The Journey of Brad Murphy:

Love or Fear?  Part 2

/PnV Interview

By Tom Peaks @MrPeaksNValleys

Being Brad Murphy!  Capturing the inner serenity and vivid descriptions of model Brad Murphy, we present part two of our PnV exclusive interview with the Arizona hunk, represented by Soul Model Management in NYC. We explore his career, travels, personal style, and he even gets to vent about greed. Get to know the passion behind the sexy Brad Murphy:    

After a friend motivated you to do Phoenix Fashion Week when you were 20 years old, you started breaking into modeling.   When did you know you were ‘sexy’ in that modeling kind of way?   When did it sink in?   

I never really saw myself sexy… and still really don’t because I feel that ‘sexy’ is a feeling. I feel sexy when I move people…. When people are affected by me. Causing someone to bite their lip, eyes to dilate; a slight inhale is sexy… just as much as a smile, a laugh, or even a hug that is compelled by something I do.  Sexy to me is like passion, it is felt, not seen. We have gotten into this idea that it’s physical but sexy to me is anything that moves us internally…

“Every single thing about you should feel sexy. Beyond how it looks. It should feel.  Let it feel! Forget sight. Sexy will be seen every time….but only if 1st, sexy is felt.” —Brad.

You had played ice hockey forever and did construction work in the insane Arizona heat. That had to be a big transition culturally to modeling/acting. Did it bother you, Brad,…having men and women suddenly sexually objectifying you? Wearing make-up and dressing provocatively? Explain what was going on in your head when you made this big turn in your life.

It was a big change but again I always felt whatever it takes to be happy, I’ll do it. Especially if I help others find that happiness. It took me about 5 years to get out of the athletic me, and I still deal with it in a way of realizing game day won’t ever happen again… those moments in the locker room right before the game huddled as a team praying, and chanting our team name to get fired up to go down that tunnel with crowd cheering to unleash and compete!!!! It was a dramatic transition from more of an athlete into the creative I see myself as… but really I just tapped into something that I have always relied on. The passion and imagination I always used. The same intensity I miss from sports I fuel in everything that I do now that gives me the same feeling sports did… The sense of not thinking, and just being, expressing myself with my body and potential. I just followed what made me feel expressive…what makes me feel free. To not think and just be. Guess I didn’t think too much of how it made me feel, just kept following my heart.

I only know big business, and you appear to hate the Wall Street mentality. What’s your beef, Brad? 

It just seems like big business, once they get so big, their motivation is mass production. Getting as much out as possible. I get it, we all like money… but consumer appreciation should be the motive…not job security. For instance Whole Foods sprays their produce with an “edible petroleum wax for freshness”??? That’s not in respect of our bodies, that’s to help their produce last longer so they get more money out of us. Our health and well-being should be such a motive they sacrifice and resent mass production. The CEO should work their company with the smallest person in their company in mind.

How do you respond when people deduct that Millennials are lazy and self-entitled, wanting things handed to them?

That’s a funny question. Far too relevant to the irony and contradictions that come from those that do make those statements… Those that are so observant, and critical, forget they are the ones that created us. I find that too much, people are too easy at talking about the problems and lack compassion, rather than being more open minded and focusing on a solution and having compassion. We have been trained to live fast, and buy buy buy, want, want, want… I think slowly but surely yoga, meditation, and just a strive for balance will outcome this because living materialistic really doesn’t make us happy and it takes depression in order to have invincible happiness.. And I think happiness every day, no matter what happens is what we all desire right? Find your inner serenity.

Tell us about your experiences and love of Italy.

The people, the food, the sites… everything seems so straight forward. Organic. Like no questions, what you see is what you get. In Italy I felt people were much more tolerant of each other. Much more accepting. I noticed in Italy, beauty is admired. Beauty in the trees, in the ocean, the marble rock, the slightest reflection off the marble rock to change the color of the ocean was considered a wonder. They call these grotto’s and on the island of Capri ever since this experience on this island I will never be the same. Appreciating life in a much simpler way. The sky and clouds in the Mediterranean is one of the most beautiful skies you’ll ever see. And you can feel it…. Watching the sunset one afternoon as the last tip of the sun fell over the curvature of the Earth falling behind where eyes can no longer see, the people cheered and clapped! I was blown away by the power of the sunset, and obviously never alone in that admiration.

