#aTypicalInterview: Ty Keogh on why he would like to star alongside his wife Shivaani Ghai
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In this week’s A-Typical Interview we feature South African model and actor Ty Keogh.
He is well known for his role as Jack van Reenan in M-Net soap opera The Wild.
He has also featured in productions such as The Girl from St Agnes, Still Breathing and Dominion.
On the big screen, he stepped into his first major film role alongside British hard man Vinnie Jones in Blast in 2003, where he played the younger version of Jones's Michael.
He has also featured in other major international films including 24 Hours to Live (with Ethan Hawke), Blood Diamond (with Leonardo DiCaprio), The Deal (with Meg Ryan), Goodbye Bafana (with Joseph Fiennes) and Starship Troopers Marauder (with Casper Van Dien).
Keogh was also once voted GQ's Best Dressed Man and Cosmo's Sexiest Man Calendar boy.
You're on death row. You're allowed one last meal and drink of your choice. What do you choose to have?
That’s a dark start to an interview but I’ll play along ... lamb chops and milkshake, I’m a man of simple tastes.
Your most memorable role as an actor so far is?
Keith Zera in 24 Hours To Live. Playing an ex-mercenary turned whistle-blower with PTSD who is being hunted down by an assassin played by Ethan Hawke. Great part and got the opportunity to work with a creative genius − even though I didn’t get to the end of the film in one piece. (I seldom do). Also have to mention Still Breathing, that was undoubtedly the best experience I’ve ever had on a production.
Quentin Tarantino or Martin Scorcese? Who do you choose?
Big fan of both, but probably Tarantino. I like my violence paired with humour.
Your celebrity crush growing up was?
Natalie Portman- still is..
Your favourite pair of clothing in your closet currently is?
An ancient pair of leather boots from All Saints in London. I wear them almost every day. I like them so much I bought another pair for when they finally perish, but I’ve never put them on. The old ones are still my favourite.
What was the worst date you've ever had?
I’m awful at romantic gestures, I consistently get it wrong. My second date with my wife was terrible. I’d planned a romantic dinner followed by a movie, but I chose a bad restaurant and the food took ages. We ended up missing the movie altogether. It’s a miracle that we made it to date number three. Never mind the night I planned to propose. At the end of that disastrous evening, when I said “I have one more surprise for you”, my wife said to me: “Don’t! Whatever else you have planned, just don’t do it.” I hardly ever get it right.
A local restaurant is dedicating a cocktail in honour of you. You get to choose what goes into the cocktail and are also able to name the cocktail. What are the main ingredients that go into your cocktail, and what would you name it?
I don’t drink alcohol, so it’s going to be one of those lame mocktails and probably not deserving of a name.
You can only do one exercise for the rest of your life. What exercise do you choose to do?
Yoga. It keeps me sane and almost flexible.
You are able to star alongside any actress in the world in a Hollywood blockbuster. Which actress do you choose to star alongside?
My wife, Shivaani Ghai. Her talent never ceases to amaze me. Plus, if we were both in a blockbuster we’d be getting paid twice.
The biggest misconception people have of Ty Keogh is?
In all honesty I have no idea. During The Wild, I was doing a lot of publicity, and once it ended I just went back to “normal” life. I also haven’t subsequently worked much in SA, so maybe they think I gave up acting?