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Interview with JD Jordan and Jesse Brune

Admit it. You've missed the wacky hijinks of the crew at Sky Sport, the Beverly Hills gym owned by Jackie Warner featured on Bravo's hit show Work Out. Well, never fear. The show returns on April 15th at 11 p.m. (before settling back into its usual 10 p.m. spot thereafter) and, with the exception of a few new faces, not much has changed. Jackie has a new girlfriend, Brianna, and there are also four new employees at Sky including fitness model Greg Plitt, sexy Renessa Williams, tough Agostina Laneri, and openly gay massage therapist JD Jordan.

JD arrives in the second episode, and from his very first appearance, Jackie tries to set him up with Sky’s other out trainer (and Jackie's BFF), Jesse Brune. We recently sat down with both guys and talked about everything from looking for inner peace, to finding true love, to learning to love your body as it is.

Jesse Bruno (left) & JD Jordan

All photos courtesy of Bravo

AfterElton.com: JD, congratulations on the new job!
JD Jordan:
Thanks. I'm really excited.

AE: And Jesse, congratulations on another season.
Jesse Brune:
[laughs] Thanks.

AE: Jesse, you're going in to your third season now. What are your thoughts after two seasons of doing Work Out?
JB:
I'm tired. [laughs] No, really, it's great. [laughs]
JDJ:
You're over it. [both laugh]

AE: After the tragic loss of Doug Blasdell, does any of the "drama" on the show start to seem less important or pointless?
JB:
Oh, jeez, man. I'm telling you ... When you're faced with something like that, of course everything has to be put into perspective. It was this huge, huge thing. It was like this fun, fluffy reality show took a complete turn.

AE: It kind of changed the whole tone for the rest of that season.
JB:
Absolutely. I think it changed the tone of the show altogether. When Doug passed away, one of my fears was that the show ... I didn't give the show enough credit, thinking that they might capitalize on his death, sort of a "this is so dramatic, that's great!" kind of thing. But it turned out to be a really touching tribute to a man who had a really amazing life. I was glad to see that happen.

But yeah, all the little cheap tricks, and little cheap dramas, and throwing glasses at people, or making out with a bunch of different people, it just seemed unnecessary. For a moment, the show really touched on something serious and gave us an opportunity to become very human to everybody, because we'd all just gone through a very human experience together.

The cast of Work Out

AE: JD, how did you come to be involved with the show? Did Bravo approach you?
JDJ:
Um ... [laughs] I was actually in a bar and a casting agent thought I was a trainer. That's the God's honest truth. I was actually at a bar.
JB:
She thought you were a trainer at the bar?
JDJ:
Well, because the next season was casting or whatever and they needed somebody else and the girl thought I looked the part. I told her, "I'm actually a massage therapist. I'm getting my training certification and my Pilates certification." So, I did a ten minute video, and that's honestly how it happened. It was just a complete fluke.
JB:
So we literally picked you up at a bar?
JDJ:
[laughs] Yep. Jackie came along and said, "Let me take you under my wing," and I said, "Sure."
JB: Now that story I would believe.
JDJ: If I was a straight girl, maybe, but no... [both laugh] Yeah, so that's basically how it happened. I met with the producers, and I guess I'd just say it was fate. It was just one of those situations that came to me. I was really lucky. I'm so fortunate that I was able to do the show.

Jackie Warner (left) & JD

AE: According to your Bravo bio, before you joined Sky, you were a masseuse to the stars. Let's dish. Who were some of your clients?
JDJ: I worked with Paris Hilton for the last two years. I worked with Britney Spears post-head shaving incident. I worked on the set of "Gimme More," and I went to her house a few times. Besides that, no one really huge. I worked with some sports—
JB: Yeah, besides Britney Spears, no one major.
JDJ: [laughs] Well, you know. And I worked with Janice Dickenson. That's about it.


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