in Sex/Life in L.A. Jochen Hick's adult documentary about the sex lives of the guys who make L.A. adult movies. [10] Ward reunited with LaBruce playing a homeless junkie in the 2010 zombie thriller L.A. Zombie . [11]

Ward appeared in then-girlfriend Madonna's music videos for "Cherish" (1989) "Justify My Love" (1990) and "Erotica" (1992), with the former casting him in a more prominent role as her lover. The latter shows Ward in quick snippets as the video is an amalgamation of footage from various Madonna photo shoots.

Personal life

Ward (center) with Madonna (l.) and Madonna's back-up singer Donna De Lory at the AIDS Project Los Angeles benefit concert in 1990 Madonna 1990.jpg
Ward (center) with Madonna (l.) and Madonna's back-up singer Donna De Lory at the AIDS Project Los Angeles benefit concert in 1990

Ward is also a painter and photographer.

Ward was Madonna's boyfriend in the beginning of the 1990s and he appeared in some of her music videos as well as the controversial Sex book in 1992. [12] According to People on April 15, 1991:

"Madonna and male model Tony Ward, 27, her last boyfriend of record and one of the objects of her desire in the 'Justify' video, are no longer an item. It may be a coincidence, but he seems to have dropped from her arm at about the same time tabloids revealed that he had married an old flame, Greek-Australian photographer Amalia Papadimos, 23, in a quickie ceremony in Las Vegas on Aug. 21, 1990—after he had begun dating Madonna." [13]

As of 2016, Ward lived in Palm Springs, California, and was the father of four children "spread across two continents". [3] In a 2020 interview with MEL magazine, he said that he was in the process of divorcing an estranged wife, and was married and divorced several times prior. [3]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorRoleRef.
1996 Hustler White Bruce LaBruce and Rick Castro Lead role [14] [15]
1998Sex Life in L.A. Jochen Hick [16] [17]
1999Out in FiftyBojesse Christopher and Scott Leet
2002 All About the Benjamins Kevin Bray [18]
2007Story of Jen François Rotger Lead role [19]
2010 L.A. Zombie [20]
2010Out Getting Ribs
2022All Man: International Male

Music videos

YearArtistSongDirectorRef.
1987 ABC "King Without a Crown" Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton
1988 Belinda Carlisle "I Get Weak" Diane Keaton [21]
1989 Madonna "Cherish" Herb Ritts [22]
1989 Taylor Dayne "With Every Beat of My Heart"David Kellogg
1990Madonna"Justify My Love" Jean Baptiste Mondino [22]
1990 Tommy Page "I'll Be Your Everything"Greg Masuak
1992Madonna"Erotica" Fabien Baron [22]
1995 Rusty "Misogyny"Bruce LaBruce
1996 George Michael "Fastlove"Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton
1996 Spice Girls "Say You'll Be There"Vaughan Arnell
1999 Esthero "That Girl" Patrick Hoelck
2000 Sinéad O'Connor "Jealous"Mike Lipscombe
2005 Lisa Marie Presley "Idiot"Patrick Hoelck

See also

References

  1. ↑ Castro, Rick. "The Tony Ward Story". Rick Castro Official Website. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  2. ↑ Castro, Rick (December 14, 2018). "Meet the Model Who Dated Madonna and Played Film's Most Famous Gigolo". Another Man . Castro: What's your heritage? Ward: Half-Portuguese, the rest Scottish, Irish, English and Swedish.
  3. 1 2 3 Kohn, Isabelle (September 10, 2020). "The Afterlife of the Male Model". MEL . Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
  4. ↑ "I Was A Tony Ward Girl". Archives.citypaper.net. October 1, 1998. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Tony Ward for Style Council MR PORTER | MR PORTER". Mrporter.com. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  6. ↑ Kissel, William (December 14, 1990). "The New Models: Unconventional Looks Are in Vogue on the Runway and in Photo Layouts". Los Angeles Times . pp. E1, E16, E18 . Retrieved July 12, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Alexander, Hilary (January 23, 2004). "The man with the pearl earring - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Archived". July 21, 2002. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2023.[ dead link ]
  9. ↑ Talor, Charles (December 6, 1998). "Picture Perfect". Newsday . pp. 70, 72 . Retrieved July 12, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ H., W. "Sex Life in L.A., directed by Jochen Hick | Film review". Time Out London. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  11. ↑ Amy Verner (March 13, 2009). "Beardo cover boys: hip and sexy or borderline creepy?". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  12. ↑ Hochswender, Woody (October 21, 1990). "Critic's Notebook; Fashion in Paris: Irrelevant, but Who Cares? - New York Times". The New York Times . p. 1. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Madonna & Michael". People. April 15, 1991. pp. 64–68 – via archive.org.
  14. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (September 20, 1996). "Upbeat 'Hustler' Walks on L.A.'s Wild Side". Los Angeles Times . p. 88. Retrieved July 12, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Holden, Stephen (September 20, 1996). "Hustler White (1996): Stalking the Urban Wildlife in Night's Darkest Corners". The New York Times . Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Sex Life in L.A." The Skinny. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  17. ↑ Stewart, Bhob (2008). "Sex-Life-in-L-A- - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 15, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  18. ↑ "The Salt Lake Tribune - Archives". The Salt Lake Tribune. May 17, 2002. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Story of Jen". Le Figaro. October 29, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Australia Bans LaBruce's Grotesque Gay Sex Film, L.A. Zombie". Metro Weekly. July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  21. ↑ "This Oscar Guy Doesn't Go Home With Just Anybody". Orlando Sentinel . April 17, 1988. p. 290. Retrieved July 12, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  22. 1 2 3 "Madonna's Many Men". Daily News . New York. December 23, 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
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