Photography by BROOKLIN ROSENSTOCK
Stephen “Twitch” Boss first rose to fame as a fan favorite on So You Think You Can Dance, and now he’s dancing with some of the hautest men in the business this July in the sequel to 2012’s male stripper movie Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL. We sat down with the dancer-turned-actor to talk about his starring role, returning to SYTYCD and why dancing really isn’t in his future.
How much physical activity and preparation goes into preparing to be in your underwear essentially onscreen?
It’s so much! I’m into staying in shape as far as cardio goes with dancing all the time, but I also had to pack on some muscle mass and get ready to show off my physique. With that I underwent a weight regiment and I got some tips from the guys. We also had a trainer on set. After every day of dance rehearsal, we’d all hit the gym.
Who was your spotter?
I had a couple of different ones. [Kevin] Nash always came with the wisdom. He did that for all of us [as did Channing and Matt Bomer], Joe [Manganiello] for the gym and Adam [Rodriguez] for jokes. I was one of the new guys coming in, but they welcomed me with open arms. There were no ego trips at all. Even when we weren’t performing we would be on set watching whoever was being filmed and screaming just as loudly as the women were.
Did you give any dance pep talks?
Not really any pep talks. We were all there supporting each other. I was hooting and hollering through all the dance scenes. I was there to give some moti-sensual support. That’s motivational and sensual support combined. A special Magic Mike XXL kind of inspiration.
What kind of pep talks will you be giving this season as a mentor on So You Think You Can Dance?
I’m going to keep it straight motivational—no moti-sensual. It’s going to be a lot of fun because we switched the whole format—we have ten street dancers and ten stage dancers. I’m excited to learn other choreography. I have an edge as far as heart and personality goes, by far.
While you were in Las Vegas for the open callbacks, did you go out dancing anywhere?
That’s kind of my rest time. I wish I could say that I go out and dance still but I really don’t. If life was really like Step Up and Save the Last Dance, I would be in heaven; every time I went out to a club there would be space where you could dance and there wouldn’t be an hour straight of techno playing.
If you’re not dancing in Vegas, what are you doing instead?
I love the Vegas buffets—it’s a guilty pleasure of mine. I frequent them. There’s a plethora of things to eat, it’s so quiet and I can be piggy for a while!
Would you ever appear on Dancing with the Stars like your wife [Allison Holker] did?
At this point in time, I don’t think so. For guest performances I’m always down, but I don’t know about competing on the show. I’m definitely moving toward strictly acting.
What kind of roles are you gravitating towards?
I’ve been taking classes and the things that I relate to the most are action roles and comedies. I’m either running around jumping on stuff, or I’m the sarcastic best friend who always has comments to lighten the situation. That’s my life.
What is your motto for life?
It’s ever-evolving. It used to be ‘Dance like no one is watching,’ but now it’s ‘Let love lead the way.’ If I’m doing what I love there’s nothing but a positive outcome, and at this point in time I only want to do things that I love.
Photography by BROOKLIN ROSENSTOCK
