Exclusive: 'Top Model: Guys & Girls' runner-up Marvin Cortes talks (Part 1)

America's Next Top Model's male model Marvin Cortes finished the twentieth season as the runner-up during The CW's Friday night finale broadcast of the first-ever Guys & Girls edition.


Marvin, a 6' 1" 20-year-old sales associate from Bronx, NY, was defeated by Jourdan Miller, a 6' 0" unemployed 19-year-old from Bend, OR, after Top Model judges Tyra Banks, Kelly Cutrone and Rob Evans evaluated and scored both contestants' entire body of work throughout the course of the season. Contestant Cory Hindorff finished in third place. 

As the winner of America's Next Top Model, Jourdan walked away with a $100,000 national ad campaign with Guess, a fashion feature in Nylon Magazine and a modeling contract with Next Model Management.

In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Tuesday, Marvin talked about his Top Model: Guys & Girls experience.

Below is the first half of Marvin's interview. Check back with us soon for the concluding portion and our exclusive interview with Cory. To begin reading what Jourdan had to say about her victory, click here.


Reality TV World: When you were standing in the end next to Jourdan, did you really feel like you were going to take the title and was it a shock when Jourdan's name was called?

Marvin Cortes: I was hoping that it was me, but something in my heart kind of told me it wasn't. But I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't super excited that she won. It was kind of like a mixed feeling.

Reality TV World: You seemed extremely confident you were going to win Top Model this season. Why was that? Was it because of your photo shoots and runway performance and all that or more because you were convinced the judges wanted a guy to win the first Top Model: Guys & Girls season?

Marvin Cortes: Some of that went into play. I did think it because it was the first guys' season, and after Cory got eliminated, I thought -- well, I was kind of hoping -- that some of that would play in my favor. But I was just confident that I was the kind of model that America would want, because I feel like I have a different look than most people and it was something different.

I feel like being the first guy winner, it was kind of like a dream come true for me, so I was hoping that maybe me winning would inspire people. But I think I still accomplished that, so I was just happy about that too.


Reality TV World: It seemed like Rob was a little displeased when Jourdan was crowned the winner of Top Model although he apparently scored you both a 9. Did you get that sense from him when she won or did you notice it when watching the episode back? And if so, why do you think he wasn't thrilled, was it just because he really believed in you personally, or maybe more simply, he just wanted a guy to win as well?

Marvin Cortes: I think, yes, well I didn't notice that when it happened in front of me. But then seeing it back, I saw it and thought it was kind of flattering. I think Rob just wanted a guy to win because he's a male model and he just wants to see -- he probably knows how hard it is for a guy in the industry, and he knows that it's always about the girl.

So I think he was kind of pro-me. In terms of personality, he knows that I kind of bring it more. If it's just me and Jourdan in a room, you notice me more just because I'm more talkative, and I think he knew that.

In the outside world, it would probably be more different for me and Jourdan. I think Jourdan shines on the show, but I think in the outside world, it's a different story.

Reality TV World: Tyra even admitted to Jourdan upon winning that she really wanted a guy to win the whole thing. Did you feel any bias towards the guys this season at all? I don't know if sometimes you felt the judges were maybe a little easier on the guys or maybe a little harder on the girls? What are your thoughts?


Marvin Cortes: I think it was kind of half and half because we did have to do the role reversal, and I think it was hard for us to portray a girl, but I think it was kind of, for sure, it was more in our favor -- like a lot of the challenges.

Going down the building for the runway, they had to do it in heels and we got to do it in boots. A lot of the challenges were physically easier for the guys than it was for the girls, [like] the turntables.

It was easier for the guys to do it, but overall, I thought everybody had pretty much the same shot and there really wasn't that much of a bias, especially during judging. During the judging, everybody was just a person, it wasn't guy or girl, it was model.

Reality TV World: You mentioned during the first part of the finale you thought you wanted to win more than Jourdan, that she wouldn't appreciate or understand the magnitude of that prize package. Why did you feel that way, and after watching the season back on TV, did your opinion change of Jourdan's passion for modeling and winning the competition or stay the same?

Marvin Cortes: Just from my observation of her, she was just so confident in herself, so I guess that's what it was. She has had like six years of modeling and she has done New York Fashion Week and she has been out there in the world doing the modeling thing.


So I thought she -- like everybody was like, "Wow, Guess, a Guess campaign!" And Jourdan was like, "Oh, a Guess campaign," like, kind of like she's had that opportunity before.

So for me, this was such a longshot for me. This is something that I wouldn't have been able to attain myself hadn't I been on the show, but for her it was more, "Well, I mean, I could use the show, but not necessarily, I don't need to be on the show to get to where I'm going," which is good for her because she's such a good model.

But I don't know, I feel like I would have appreciated it more. I still think I would have appreciated it more, but I'm not bitter at all towards it. I'm happy for everything that happened and how it ended, because now I have more opportunity, but just, I don't know.

I don't like talking about other people, but it's just like -- and I hear that she's engaged again, so it's kind of like a rollercoaster ride with her. So I just feel like hopefully it doesn't go to waste, because that would be most upsetting.

You know, so many winners just fade into the midst, and I think that has to do a lot with the model. So I hope that's not what happens in this case with her, and it would just be a shame for the winner to not go on and do great things and just become another winner that doesn't do anything or that you just forget about, because that would just be a complete shame.


Reality TV World: In your Guess photo, Tyra said you looked like you were playing younger than you are and needed to give more sexiness, less sweetness. However, I remember during that photo shoot, the photographer kept saying to relax and smile and he didn't like the fact you were trying to act all serious.

Marvin Cortes: Yeah.

Reality TV World: Did that frustrate you? What do you think you should have done or do you like how it came out?

Marvin Cortes: I think that exactly how it came out was -- you saw it, he's the shot-caller in this situation. So if he wanted "smile," I gave him "smile." And I think at that point, Tyra was just a judge and a critic, so I think at the end of the day, it was more the photographer's say. So at that point, I was working, so I was working for the photographer.

So I would have listened to the [photographer] no matter what, and he knows what he wants for his shot and he knows what Guess wants. So, Tyra doesn't necessarily have to agree with Guess, but Guess wanted smiley, so that's what they got.

Maybe she thought it wasn't in the right direction, but at the end of the day, I think I was happy with what came out. And I actually really liked the shot. So I think I do look young, but I think that's good, because I could do Gap Kids. Not Gap, Guess.


Reality TV World: Baby Gap?! (Laughs) Just kidding.

Marvin Cortes: Yeah! (Laughs) But you know what I mean, like teen edition.

Above is the first half of Marvin's exclusive interview with Reality TV World. Check back with us soon for the concluding portion and our exclusive interview with Cory. To begin reading what Jourdan had to say about her victory, click here.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski