Cormac Murphy will represent the U.S. on the world stage during Mr. Universe
Dec. 13, 2024 By Colum Motherway
Former Astoria resident Cormac Murphy was crowned ‘Mr. USA’ in Aug. 2024, and on Dec. 22, he will look to go even further during the esteemed Mr. Universe pageantry contest.
Mr. Universe is known as “the Quest for Global Male Excellence.” It is not just about physical appearance. It’s a platform that seeks to identify and showcase well-rounded individuals who possess qualities beyond aesthetics. The competition aims to find a global ambassador who is physically fit, intelligent, socially aware, and charismatic.
The Mr. USA pageant is held annually to select the man who will represent the United States at the Mr. Universe contest. Murphy was awarded the title after demonstrating to the judges that he can empower and inspire young men worldwide.
Murphy moved to New York in 2016 after growing up in Ireland. His mother is from New Jersey, so he holds a U.S. passport.
After the upcoming pageant, he plans to leave the city, where he currently resides, and relocate to Arizona to pursue a new opportunity with a modeling agency.
Murphy was crowned ‘Mr. USA’ back in August
Murphy worked in nightclubs and did runway modeling before ever having any experience in pageantry. He also appeared on Love Island USA in 2019. Then, in early February 2024, he was approached with the opportunity to compete in the Mr. USA contest.
“I didn’t jump at it straight away but thought it might be a good opportunity to network and learn how to do a pageant because I hadn’t before. I’m all about trying new things and going way out of my comfort zone,” Murphy revealed.
The event was held at the glamorous Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, and Murphy recognized some people he had encountered during his career, which helped him with the experience. While he was the winner, the top three of Mr. USA got the chance to represent the United States at three pageants: Mr. World, Mr. International, and Murphy’s contest, Mr. Universe.
Murphy previously worked in nightclubs and was on Love Island USA in 2019
While he feels good ahead of the contest, Murphy acknowledged that certain aspects of the show are difficult to prepare for. Contestants are scored on swimwear and formal wear, which requires a lot of training to get in the correct shape. However, before the physical demonstration, there is about a ten-minute interview where the judges can see who the contestants are and hear their life stories.
Murphy will use this time to discuss his previous hardships with addiction and how he overcame these struggles to reach over two years of sobriety this year.
“I struggled with alcohol and drugs throughout my twenties, but I’m sober now. My whole story is coming back from this because when I moved here (New York), I was known to be a nightclub promoter, and then I went on Love Island, and everything looked good from the outside, but I was struggling,” Murphy explained.
The pageant will begin with 50 contestants, and they will be whittled down to the top ten, top six, and finally, the top two before the winner is announced.
The judges will ask them a different question as they progress through each pick. These questions “could be anything,” which makes it difficult for Murphy to prepare.
“Mentally, emotionally, whatever you want to call it, you have to be ready to be asked anything. It can be a little daunting due to the unknown, but I don’t mind putting myself in positions like that because I’m well able for it,” he added.
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