TV Tattler: Celebrity Interviews

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June 23 -- Santino Rice didn't walk away the winner of 'Project Runway' in season two, but he won something even better: TV immortality.

Santino is one of the more interesting characters to graduate from the school of reality TV. He is the most memorable personality from 'Project Runway' season two thanks to his devastating remarks, cutting edge designs and a larger than life personality. 'Project Runway: The Complete Second Season' DVD includes 13 extended episodes with never-before-seen footage, bloopers, outtakes and a "Wear Are They Now?" feature.

Santino recently chatted with AOL Television editor Sean Doorly about his newfound fame, being yourself and the wonders of the Cosby sweater.

What has 'Project Runway' done for your career?
It's definitely opened a lot more doors for me. It's incredible to have the response that I have now when I meet people in the industry -- whether it's fashion or photography or celebrities I come across living here in L.A. I run into a couple every day, and before I can even say anything to them, they're like, "Oh my God, can you make a dress for me? Or can we work on something together?" So it's as if the whole world knows me now, they know me as being a talented creative designer with a personality, and all the right people are calling me. It's just been great.

Was it surprising that all these celebrities watched the show?
I'm really in awe of the power of television. I knew what I was getting into with the competition, but in a lot of ways, I was taking risks myself because I was already a professional working fashion designer. I've been doing it since I was 17. And I've just been behind the scenes doing it for other people. After doing a show like 'Project Runway,' it’s a whole new hemisphere. Whatever salary caps that I had before and whatever glass ceiling was there is crushed. People know what they're going to get if they include me in something that they’re working on. I've got more on my plate than I can handle right now. So it's all about taking it one day at a time and not getting too overwhelmed by all of it. At this point in my career, I could die of encouragement.

Do you come across the same way in real life as you do on the show? Or were you more amped on the show?
I always say that any edit is a lie. Anytime you cut the film, anytime you don't let a complete thought flow the way that it was, you're essentially telling the viewer a white lie. So I'm excited about seeing the DVD and seeing the bonus footage. I think a lot of people will have any eye-opening experience once they've seen it and realize it's not that I'm an a**hole. It's that I'm honest. And it's not that I'm an egomaniac; it's that I'm passionate. And it's also a competition.

Will you be involved in season three?
Yes. I’ll be featured on the first episode of season three. They’ve done some "Where are they now?" pieces. I was also involved in the casting process, which was a change, being on the other side of the table. I feel like not only can I come up with concepts and technically execute them, I can recognize talent. I saw a lot of designers who were not ready to be on the show, but there were a handful I knew were going to do great. And I’m excited to see how they are going to do on the show.

Did you see any Santinos in the bunch?
No, there’s only one Santino! There are a handful of really talented people. I feel like a lot of other real designers, who are working in the industry, saw me on the show and saw what I cultivated for myself. And they were like, "Why didn’t I think of that? Why didn't I do that?" To be a designer in this era you not only need to be creative and have a point of view that’s unique, but you also need to be a personality. You need people to subscribe to everything. You need to eat, breathe and sh*t Santino. (Laughs) I don’t speak about myself in the third person by saying that. By Santino, I mean the name of my label.

>> Next Page: Santino, Designer to the Stars?