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Michael Phelps looks far from his Olympic swimming days in new photos

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Michael Phelps oozed confidence as he walked the streets of Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday ahead of his appearance at the World Business Forum. The legendary Olympic swimmer was virtually unrecognizable from his days in the pool, sporting a slicked-back man bun and a full beard streaked with gray.

He kept it casual with a navy jacket and matching trousers, white sneakers, and a white collared shirt. Adding a gold chain and black-rimmed glasses completed the look. Michael looked worlds away from his appearance at the height of his swimming career, when he wore a buzzcut and kept a clean-shaven face.

Professional swimmers often shave their entire bodies to move quickly through the water and gain a slight time advantage. Michael hinted at this practice in a past interview, sharing insight into the difference a bit of hair made to his performance.

“I hadn’t shaved in like three to four months going into nationals. I mean, it was bad. It was really bad,” he admitted. “So [in the pool] I went 1:57 in a full beard, and when I shaved my body and my face I went 1:52.”

Michael caused a stir when he was seen wearing a man bun and a beard at the 2024 Paris Olympics. One user on X commented that he was “one of the few men who can pull off a man bun.” Another chimed in, “Michael Phelps with a beard is something I did not know I needed,” while a third added, “Michael Phelps has gold medal hair.”

The 40-year-old retired from professional swimming in 2016 after the Rio Olympics and has since dedicated himself to family life and mental health advocacy.

“As an athlete, I can say I’ve seen other athletes as well who struggle with depression or anxiety like I do,” he told Fortune in 2024. “We just spiral because that’s just what we’ve done throughout our career, right? As a male athlete, I thought opening up would be a sign of weakness and I would be giving my competitors an extra edge.”

He continued, “I probably could’ve won more gold medals being someone who is super good at compartmentalizing. But in reality, at any given moment the volcano could erupt. I was scared as can be to [open up] for two decades, and now it’s almost like you can’t get me to stop. If I’m going through a tough time, it’s word vomit.”
https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/867005/michael-phelps-looks-far-from-his-olympic-swimming-days-in-new-photos/

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Melrose Place star is unrecognizable in rare appearance

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Melrose Place star Grant Show was virtually unrecognizable as he sat down on the Still Here Hollywood Podcast with Steve Kmetko, almost thirty years after he left the hit TV series. The heartthrob looked suave during the interview, sporting a gray blazer over a black collared shirt, with hints of gray in his swooping brunette hair.

Grant portrayed bad boy Jake Hanson on the Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff series, alongside stars like Heather Locklear and Andrew Shue. The show ran for seven seasons from 1992 to 1999 and followed a group of young adults living in a West Hollywood apartment complex.

The 63-year-old revealed on the podcast that while he loved being part of Melrose Place, the level of fame it brought him was difficult to deal with.

“I figured it was going to be successful, but I did not think it was going to be what it was or as hugely successful as it was,” he recalled, adding that it was “really fun” for a time.

“There are other things that happen that you don’t see happening. You start to lose your ability to be out in the public,” Grant continued. “There’s a thing that happens with fame that I saw happening not just with myself but with everybody. When it’s that kind of fame, you kind of lose your humanity. The way other people see you, they don’t see you as a human being anymore, they see you as the character you’re playing, and they have a relationship with you that is really one-sided. It’s very dehumanizing. I think that’s where all the bad behavior comes from [with] famous people.”

He added that while he was “a pretty decent human being,” fame had made him behave poorly in the past.

The father of one ultimately left the show after season five due to tensions between himself and the show’s producer, Aaron Spelling, who he felt was stifling his budding acting career.

“Aaron and I had had some run-ins. And there was some stuff about Aaron that I felt like he was kind of trying to keep me down. Maybe I was wrong about that, but that’s what it felt like to me at the time,” he explained.

“There wasn’t really any question that I had to go. You know, if I had been able to go and do other work outside of the show, then it would have been a tough call. But because I felt like I was being stifled, I just had to go.”

Despite leaving the series, Grant recognized the incredible impact that it had on his career going forward.

“Something can’t be that seminal in your life without it being a part of you. I have a great pride for the time that I worked on that show,” he declared. “I would not be who I am had I not spent those five years.”
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/866223/melrose-place-star-is-unrecognizable-in-rare-appearance/