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AE: Ryan just doesn't fit in with the rest of you. His attitude last week about "swatches," tools of the design trade and being an artist conflicts with most of the rest of your attitudes. Thoughts?
GA: Ryan has his own thing he's doing. I think the show is part of his larger body of artwork. Part of it perhaps is performance, so I don't know. I can't say I know him that well. My interaction with him has always been great, very positive. He tends to rub people the wrong way, but he's one of those people who try to solicit reactions.

EK: I think what makes Ryan really interesting is that he is provocative. I think Ryan is a great guy. I have to say that I was often very confused by what his statement was going to be or what was going to happen, but I think he added a really interesting layer. He made me think differently about our profession.

GA: Absolutely. I would not have put skateboards on my bed if he hadn't lent me his skateboard and I hadn't been playing with it for three or four days before that challenge. I think he does bring in something interesting.

EK: For me, doing this show, I wanted to win — that was the ultimate goal — but I was going through a lot of life changes right before. For me, it was all about doing something different, getting out of my head, getting exposed to a different side of the world. After my brother passed away, it was just kind of like getting away. The show did that for me. It was perfect.

GA: The one thing that was really amazing is that you went through a lot of really, really difficult times right before — more than other people, big life changes like your brother — but during the show you seemed to be the most level-headed person. Our emotions would go up and down, we were sad, we were happy, but you were just really level-headed, which I think is really fabulous.

EK: Well, that's because, really, the show was my therapy. I didn't have to pay for a therapist. I just had to be videotaped while I peed.

GA: I need therapy because of the show! [Laughs.]

AE: Michael seems to be getting tagged as they whiny one on the show, sort of like Marcel of Top Chef. Is that your impression or is that editing?
GA: My nickname for Michael is Fabulous. I characterize being fabulous as that fabulous way of not being apologetic about what you do. You just are yourself. Michael is a great guy. He knows how to just be himself regardless of what people say. I think he's cute and adorable. You have to really meet him. He's a nice guy.

EK: Michael's kind of like one of those little cactuses that have the real feathery spikes, and you don't know that they get you until you actually touch them. But again, he made everything so interesting. I love him to death.

GA: Things just sort of tend to happen when he's around.

EK: And it's in such a nonchalant manner. It's like: "Hey, what just happened here? Oh, he just called me fat. Nice."

AE: Bravo has come under some scrutiny for possibly burying the sexuality of its gay reality competition cast members. Was there ever any pressure from the producers to behave differently, or do you feel that your sexuality was at all edited out?
GA: Not really. I don't think there was any kind of pressure to be somebody else. They really made a big effort to let us be who we are in all our complexities. Don't you think that's true, Erik?

EK: Oh yeah. They certainly didn't try to tamp me down with my mascara. There's like a thousand nicknames for me online and I don't even wear mascara! [Laughs.] That's the joy of reality TV. It was just one of those things and now I'll be forever known for it. I need to be a Maybelline girl. [Laughs.]

GA: All you have to do is cast Erik and everything follows that. [Laughs.]

EK: You know, I thought it was great. I grew up in a small town, and it was very difficult to really be who I was. Still, going home it's difficult sometimes, but I finally hit that point in my life where I'm not hiding it anymore. Whatever's going to happen is going to happen, and you just kind of run with it.

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