Jon Peter Lewis, who made a memorable first impression on "American Idol" fans when Simon Cowell said he looked like a pen salesman, was eliminated in the semifinals but brought back as America's pick in the wildcard show. His fancy footwork and charming smile earned him a fervent female fanbase, but he never won over the judges and was the fifth finalist eliminated.
Q: Have any pen companies contacted you for endorsement deals yet?
Jon Peter Lewis: Man, that'd be cool, but I have gotten a free pen that says: "Vote for JPL, the Pen Man."
Q: Now that you're off the show, will you go back to your short-sleeve-shirt-and-tie look?
Lewis: I wear a shirt and tie to places that require a shirt and tie, and I wasn't sure if "American Idol" was one of those things or not, since I had never seen the show. But I don't anticipate that I'll be walking around corporate-style very often.
Q: How did you feel when Quentin Tarantino said you were the geekiest performer since '60s British novelty rock band Freddie & the Dreamers?
Lewis: I thought it was great. From one geek to another, I thought that was fantastic.
Q: Where you surprised you were eliminated?
Lewis: I was surprised. Not because I had a huge following, but just because I'd never been in the bottom three.
Q: You seemed more comfortable dancing around the stage than sitting and singing.
Lewis: I felt a lot less nervous when I got to move around. I guess when I get to move around I don't have time to think about other things. When I'm performing a slower song, I have more time to think and look at the audience. In my case I have less of a connection to the audience.
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Lewis: I didn't give it any thought. Not that I'm used to it. ... As long as I can remain who I am, people can put me in whatever categories they like.
Q: Were you allowed to read Internet postings about your performances?
Lewis: They usually don't like that you do, but you're allowed to. ... The thing is, I started to when I was first on the show ... but then later I started thinking about what other people were saying and I didn't want that to happen, so I just decided not to look at the message boards anymore, and I haven't. I don't want what other people are saying to influence the way I perform.
Q: When you were in the bottom three the cameraman spent a lot of time focusing on John Stevens and Diana DeGarmo holding hands, and then you were just standing there next to them. What was that all about?
Lewis: I'm pretty sure there isn't anything going on between John and Diana. I didn't even know they were holding hands. They were just standing there, and if she had reached over and grabbed my hand, I probably would've held it, but it just didn't happen.
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