Drowned Madonna: Ryan, welcome to Drowned Madonna…What rules your life?

Ryan Allen Carrillo: Three things rule my life in this order: 1. Money 2. Men 3. Food. I am just kidding.. kind of. What rules my life is that if you work hard you will get great rewards.

DM: What would you say you believe in?

RAC: I believe in working my ass off and being the best at everything I do.

DM: What is roller-skating for you?

RAC: Roller skating was my life when I was younger. It is such an undiscovered sport filled with artistic interpretation and athleticism. When most people think about roller skating they picture roller disco but roller skating is so much more than that.

DM: Is it a small or a large world?

RAC: Roller Skating is an international sport. It is much larger in Europe than back in the United States.

DM: Do you think roller-skaters are getting paid enough?

RAC: There isn’t much of a professional life for professional roller skaters anymore. But yes I do need to be paid more.

DM: Who are your favorite roller-skaters and choreographers?

RAC: My current favorite skater is from Italy, Luca D’Alisera. He is fucking awesome. It is amazing watching him skate. My favorite choreographer and best friend is Fred Tallaksen. He was the choreographer for the “Sorry” video and is one of the choreographers on Madonna’s Confessions Tour.

DM: Ryan, you’ve been roller-skating a long time, ever get burnt? What keeps you going?

RAC: I definitely had my share of injuries. Those were mainly from inline skating. I have cracked both my shin bones, dislocated my rib cage, knees and shoulder and fractured almost every finger. So yes there was some pain but the love of skating keeps me going. It also makes me appreciate skating more when I am healthy.

DM: What’s the sickest sh*t that you’ve seen in roller-skating?

RAC: I was a huge fan of another Italian roller skating team… Patrick and Beatrice. They had some really sick pair tricks. But I do have to say that my partner April Corley, who was Madonna’s stand in for the “Sorry” video and assisted Fred Tallaksen on the Confessions Tour, have the best bounce spin in the business.

DM: Are you going to get involved with choreography?

RAC: I have assisted Fred Tallaksen on a few live shows and in one movie. But no, that is not the direction my career is heading.

DM: When and where were you born?

RAC: I was born in San Diego, California, USA… and I won’t say when!

DM: What was it like growing up there?

RAC: San Diego is a very beautiful city. There is so much to do there and the beaches are beautiful. I do go to visit from time to time.

DM: How many brothers and sisters do you have?

RAC: I have one very beautiful sister. Her name is Rachel. She is a professional skater too and she now competes in triathalon competitions.

DM: Who was your favourite music artists?

RAC: I am a fucking true fan of Madonna. I don’t just say that. I have been a fan of Madonna since I was a kid so, working with her was a dream come true.

DM: Who was the first artist you saw in concert?

RAC: Paula Abdul.

DM: How did you first get involved in roller-skating?

RAC: My mother was a figure skater as well and she was our influence in getting us started. We were actually in the day care facilities at the rink when we were kids.

DM: What are your first memories of roller-skating?

RAC: My first memory ever is the first time my parents put me on roller skates. They had the wheels completely tightened so I was just walking with my skates on the carpet. I am sure I was very cute!

DM: Who influenced you in the early days?

RAC: As far as competitive skating goes my major influence was my coaches and parents. But at age 14 Fred Tallaksen hired me for my first inline skating job ever. I looked up to him and thought he was so amazing. He is who influenced me to want to become a professional skater.

DM: Did school work on you?

RAC: I skated so much as a kid I did miss a lot of school. My training schedule was so packed that I didn’t get much sleep as a kid either.

DM: When did you move from your home-town?

RAC: As I started working more as a professional skater I had to drive to Los Angeles to go to auditions and for rehearsals. So I eventually decided to move to LA to pursue skating.

DM: How hard is living on your own?

RAC: It is great living on my own.

DM: Your first paid work was roller-skating?

RAC: My first paying job was a live show I did at age 15.

DM: When did you stop competing and start roller-skating professionally?

RAC: I stopped competing in 1995 and turned professional and started inline skating as well. I then came back to compete at the world championships in Australia in 1999. I then went back into the professional ranks. I then came back for one more world championships in 2004.

DM: Is roller-skating what you always wanted to do? Are you living your dream now?

RAC: I always knew I wanted to be a performer and a professional athlete. I was much more fulfilled inline skating. It was a new sport and I loved skating on ramps and the speed of that sport. When I was on tour and in the peak of my career I was definitely living my dream.

