'Hunky Santa' Fitness Model Has Area Ties
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Chosen from among 400 applicants, James Ellis will don the signature red velvet costume and make his official debut at Los Angeles' premiere fashion destination on Nov. 27, according to an official press release. Hunky Santa and The Candy Cane Girls, a "Vegas-style" aerial arts production, runs through Dec. 24 at Beverly Center's Grand Court during evenings and weekends.
James, 29, is the son of Debora J. Bonewitz Ellis. She graduated from WHS in 1973. James is a 1999 Fairfield High School graduate, and graduated from Indiana State University in 2005 with a degree in education.
"Beverly Center's search for an alternative to the traditional Santa Claus started in 2001 and has resulted in an international phenomenon that continues to make headlines across the globe," according to the press release. "Many see Hunky Santa as a little something for the 'big kids' to enjoy and look forward to meeting him each year. Hunky Santa was never intended to replace the beloved Saint Nick or 'Classic Santa' who also makes his annual appearance in the center."
In a telephone interview Nov. 12 from Los Angeles, James said a career in modeling, fitness and acting was never something he planned to do in high school.
"In high school, it was never a thought in my mind," he said. "I went immediately to work in a factory after graduation. Half way through the summer, my father asked me what I was going to do, if I was going to go to college. My grade point average was something like 2.36. In high school I didn't care. I never really thought about going to college. When my father asked me what I was going to do, it was a key point in my life. What was I going to do with the rest of my life?"
His grandfather and two sisters both were teachers. He liked children, didn't know what else to do, so he went to ISU to become a teacher.
"Nothing ever really was planned. I've always been a model for the camera, and an actor for the video camera," James said.
Once he got to ISU, he found another interest.
"When I attended ISU, I got into bodybuilding and lifting a lot," he said. By his senior year, he was involved in bodybuilding competitions.
When he graduated Fairfield, he was 5 foot, 8 inches and weighed about 135 pounds. He grew a couple of inches in college. By the time he graduated ISU, he was 5 foot, 11 inches and 190 pounds. He got his body fat down to 3 percent.
"My body obviously changed a lot," he said.
He competed in the Mr. ISU and Mr. Wabash contests, winning both in his division. After one competition, he was asked to do a photo session in Terre Haute. Seeing the photos, family and friends encouraged him to model.
Not ready to teach, he moved to San Diego where a friend of his already lived.
While living in San Diego, he was an area supervisor for a parking lot company, overseeing 30 different parking lots. In places like San Diego, drivers have to pay for parking. That was his full-time job, and he kept modeling and acting as his part-time job.
He landed the cover of "Exercise for Men." Early 2008, he found himself in "Men's Workout." And he's done a ton of campaigns for supplements and muscle Web sites since then, he said.
James said he's looking to land a contract with a big supplement company. For the next year, he also wants to end up on the cover of "Muscle & Fitness." He's worked with the magazine before, but has yet to land on the cover.
"I think I'll be able to get it," he said.
During the past month, James has done photo shoots with 10 different magazines.
Another goal of his for 2010 is to be the top fitness model in the industry. While acting is secondary now, it may become his primary goal next year.
"I want modeling to fund my acting career," he said.
If he can land a $50,000 contract, it would be huge for him, he said. It would pay his actors union dues and keep him on top of his bills. He'd also be able to take film classes.
He plans to pursue soap opera jobs eventually.
"It's a good stepping stone to get into other acting," James said.
He already has had appearances on "Bones," "Cougar Town" and the new "Melrose Place." He said he's been on about every network, including Bravo and the History Channel.
James currently is a stage security guard for a "Jerry Springer"-type show that is on Spanish Network TV. The show is called "Jose Luis" and it is all in Spanish. He is on stage and on camera to break up fights that occur just as the security guards do on "Jerry Springer".
He also appears in an international commercial currently playing throughout Europe.
In an e-mail, he wrote, "It is a very funny commercial that is meant to draw the attention of women, as you will see if you watch it. Sweaty men working on job sites, sensitive men singing, etc. It is to get people to buy some washing powder of some kind. I am operating the jack hammer."
View the commercial at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccxBKJ3mewI[[In-content Ad]]To land the Hunky Santa job, James said the Beverly Center was looking for guys with a good build and who are very charismatic. The idea behind it is to draw people into the shop and show them a fun time, he said. He'll also pose for a lot of photographs with the shoppers.
"They advertise it like crazy," James said.
Billboards for the event are posted in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York.
"We have to do a lot of promotion stuff, hand out fliers, go to VIP parties. They have a lot of interviews set up for me," James said. He may even land on talk shows. "It's a pretty cool thing."
Beverly Center is southern California's premiere fashion destination with 160 boutiques and restaurants. Those include Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Michael Kors, Henri Bendelis, Burberry, Ferragamo, Ed Hardy, Calvin Klein and many more.
