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Tampa Resident Vies To Show His 'True Beauty'

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By WALT BELCHER wbelcher

@tampatrib.com

Published: December 19, 2008

America will find out if a Tampa man has "inner beauty" when a new ABC reality show kicks off in January.

Joel Rush, 27, a model, actor and sales representative, is one of the contestants on "True Beauty," debuting at 10 p.m. Jan. 5.

The Indiana native works for Pegasus, a medical document imaging corporation.

On the series, six attractive women and four handsome men share a house while under the impression that they are being judged on their looks.

But the judges - supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, fashion critic Nole Marin and host Vanessa Minnillo - are looking to see if "beauty" is more than skin deep.

Rush says he found the experience "extremely rewarding."

But he got on the show just by chance.

"It really was a fluke," he says. "I was in Miami on a weekend vacation when I stopped by an Irish pub on Ocean Drive."

Auditions for "True Beauty" were under way, and Rush, who has worked as a model, was approached by the casting director, who asked him to try out.

A few weeks later, he was sharing a Los Angeles mansion with the other contestants.

During the series, contestants faced a series of challenges, including situations that required them to make moral decisions.

Hidden cameras secretly tracked them to capture candid and unguarded moments.

One person considered "not beautiful inside" was eliminated each week.

The winner receives a $100,000 prize and inclusion in People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People.

Rush says he can't disclose what happened during the taping of the series.

"True Beauty" was co-created by model-turned-TV producer Tyra Banks ("America's Next Top Model") and actor-turned-producer Ashton Kutcher ("Punk'd" and "Beauty and the Geek").

"It was extremely rewarding to be given an opportunity to be associated with a production by Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher," Rush says.

While Rush is successful in sales, he says his passion is acting and modeling. He landed his first film role last year.

"But there is not enough work in Florida to make a full-time living," he says. "And it would be hard to walk away from my sales job."

"True Beauty" will follow the 13th season of "The Bachelor" on Monday nights. Eight episodes are scheduled.

For information, go to abc.com.

'TODAY' AT NIGHT: For the first time since 1994, there will be a prime-time edition of the "Today" show.

On Monday, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker and Ann Curry will host a one-hour review of the year's biggest news events.

Let's see. Could anything top the presidential race? Barack Obama apparently is on the top of just about every year-end list.

The show will include the biggest moments in pop culture and "Today" show bloopers.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

"Christmas in Connecticut,"

10 p.m., TCM

Let's get nostalgic with a 1940s screwball comedy. A famed folksy homemaker columnist (Barbara Stanwyck) has been faking it. This single, cynical New Yorker finds love during the holidays.

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