DM: Ryan, you went to the casting for a roller-skating scene in the Austin Powers installment, Goldmember, and you get hired. Tell us more about the casting and the shoting…

RAC: That was a really crazy time for me. After September 11th the professional circuit was very light. There were very few quality jobs. So April Corley, my partner in crime, went to Branson, Missouri with me to work with The Osmonds and Tony Orlando. It was a small theater and an audience of a much older crowd… to say the least. Jimmy Osmond kindly released us from our contract to do the film. On the day of the casting we were running late and Fred Tallaksen, who was cast in the film as Mike Meyer’s stunt double and he coordinated the skating, called me screaming.. and said they were casting the film. I double parked and ran inside and literally knocked other skaters over trying to get noticed. Well nice guys finish last! We got the part… and I didn’t get a parking ticket!

DM: You are one of the very few openly gay professional athletes in the world. How is it difficult? Did it pay?

RAC: No not difficult at all. I did do a few extreme shows were the other athletes really were homophobic. I definitely didn’t like a few of them. I almost got in fights with a few of them. Looking back I should have fought them. They would have looked really pathetic to have a gay guy kick their fucking ass. No hatred here!

DM: Are people in the business still homophobic?

RAC: People are homophobic everywhere. It is nothing new to have it in athletics. It is just something we have to deal with on a daily basis especially in the United States. We have come a long way but we have a long way to go.

DM: Any anecdotes?

RAC: I wish I had a funny tale. Like I slept with a big producer or something but I don’t.

DM: What CDs are you listening these days?

RAC: Of course I am listening to M’s new cd “Confessions.” Gotta love it. But I am also listening to the Gorillaz, Scissor Sisters and usually anything on the dance stations.

DM: So you like the new Madonna’s album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor”...

RAC: I love it. I bought it the day it came out.

DM: Which are your favourite songs?

RAC: Hard to say.. I love “Future Lovers”, “Jump” and “Sorry.”

DM: What do you think of the new vibe?

RAC: I love the direction she has gone on this album. Every song is strong and she looks better than ever.

DM: Ryan, you worked with Madonna in her “Sorry” video. How did you get the job?

RAC: A month before the video Fred Tallaksen made a test video using skaters to send to Jaime King to look at. I was one of the skaters in the video and have a lot of experience partnering. Fred really pushed for me to be in the video and he finally called and said I was in.

DM: What did you feel when you heard you were going to work with her?

RAC: I had a fucking heart attack. Literally I called everyone and was so excited. My friends made me nervous. They kept saying make sure you don’t drop her. So I was excited and nervous. It was a dream come true.

DM: What was it like the first day you started working with Madonna in London?

RAC: I literally got off the plane in London and dropped off my bags at the hotel. They then had a car service pick me up and take me straight to rehearsals. When I showed up I was a little out of it because of the plane ride. Fred and April were so excited to see me because they were already there. They gave me the tour of the sets and showed me the story boards. I met all her dancers and Jaime King. Everyone was really nice and welcoming. After I was there one hour Madonna arrived and before I knew it I was in the rehearsal room alone with Madonna, April and Fred. April and I showed Madonna the moves Fred wanted her to learn. Two seconds later Madonna and I were skating together. It was surely to say the least. She was very nice and a really brave for just trusting me to partner her. Because she had never roller skated in her life.

DM: What was the most exciting things that happened during the rehearsals?

RAC: A highlight for me was when Madonna asked me if I would teach her daughter, Lourdes how to skate. She was pretty good actually. Madonna said she was taking ice skating lessons. Madonna then sang “Sorry” in French to her. They were really cute together and it was a great moment.

DM: How many hours a day did you rehearse?

RAC: Our total hours per day were about 14 hours. They were long and physically hard hours. Past 4 hours your feet really start to cramp up and your leg muscles get really stiff. It was a hard shoot.

DM: Everybody says that Madonna is someone who knows what she wants. What was her involvement with choreographies and the whole video?

RAC: She defiantly knows what she wants. She has final say on everything. She even approves the wardrobe. She didn’t like my first look and they changed my costume.

DM: Is it true that Madonna works harder than anyone else?

RAC: I was shocked at how hard she works. She would go for hours and hours until she got it right. During a rehearsal with her she asked me if I was ok or if I needed some water. I really was exhausted but said I was fine so could keep up.

DM: What is the best thing and what the worse about working with Madonna?

RAC: The best thing was what surrounds Madonna. She has the best hair and makeup people, best wardrobe, best choreographers, best dancers, etc.. so many talented people working together to create a great product. It was amazing to see it all come together… and the worst thing was working with extras. I hate extras… they are all annoying!

