Former Tucsonan Art Velez becomes a TV star tonight, when he and partner J.J. Carrell compete on the popular competition show "The Amazing Race."
The show, which kicks off at 7 tonight on CBS, was taped months ago, but Velez - who now lives in Temecula, Calif., where he works with Carrell on the U.S. Border Patrol - is not allowed to say how he fared. In a phone interview, he said he was thrilled with the experience.
Velez said the rigors of "The Amazing Race," which requires contestants to make their own way through difficult terrain with few resources, was something of a vacation. His day job, he says, is much more taxing.
"We already don't get much sleep. We work 20- or 30-hour shifts," Velez said. "We're always constantly working with no sleep or no food. We're always irritable."
Born and raised in Tucson, Velez - now age 43 -graduated in 1986 from Sahuaro High School, where he served as student body president. He attended the University of Arizona, where he did a stint as Wilbur the Wildcat in the late 1980s, graduated in 1992 and joined the Border Patrol in 1995.
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Velez's Tucson roots remain strong. He wore a UA hat and shirt in the show's promo ads and says he owns a UA license plate. He says he still has six aunts and uncles and 30 cousins who live in Tucson. He rarely makes it back to town these days, but makes time to watch the Wildcats football team in away games in California.
Velez said his line of work prepared him and Carrell for the challenges of the show.
He said Carrell came up with the idea to send in an audition tape. Velez figures the locker-room-style rapport he has with Carrell helped turn the heads of producers.
"We're like that at work every day, always ribbing each other, making fun of each other," Velez said. "It's the way we get through our days and the hairy situations and stuff. We have a thick skin and a sense of humor."
"Goats" gets distributor
The movie "Goats," which was partially filmed in Tucson a year ago - largely as the result of efforts by the Tucson Film Office - will apparently make it into theaters. The film, a coming-of-age tale that was penned by former local Mark Jude Poirier and stars David Duchovny, was picked up by Image Entertainment, which says it plans to distribute the movie theatrically in the coming months.
The distributor is known more for direct-to-video releases, so "Goats" appears to be the company's way of moving up the food chain.
"I hope it makes it to the theaters in Tucson. The reception at the Loft (in a January screening) was really wonderful, as were the screenings at Sundance," Poirier said by email. "It was really gratifying to walk around Park City and hear people talking enthusiastically about the film. It was kind of surreal."
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
