MIKE MULDERRIG is in the right place at the right time

You may know Mike as the bad boy of reality TV with stints on Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club, Ex on the Beach, and the most recent All Star Shore, or from his successful YouTube channel doling out cocktail or life advice, or even from his podcast, The Messy Pod, but that’s only part of the story. Known for his impishly good looks and proclivity to overindulge, Mike is growing up and is ready to part with some of his past ways and look to the future.

Mike’s start in entertainment wasn’t even focused on appearing on screen. He worked in communications and marketing and served as a PA. His debut in reality TV happened like a Hollywood myth, being discovered at the right place at the right time by a casting team.

I was a PA and as we all know, PAs make no money. Then I walked by the Abbey in West Hollywood) and I was approached, “Hey, do you wanna work in Greece for the summer?” I thought it was a job! And then they were like, “By the way, we’re gonna film it. It’s gonna be a TV show.” And I was like, Okay, cool. And then they took my pants off and got me fired.

Yes, his debut in reality TV on Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club was cut short, but the damage was done, he was a bonafide reality TV star. Cast as a bartender/VIP ambassador, Mike’s bad boy image immediately solidified as he went over and above to make sure his customers were happy, whether that meant over-imbibing with them, flirting with them (no matter the gender), making out with them (no matter the gender), or even parading around naked encouraging touching (and more). Lindsay was having none of it as it threatened to damage her brand. (No comment, Lindsay.) But Mike’s behavior and frat boy good looks (and open sexuality) instantly made him a show stand-out and his star was on the rise. He quickly learned the game and his PA days were over.

I always tell people, LA is all about putting yourself in the right spot, and you have top act right when you’re there. I’m not somebody who acts right all the time. Trust me.

Above all, Mike owns his “stuff.” Unlike other reality TV people who can play at being a certain personality or of a certain level, Mike is just Mike.

That’s why I think they like me on these shows, because I call it out. We call it posing on the show and I don’t do that. If you look at every show I’ve been on, I’ve only ever fought with the people I was friends with previously because they were the ones I actually cared about. Obviously, I’ve watched Housewives, I love Housewives. So, the only thing I told myself was, I’m going to go there. I don’t care if I look bad. People can tell I’m not an actor. None of us are going on an acting audition.

It WAS a lot to handle. Viewers of MTV’s Ex on the Beach saw Mike’s tumultuous best friendship turned romance with trans model Arisce on display, bumps and all. Add in some kissing and flirting from other cast mates, and Mike wasn’t always presented in the best light. In true Mike form, he has a lot to say about the experience.

First of all, everyone said I gaslit her. I let her know exactly what was going to happen. She wanted to be open, and I didn’t. So I said, “You wanna see open? I’m gonna hook up with people in front of you.” And then when I did, she’s like, “You’re a cheater. You’re a monster.” And everyone just sided with her and said I was a monster.

Although the edited version of Mike’s storyline wasn’t presented through rose-colored glasses, the MTV generation got to see and experience a queer relationship, a trans relationship without presenting it as out of the norm. It was just a relationship, and that was that. Although Mike’s experience may not have been ideal, the LGBTQ community was getting representation in mainstream media. But Mike expects more from reality TV.

MTV didn’t know how to handle queer people. Representation is great, but in production, there needs to be queer producers to produce queer people. Arisce and I were like, okay, let’s be open. They had no idea what to do. They’re like, “what do you mean, open?” I’m like, “well I love her, but I’m just going to sleep with other people in the house.” They had no idea what to do.

Mike’s sexuality has often been a focus of whichever show he is on, the media headlines, or social media comments. Mike brushes it off, he is who he is. Raised in a staunchly Italian upbringing, his blossoming sexuality was not met with the resistance one would assume from a conservative culture. The idea of masculine versus feminine, though, would still be an experience.

There was never a “you can’t be gay.” Growing up for someone like my dad who was more of the leader, he never made fun of me or bullied me or made me feel bad. He was his high school bully so, when I was feminine, he thought I was opening myself up to being bullied. When he would put me in sports and put that pressure on me, that wasn’t really him trying to bully me, it was him trying to protect me, which was wrong. Any parents out there, just tell your kids they’re perfect the way they are. You don’t have to do anything to prove it. But my dad didn’t know that – he knows that now.

But now that I’m out and I live proud, I’m like, you know, you guys made me do this to prove that I wasn’t going to be that queer kid, that I wasn’t going to be that little feminine boy that the parents in town used to cancel play dates with with because they didn’t want their kids to catch the gay. Now, it’s like, I beat all your kids in sports. I did all those things that were supposed to prove how straight and masculine I was and now I’m gay as can be.

In addition to his sexuality and his antics, Mike’s body has often taken center stage. His Italian good looks, his biceps, and his signature booty have made him a star on both MTV and social media. How does Mike juggle his sex symbol stardom with his advancing career?

Let’s be real, sex sells, the body sells. If I want more likes on Instagram, let me be in a piece of underwear just to prove to myself that I can get it. This is a tool in LA – the looks – they’re a tool that helps without a doubt. But I don’t want that to be my focus. I always say I would rather someone compliment my comedy or my bartending skills or my editing ability or my production quality over my looks any day. And that’s why I don’t lead with it. But we all gotta play the game, but I try hard not to. At the end of the day, we could all look good. It’s a job, though, to look good. We all know how much work it takes to look good. It’s hard. But at the end of the day, I want to be known for my skills. That is what’s going to take you farther.

Mike dropped a pretty sobering video on his YouTube…he was walking away. From reality TV? From drinking? From what?

I am walking away from the party scene in West Hollywood. There are things that I know I can’t handle, I shouldn’t do, I don’t want to do. And it’s not me preaching or judging – there are just things and substances that I don’t want to do. Sometimes it’s even hard for me to go out and support my friends and be in the culture of West Hollywood. There’s nothing wrong if you want to have fun, do it. But I just want something different for myself and I want to focus. And that’s what I was doing, I make these videos called heart to hearts because my YouTube channel’s more therapy for me than anything else. And I feel like a lot of people relate to them and that’s why they do so well.

And he’s not just playing a part on TV, this is his reality.

At the end of the day, I started my YouTube channel because I had no one to relate to. Here, I can turn on the camera and just talk for 30 minutes and be uninterrupted; and then I get to watch it back to remind myself later down the road. When I was a kid and I didn’t have anybody to talk to in my hometown, I would go to YouTube to find people that I could relate to and make me feel not so alone. So, there could be somebody that’s going to say, “Oh, there’s this person that I love watching who like I love their videos and I love their content. I’m a fan of that person and oh my God, they’re going through something like me.”

The jury is out on whether Mike’s adulting period will last, but he’s not afraid to share any missteps either. It is important to Mike that his fans see all of this journey, even when he makes mistakes. In Mike’s opinion, nightlife can only get you so far. You have to want more.

There’s a cap. It’s being able to pull yourself out of West Hollywood. I tell people all the time, West Hollywood is a lot of fun, but it is a black hole. It’s a black hole because people make it in West Hollywood and then they get safe and satisfied and stop being hungry.

At the end of the day, in addition to the reality TV projects that come his way, the many streams on YouTube, or the likes on his Instagram, Mike only has himself to answer to.

I didn’t find the people in my life until I learned to love myself and be unapologetically myself. So, if you’re afraid to be unapologetically yourself, all you’re doing is keeping away the people that actually matter and love you for you. So, there’s nothing to be afraid of.

You can follow Mike on IG: @MikeMGTV