DM: Is there any of her dancers you have bound more that anybody else?

RAC: I have met some of them before. But they were all very nice and extremely talented. Cloud was very cool and was definitely not afraid to fall down on his skates. Addie was also very sweet.

DM: Who is the most talented in your opinion?

RAC: They each have their own special skills and are all extremely gifted.

DM: How was working with Jamie King and his assistants?

RAC: Jaime was very nice even though he was under a lot of pressure with the shoot. Both of his assistants were so nice and so funny. We had a great time on set with all of them.

DM: What about working with the Talauega Brothers?

RAC: Those guys are so funny. I had so much fun with them. We would go out to dinner almost every night and just laugh about everything. They were awesome to work with and have a great sense of humor.

DM: Any anecdotes from the rehearsals and the filming?

RAC: It was just so fun watching all the dancers and Madonna learn how to skate. It is not easy to do all that choreography on skates in two weeks. Fred and April really got them into shape and by the end they were all good skaters. But there were several falls and mishaps everyday during rehearsals and shooting.

DM: Do you like the “Sorry” video? Is it better than “Hung Up” video in your opinion?

RAC: I like them both. I think they both compliment each other nicely. But Madonna just looks so great in “Sorry.” It is one of the best looks she has ever had.

DM: What do you think of Kabbalah and religions generaly speaking?

RAC: I am definitely not a religious person anymore. I was raised Jehovah’s Witness and have strong opinions on religion. But I have gone to the Kabbalah Center in Los Angeles and have read several books and it is very centering practice. Many of the teaching I follow in my life personally.

DM: Besides Madonna, did you work with any other music artists?

RAC: I was featured in Sugar Ray “Every Morning”, Kelis “Good Stuff”, Mya “Free” and a few other artists.

DM: We have heard you have worked with Vince Patterson...

RAC: I was cast years ago in a Mountain Dew Commercial for the Super Bowl. It was the largest extreme sports commercial ever made. The choreographers were Vince Patterson and Fred Tallaksen. Vince Patterson of course choreographed Madonna's Blonde Ambition Tour and a few of her videos. Vince was so nice and we did have lunch together a few times and I remember asking him about working with M. He shared a few stories and he was really fun. One of the dancers in that commercial shoot was Luis Camacho. He also was very nice and friendly. He was only there for the day of the shoot though.

DM: What are the differences between Vince and Fred as choreographers?

RAC: Vince was an extremely nice guy to work with. He was definitely had a great energy on the set. Fred is out of control. He is the funniest guy I know... and I know everyone.Fred is so organized and put together when he is on set it is scary. He has such raw talent and a great eye for many different forms of choreography. He skates, dances, sings, drums.. he does it all.

DM: Do you remember some of the things Vince told you about working with M?

RAC: He told a few stories about M's 1990 MTV appearance and making the ''Vogue'' video. He talked about how they came up with the idea together and how they worked so hard to make it perfect. He talked about working on many projects at her house in Hollywood. I was really young and loved hearing all his stories.

DM: We also have heard you have worked with David La Chapelle. Can you tell us about that experience?

RAC: I worked with David La Chapelle and Kelis together. I think it was his first music video he ever directed. It was for her single "Good Stuff." Of course Fred Tallaksen was the superstar choreographer. David was out of control and entertaining to say the least. It was a very hard shoot. I was glad when that one was over.

DM: What did happened during the shoot? Why was it so hard?

RAC: The Kelis video was David's first music video he directed I think. Putting over 200 extras and dancers on skates and only using 6 professional skaters is a hand full to direct. People fall down during the takes, it is hard to make the choreography match on skates, and coordinating the stunts are a nightmare when the stunt skaters are skating through a crowd of people who can't skate on a slanted roller derby circle. It is just a recipe for disaster. But Fred as always made it fun.

DM: Ryan, what is your newest project? What’s been going on? What are you working on right now?

RAC: Right now I am focused on business. I am an executive for a company in Los Angeles called the Saddle Ranch Chop House. I am helping to expand the chain across the country. www.srrestaurants.com I relocated to Kansas City, Kansas to open a new store here and I am getting ready to open more across the country. I also am getting an award from the Gay Games for my role in sports history and sporting achievement for being a gay athlete. So I am very proud of that and look forward to that.

DM: Any words for the Drowned Madonna readers?

RAC: As a true fan of Madonna before I worked with her I can say she is everything you would expect her to be and more. She was truly amazing to be around and was so cool. It was unreal to be there and to work with a living legend.