[ MAUKA MAKAI ]
COURTESY ABC FAMILY
Kailua kite surfer and therapist Donnel Nunes, above, worked the red carpet for "E!" television after trading places with Melissa Rivers, left, who tried out his lifestyle for a few days. See it all on today's episode of "Switched Up!," on ABC Family at 7 p.m.
Kailua kite surfer
dives into E!
reportingTrading jobs with a TV personality
stirs a star-studded tidal wave
for isle man
When Kailua's Donnel Nunes "worked" the Hollywood premiere of "House of Sand and Fog" as a red-carpet reporter for E!, the Kailua kite-surfing therapist knew his big on-air interview would be the film's star, Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.
"I said, 'Thank you, Mr. Kingsley, for taking the time to come over and talk,'" said the 33-year-old Nunes.
Kingsley promptly turned around and walked away. His assistant told a stunned Nunes that the actor had been "knighted," so he expects to be called "Sir Ben."
"Switched Up!": Airs at 7 p.m. today on ABC Family (Oceanic 34). Kailua kite surfer Donnel Nunes will switch places with TV personality Melissa Rivers in the reality program.
Kingsley was convinced to return to the interview, so Nunes greeted him with a "So, Sir Ben," and then laughed.
Kingsley looked the interviewer in the eye.
"Don't laugh again," Sir Ben whispered.
Trial by fire in Hollywood is how Nunes explains what became of his 30 minutes of fame when he traded places and jobs and homes in November with television personality Melissa Rivers in the ABC Family show "Switched Up!" which airs Sunday.
The half-hour program allows participants to trade places for three days, seeing their life through someone else's eyes and experiences. Among those trading places this season are a hipster rock singer and a self-professed "redneck" family man who fixes cars, a drum major and a roller-derby queen, and a ballerina and rapper.
In this case, Rivers learned how to surf and kite-board, while Nunes took over her duties at E! and on the red carpet.
Nunes received an anonymous e-mail -- he still hasn't figured out who sent it to him -- last October with the telephone number taking audition calls for "Switched Up!" with a description of the show. After several phone conversations with producers, Nunes sent a tape of his home, community and the people his "switch mate" would be hanging with.
"I wouldn't know it was Melissa Rivers until I got to her home and saw photos of her mom, Joan," he said.
But first, a crew was dispatched to Hawaii to video a typical day in Nunes' life.
"They followed me around the hospital and then kite surfing with a friend," he said. "Then I got a message on a pager that said, 'Hello, I'm Melissa from L.A., let's switch lives.'"
So Nunes traveled to Los Angeles, and a film crew picked him up, transporting him to the community of the stars, Malibu.
"Driving into Melissa's neighborhood, it was obvious this was somebody who was fairly affluent," Nunes said.
Waiting for him was Rivers' assistant, a few of her other helpers and a "coach" to teach him how to conduct interviews. Then it was off to a West Los Angeles mall for person-on-the-street interviews.
"It was surreal because I was walking down the street with a camera following me and all these people trying to figure out who I was," he said.
Then it was off to a Spinning workout class that is part of Rivers' regimen, and a visit to Fred Segal's Melrose Avenue boutique to have his eyebrows waxed and a manicure. That night, a fashion expert arrived at the house with a rack of clothes for Nunes to select for the next night's premiere.
Early the next morning, Nunes was taken to an equestrian ranch for horseback riding, even though he is allergic to horses.
"I took some allergy medicine before I went and was OK trotting around the corral, but after the lesson they wanted to interview me in a barn next to a horse," Nunes said.
RONEN ZILBERMAN / RZILBERMAN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kiteboarder Donnel Nunes is back at Kailua Beach after returning from his recent stint on the ABC Family show "Switched Up."
The first horse bit his arm, so they moved to another stall where another horse affectionately nuzzled and rubbed Nunes.
"I broke out in hives," he said. "I literally ran to the shower to clean off and took more allergy medicine."
Then the big event arrived: the "House of Sand and Fog" premiere.
His first interview was composer James Horner, who has written music for most of the major epics of the last decade.
"It was great," Nunes said. "I'm a musician myself and know his music, so I was able to come up with questions that were not generic, and he became so engaged I had to end the interview."
Then it was off to the E! studio to be filmed reading from TelePrompTers.
Nunes met Rivers when he returned to Kailua the next day and was surprised to learn how seamlessly she fit in with his lifestyle.
"She kite-surfed, board-surfed and did a ropes course therapy at the hospital were I worked," Nunes said. "At night she hung out with my girlfriend at our house."
Nunes also returned with no aspirations for the bright lights of celebrity.
"I absolutely love what I do, who I am and my friends," he said. "Melissa's life, her friendships, seem like they require scheduling appointments. The fancy house and amazing artwork didn't really make me want to give up anything."
Nunes admits doing red-carpet interviews was "a blast," an "exhilarating experience."
"I was a novice, for sure, but I made it work for me because I made sure I stayed myself and did not try to be someone I'm not," he said -- "regardless of Sir Ben."
Isle captain also 'Switched Up' on TV
A previous episode of "Switched Up," featured Honolulu freelance ships captain Master Mariner Lindsey Austin, who switched places with Scott Weinger, who played Steve Hale on the TV series "Full House."Weinger is currently writing on the WB show "Like Family." He lives in a Beverly Hills apartment with his brother.
Austin's career entails delivering merchandise via ships, and she races boats for pleasure. She lives with her mother and stepfather in Waikiki.
Those interested in trading lives can log onto abcfamily. go.com/switchedup/contestant.html. Producers are looking for adults ages 18 to 34.
A teen version of the program, "Switched," airs at 5 p.m. Thursdays on ABC Family. Honolulu's Julie Moody will appear Thursday.
Click for online
calendars and events.