“I remember the day I got there on my 2nd trip biting into a pineapple. From my taste buds embrace of that sweet sensation instantly pulled it away from my mouth to where my eyes could catch up to the feeling of “woah”. The power of something so simple and I thought to myself, “I am back to this beautiful place, and didn’t even really realize it until this bite. I fell in love in this moment with Italy” —Brad.

You were on the TV show, “The View” delivering pizza recently.   Tell us about that.

Well that was a lot of fun because some of the ladies on that show, that I grew up watching on TV I think seemed to really like the everything pizza I brought to their show…One of those moments where I told myself, smiling back, “guess your grown up now”.

Your work with the 2015 Land’s End Christmas campaign was huge.   What was that experience like?

I was sitting in a taxi in NYC coming home at about 3:30 am, having a rough past couple weeks really, was feeling kind of down then when I see the Land’s End campaign come up on the TV in the taxi, and I flipped. The taxi driver and I shared the moment of excitement where he congratulated me and it really brought my spirits up. Sometimes we need some validation that our hard work is worth it and to just keep going.

Tell us about TWO of your favorite moments in modeling that we have not yet discussed.

My very 1st experience in the audition when I walked up with my number I got one of the most amazing smiles from one of the judges. I don’t think any smile ever affected me in my life to this point like her smile did. It gave me a feeling of I could do this. I’ll never forget that moment. 2nd is being every time I work and collaborate with other artists, models, photographers, writers, creative directors etc… Art is a collaboration of energy. A relationship between 2 or more things. The feeling and inspiration never ends from the moment it’s created. So every time I get the chance to collaborate with someone with real passion, I fall more in love with art!

Who are some photographers whom you enjoyed collaborating?

My friend Bruce Weber, from the moment we met I felt blessed.  His presence is even more beautiful than shooting with him because of who he is as a person and artist. He’s really passionate about opening you up and letting you run wild.. .as a spirit, as a person… like with his own strong heart knocks down the stable and lets the horses run wild. Shooting with him was just capturing that moment of being wild and free. I’ll never stop growing from that; run wild, let go, and just love and let love!

What is your own personal fashion style?

I have always been passionate about doing things differently than the masses. Fashion is an expression heard every time before the mouth can explain so for me personally I like a little laxidazical mixed with classy and edgy. Like you can present me to your grandma and be proud and among your corporate associates wearing suits as well as grab drinks at the club…. all with the same outfit. Gotta be dynamic I feel, people don’t remember what you say, they remember how you made them feel.

Tell us something that people would be shocked to know about you.

I love cooking. I think there’s something so sexy about cooking and providing something great to people. Plus how sexy does this dish sound that I cooked recently; “6 cheese porcini mushroom bell pepper stuffed chicken breasts with sautéed  brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes” bon appetit.

Now the Flash Bulb Round…quick, simple responses:

–For fun times, theme parks or state/national parks? Magic Mountain in Santa Monica

–West coast or East coast? West coast

–What do you wear to bed? silk or nothing

–2 most beneficial exercises for you? stretching & breathing

–Oldest person you have ever dated? 40s

–Favorite motivational music? Reggae

–Mag cover you dream to be on? GQ

–Rank yourself on the Modeling Nudity Nervous Scale (1 is not nervous, 10 is very nervous)? 2

–Most toxic:  alcohol or soft drinks?  Soft drinks

–Name 3 famous people (dead or alive) who most inspire you?  James Franco, Charlie Chaplin, John Cheim.

What is the best way on social media for people to reach out to you?

https://www.facebook.com/brad.j.murphy.90

https://www.instagram.com/rad_b/

https://twitter.com/TheBradMurphy

Snapchat:  rad.b

Photographers featured in Brad’s Interview Part Two include: Hugo Castillo, Branden Canlas, Steve Burton, Hard Cider, Joseph Lally, and Tom Cullis.

This is the Part I of this interview with Brad Murphy, go and check out!