Evan Almighty
Evan Lysacek won the 2010 Olympic gold medal in figure skating, overcoming both a Russian champion coming out of retirement and his U.S. rival, the outspoken Johnny Weir. Lysacek puts his competitive spirit aside this Thanksgiving to join a slew of celebrities-including Justin Tuck of the New York Giants and Thomas Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs-and partners HELP USA and the Oneida Indian Nation to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a Manhattan homeless shelter. Helping those less fortunate is admirable (if predictable) for an Olympic champion. More surprising: Lysacek's love of basketball, his friendship with Pamela Anderson, and the reality show he wouldn't turn down.
Evan, you're calling from the car. Where are you headed?
I'm heading up to Lake Placid for a couple of days to do some rehearsals for Stars On Ice. I'm trying to get back to New York on Sunday for the Knicks game.
You're a Knicks fan?
I'm a Lakers fan. But I've never been to a Knicks game, and I have an opportunity to sit on the floor.
I wouldn't think of you as a basketball guy.
Why?
Um...
I played basketball until I was 14. In L.A., I train at the same center in El Segundo as the Lakers. The Kings train there as well.
When you pass the NBA guys in the hallway, do they give you crap about your figure skating outfits?
Not really. I think there's a mutual respect between athletes.
You're serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless. How did that come about?
I was approached by Help USA after the Olympics and they asked if I wanted to get involved. Help USA is the largest homeless advocate in the country. We're making sure that everyone has the resources and the respect they deserve this season. They provide counseling and job training and life skill education. They really want to create that self-sufficiency.
That's admirable. What does a figure skater eat for Thanksgiving?
As I was training for the Olympics the last four years, we always had competitions over Thanksgiving. This year, I'll be working on the day after Thanksgiving, filming a Stars on Ice special. So I'll be eating fruits and vegetables and a little bit of lean protein. Mostly salad.
That's not Thanksgiving! Do you cook for the holiday?
I'm not a good cook at all. Most of the time my parents would be like, "I think we've got it. Why don't you watch TV."
Since the Olympics, you've been everywhere-including Dancing with the Stars. The show celebrated its 200th episode a few weeks back. How was the reunion? More importantly: How was Bristol Palin?
She's very reserved and sweet and polite. She couldn't be a nicer girl. She seems very well adjusted. We're all kind of pulling for her, in a way, because she's coming in with no experience.
Was Pamela Anderson there? You two competed in the same season.
She wasn't there. She's in Israel right now, doing an episode of Dancing with the Stars over there. I guess she's swimming nude in Tel Aviv right now, someone said. I spoke to her before she went. We were close during the show.
Really? What would you two talk about?
Pamela is totally into art. She wanted me to meet all her friends in photography. She has a lot of artistic friends in music and film direction. She's an extremely kind and sweet lady. She can party with the best of us. I'd think she was 25 years old right there with me. She's also a great mom.
What's the latest on your feud with Johnny Weir? Have you seen each other?
No, I actually have not seen him for a while. I hope he's doing well.
Diplomatic! Would you do a reality show, like the one he did for the Sundance Channel?
I don't know that his show was the most honest portrayal of figure skating. I think I would like people to understand the athletic side. The problem is: Most elite athletes at that level don't necessarily want to give away the secrets of their training and how you win competitions. We don't see Roger Federer doing a reality show.
Manny Pacquiao did a 24/7 for HBO. The Jets did Hard Knocks.
That's the kind of thing I'd love to do. HBO should do a 24/7 about skating. Because that's what it takes. It's 24/7. Every piece of food I put in my mouth. Never being around anyone that was ever smoking-so I wouldn't inhale second hand smoke.
Has there ever been a good movie about figure skating?
Like, an honest movie?
Yeah. When we think of figure skating, we think of Will Ferrell and Blades of Glory.
Well, I think figure skating a sport that's misunderstood and easily mocked.
ABC is launching Skating with the Stars. Did they ask you to be a part of it?
They did ask me to be a part of the show and they offered me a couple roles but unfortunately my schedule is totally full. I hope the show does well but at the same time I'm thankful for working nonstop.
How much could these celebrities possibly learn? Fox already tried this show and failed.
Ice skating is a great recreational sport. But I don't know how much you're really going to pick up in competition in five weeks. At the same time, I'm not sure how much of the show will be based on the performance or the costumes-the stuff that skating is mocked for. All of that can be produced, for sure.
Source
/in which I make too many posts in one day.