Tony Ward

Anthony Borden Ward, known professionally as Tony Ward, is an American model and actor born on June 10, 1963, in Santa Cruz, California. He is the son of Robert Borden Ward and Karen Elizabeth Castro, and is of English, Scottish, Irish, Swedish, and Portuguese heritage. Ward grew up primarily in San Jose before moving to Sonora, where he graduated from high school. He later relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, modeling, and dancing. While attending West Valley College in Saratoga, he was discovered by a scout and began modeling at the age of 18.

Ward initiated his modeling career in 1981, appearing in a campaign for Calvin Klein underwear photographed by Herb Ritts. Over the course of his modeling work, he has collaborated with photographers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Steven Klein, Steven Meisel, Terry Richardson, and Jim French of Colt Studio Group. He has also worked for major fashion brands and designers, including Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, Fendi, H&M, and Hugo Boss.

Throughout his career, Ward has been represented by several agencies worldwide, including DNA Model Management in New York City, Why Not Model Agency in Milan, Premier Model Management in London, Photogenics Model Management in Los Angeles, Unique Models in Copenhagen, and Bananas Models in Paris. In addition to modeling for other labels, he established his own fashion line named SixInTheFace, subtitled "Hand Ravaged Clothing by Mr. Ward."

Beyond print and runway modeling, Ward expanded into acting and screen appearances. He featured in music videos for Madonna, including "Cherish" (1989), "Justify My Love" (1990), and "Erotica" (1992), portraying her lover in a prominent role in "Justify My Love." He was also featured in her 1992 publication, Sex. In 1996, he took on his first starring role in the film Hustler White, directed by Bruce LaBruce and Rick Castro. He later appeared in Jochen Hick's 1998 documentary Sex/Life in L.A., and reunited with LaBruce to play a homeless junkie in the 2010 zombie film L.A. Zombie.

In addition to modeling and acting, Ward is active as a painter and photographer. He was in a high-profile relationship with Madonna in the early 1990s, during which he married photographer Amalia Papadimos in Las Vegas in August 1990. Ward has been married and divorced multiple times, and as of 2016, he resided in Palm Springs, California, and was the father of four children. In a 2020 interview, he noted that he was in the process of divorcing an estranged wife.