Meltdown!

Brent has to know that everyone wants a piece of him. His looks are not scarily chiseled like an icy Michael Bergin nor is he the emaciated looking boy from the Dior ads (Shaun de Wet). Rather, he reminds you of a guy every girl had a crush on in high school ..with better clothes. His coy good looks do not betray his personality either. His endearing vulnerable quality actually makes you feel guilty for "macking" on him. Rather, you get this feeling of wanting to take care of him. Whether he's hawking toothpaste, clothes, hair gel or food, you just buy it, hoping that his puppy dog eyes will light up, even just for a second.

By just looking at you, he instantly warms up the heart and heats up the loins. No wonder we all know his name. Brent is on his way to becoming the face of the year. If he plays his cards right and doesn't turn into an asshole, which is the case among many confident Zoolanders who always turn up late and drunk for shoots, he will find himself in good and profitable company. At 22 (at time of article-ed) he is still quite naive in many ways, which is refreshing.

I mean, he knows he looks good, which is good because it's annoying to hear ramble about how unattractive they are and point to their toes as the nucleus of their imperfections. However, he doesn't get the feeling that everyone wants to bed him (which is a level of utter success on the model success meter). He doesn't get the feeling that he will be doing this for long. He plays around with supermodels instead of hitting on them. He laughs during shoots. He doesn't talk too much, but he certainly know when it's time to hit a burger. He is in many ways a little boy, a Peter Pan of sorts. "I'm really shy," he confesses. " I guess that's really part of who I am. However, it doesn't bother me. I know who I am am and that's what matters. I know I can be crazy and funny only to those who really know me. I really don't have to share that with everyone."

The hearthrob shuttles back and forth between Manila and Canada - he is still figuring out his permanent game plan. For now, the jetsetting will do. He hangs out with the creamiest men of the current crop that includes Rich Herrera of the Stare to Melt Academy. He hangs with his posse of pulchritude, and every night of boozing means chicks hitting on them shamelessly. "In Canada, women tend to be more reserved. Here they are very friendly, which is cool, but sometimes it gets a bit too much. I'm a flirt myself, but I just can't be in the business of throwing lines. Frankly, I'm still quite conservative in many ways and it gets a bit shocking to see full force mack behavior," he shares, puppy eyes looking downward.

Much like how he sees himself, his definition of sexiness is basically being comfortable in your own skin, "You can tell if someone has something going on. It's not that easy to hide." True enough, that chick who finds herself engulfed with his definition of hot will find herself in the warm company in the warm company of notes left on her pillow and little romantic gestures that Brent admits to.

So if you find yourself comfortable in your own skin, you might just be very lucky to find yourself comfortable next to Brent's as well. - (reprinted from the article of Celine Lopez, Bare Magazine February 2004)*