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American Idol Interview with Constantine Maroulis

by Jessica P. Wallin

Rocker Constantine Maroulis has made a successful career from his sixth place finish on the fourth season of American Idol. Here, Maroulis talks about his stint on The Bold and The Beautiful, Idol Camp, and being mocked on The Soup.

What makes you, you?

Hmmnn? Well, I think upbringing, background, family, education and just plain life experiences have made me who I am. As for standing out, well, lately I am starting to prefer just blending in. Part of what I love about being home in NYC is that you can actually do that here.

What were your first thoughts when you auditioned for American Idol? How is it like/unlike what viewers see on T.V.?

Honestly it was a “what the heck” situation for me, so I just did it. Past that I had little else going through my head. Actually the show is somewhat similar to what you see on TV. We had a good time, it was a great deal of work and it raced by very fast.

What has life been like post-Idol? How has it helped or hurt your career?

All it ever did was help and never hindered me at all.

Please tell me about your experiences as a soap star.

This was actually a great experience that I never expected. I made some great friends and gained some invaluable experience. It was fascinating to learn the process of the soap world.

What were your favorite kinds of songs to sing on AI?

I really liked the songs that challenged me such as “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I prefer taking risks because the payoff can be rather gratifying.

What was it like on the Idol Tour?

That was also a great experience. I really liked the brief set we were all allowed, it enabled me to just blast right on through with full energy each night. I made some great pals on Idol and the tour was an extended bonus to spend additional time with them all.

Who are your major influences?

I have many including Nat King Cole, Bon Jovi, Broadway shows, Sam Cooke, Nirvana, The Dead, The Beatles, etc etc etc.

Any regrets?

I try not to have regrets and instead view everything as part of the learning curve of life.

What do you think about Idol Camp? Do you think any stars in the making will come from there?

I think it is a good idea. The former contestants of the show have a lot to offer the young people.

What is the nature of your fan base?

They are mostly female of course and have given me a quite a level of support. They are from all walks of life and do not necessarily fit into a category.

Do you have any creepy fans? What’s the strangest thing a fan has ever done for/to you?

Sure I guess any performer has “unique” fans. Let’s just say they have done some wild things but I would rather not mention any of that here.

Co-Judge Paula Abdul seems to be getting a lot of bad press for her neurotic behavior. Do you think there’s any truth to the headlines, or do you think it is all just for a good story?

Paula was always very sweet to me and I consider her a friend. With that said, considering what they call news these days I am never surprised by anything.

With singers like Whitney Houston succumbing to the woes of fame, what are your thoughts on other trouble musicians like Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse? How does one avoid going this route?

It seems that it can happen to anyone and this has been going on with Hollywood since the days of silent films, so I think it will always happen. Seems that if you make it at a young age it can really warp your reality a great deal. Luckily I was a bit older when my career started to kick in, I think that helps. For me I want to be the best performer I can be at all
times. That will likely be my driving force and something you can’t be when under the influence.

What are your plans for the future?

I just want to keep working on as many different creative fronts as possible.

As is nature for some former AI contestants to be, how does it feel to be made into a punchline on Celeb-related blogs or TV shows? Do your feelings get hurt, or are you just flattered to be mentioned, or do you get a kick out of it?

Actually, I always get a kick out of it!

What was it like appearing on The Soup with Joel McHale?

That was awesome, he’s a cool guy.

Have you been in any legal battles with Idol? If so, why?

None at all.

What are the judges really like?

They are people too and I don’t have a bad thing to say about any of them. They treated me with respect and I gave them the same.

Have you found fame to be positive or negative overall?

Very positive.

It is helpful or obnoxious to be “contractually obligated?”

This industry is based on contracts and that is just the plain simple truth. No way around that so you just work with it.

Besides yourself, who is your favorite Idol?

Kelly Clarkson.

You don’t have to name any names, but was there ever an incidence of a fellow contestant who thought they were just the biggest star on the planet, whose head was too big for his/her own good?

I think I witnessed more of this back when I was just watching the show as opposed to when I was on it. In this biz you will always see a certain amount of that on a consistent basis. More often than not it never even registers in my memory.

How do you go about marketing yourself as a brand?

I think it is all about keeping a public profile and what you put out there. I think anyone interested in my music expects a certain kind of thing from me. I believe my album exhibited a number of different sounds, I think people now expect that. With that said I believe that is part of the branding.

His debut CD, Constantine, is available in stores now. Look for him in a town near you.

http://constantinemaroulis.com

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