James Ellis's Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/jameswilliamellis
For more information, visit www.beverlycenter.com or www.hunkysanta.com
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Chosen from among 400 applicants, James Ellis will don the signature red velvet costume and make his official debut at Los Angeles' premiere fashion destination on Nov. 27, according to an official press release. Hunky Santa and The Candy Cane Girls, a "Vegas-style" aerial arts production, runs through Dec. 24 at Beverly Center's Grand Court during evenings and weekends.
James, 29, is the son of Debora J. Bonewitz Ellis. She graduated from WHS in 1973. James is a 1999 Fairfield High School graduate, and graduated from Indiana State University in 2005 with a degree in education.
"Beverly Center's search for an alternative to the traditional Santa Claus started in 2001 and has resulted in an international phenomenon that continues to make headlines across the globe," according to the press release. "Many see Hunky Santa as a little something for the 'big kids' to enjoy and look forward to meeting him each year. Hunky Santa was never intended to replace the beloved Saint Nick or 'Classic Santa' who also makes his annual appearance in the center."
In a telephone interview Nov. 12 from Los Angeles, James said a career in modeling, fitness and acting was never something he planned to do in high school.
"In high school, it was never a thought in my mind," he said. "I went immediately to work in a factory after graduation. Half way through the summer, my father asked me what I was going to do, if I was going to go to college. My grade point average was something like 2.36. In high school I didn't care. I never really thought about going to college. When my father asked me what I was going to do, it was a key point in my life. What was I going to do with the rest of my life?"
His grandfather and two sisters both were teachers. He liked children, didn't know what else to do, so he went to ISU to become a teacher.
"Nothing ever really was planned. I've always been a model for the camera, and an actor for the video camera," James said.
Once he got to ISU, he found another interest.
"When I attended ISU, I got into bodybuilding and lifting a lot," he said. By his senior year, he was involved in bodybuilding competitions.
When he graduated Fairfield, he was 5 foot, 8 inches and weighed about 135 pounds. He grew a couple of inches in college. By the time he graduated ISU, he was 5 foot, 11 inches and 190 pounds. He got his body fat down to 3 percent.
"My body obviously changed a lot," he said.
He competed in the Mr. ISU and Mr. Wabash contests, winning both in his division. After one competition, he was asked to do a photo session in Terre Haute. Seeing the photos, family and friends encouraged him to model.
Not ready to teach, he moved to San Diego where a friend of his already lived.
While living in San Diego, he was an area supervisor for a parking lot company, overseeing 30 different parking lots. In places like San Diego, drivers have to pay for parking. That was his full-time job, and he kept modeling and acting as his part-time job.
He landed the cover of "Exercise for Men." Early 2008, he found himself in "Men's Workout." And he's done a ton of campaigns for supplements and muscle Web sites since then, he said.
James said he's looking to land a contract with a big supplement company. For the next year, he also wants to end up on the cover of "Muscle & Fitness." He's worked with the magazine before, but has yet to land on the cover.
"I think I'll be able to get it," he said.
During the past month, James has done photo shoots with 10 different magazines.
Another goal of his for 2010 is to be the top fitness model in the industry. While acting is secondary now, it may become his primary goal next year.
"I want modeling to fund my acting career," he said.
If he can land a $50,000 contract, it would be huge for him, he said. It would pay his actors union dues and keep him on top of his bills. He'd also be able to take film classes.
He plans to pursue soap opera jobs eventually.
"It's a good stepping stone to get into other acting," James said.
He already has had appearances on "Bones," "Cougar Town" and the new "Melrose Place." He said he's been on about every network, including Bravo and the History Channel.
James currently is a stage security guard for a "Jerry Springer"-type show that is on Spanish Network TV. The show is called "Jose Luis" and it is all in Spanish. He is on stage and on camera to break up fights that occur just as the security guards do on "Jerry Springer".
He also appears in an international commercial currently playing throughout Europe.
In an e-mail, he wrote, "It is a very funny commercial that is meant to draw the attention of women, as you will see if you watch it. Sweaty men working on job sites, sensitive men singing, etc. It is to get people to buy some washing powder of some kind. I am operating the jack hammer."
View the commercial at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccxBKJ3mewI[[In-content Ad]]To land the Hunky Santa job, James said the Beverly Center was looking for guys with a good build and who are very charismatic. The idea behind it is to draw people into the shop and show them a fun time, he said. He'll also pose for a lot of photographs with the shoppers.
"They advertise it like crazy," James said.
Billboards for the event are posted in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York.
"We have to do a lot of promotion stuff, hand out fliers, go to VIP parties. They have a lot of interviews set up for me," James said. He may even land on talk shows. "It's a pretty cool thing."
Beverly Center is southern California's premiere fashion destination with 160 boutiques and restaurants. Those include Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Michael Kors, Henri Bendelis, Burberry, Ferragamo, Ed Hardy, Calvin Klein and many more.
James Ellis's Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/jameswilliamellis
For more information, visit www.beverlycenter.com or www.hunkysanta.com
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