by Shayla Byrd – honeymag.com
There’s no denying that Mehcad Brooks is beautiful. He piqued our interest a few years ago during his stint on Desperate Housewives, and we doubled back when he played opposite Tia Mowry in The Game (Team Derwin, though, no doubt), but it wasn’t until this second season of True Blood, that Brooks — and those awesome abs — had us fiending for a bite. The 28-year-old Austin, Texas-native had us tuning in faithfully each week all summer long. His character Eggs may have died on True Blood during the season finale after Jason popped shots in his head, but no worries, ladies — Brooks is returning to the tube this fall as a lawyer on ABC’s The Deep End. Honey caught up with the self-proclaimed “film nerd” and chopped it up about relationships, Facebook, and why he can never really seem to find a shirt. Not that we’re complaining.
HoneyMag.com: Were you a fan of True Blood before you got cast for the show?
Mehcad: Well, it hadn’t aired. So, no one knew whether it’d be a hit or not. I’d just seen the pilot before it came out. I got the role in July last year. I was impressed because it was different than anything else that’s on TV.
You’re still going to be on our TVs this fall, right?
Yes, I was in Hawaii doing a triathlon, a benefit for foster kids, when my manager told me about the [The Deep End] audition. We’ll be filming in Dallas soon, so I’m excited about it, since I’m from Texas.
Do you keep up with a lot of your old friends from Texas?
Not so much. I keep in touch with a few of them. I was on Facebook and then Facebook canceled my account.
What? Why?
I think on the grounds that they thought I was impersonating me!
Are you serious?
I’m serious. They canceled the wrong Facebook account. It’s ridiculous. You canceled my account, and the other guy who’s pretending to me still has his account. I was trying to keep in contact with people.
Aww man. That sucks. Are you on Twitter? Because there you can have a verified celebrity account.
I’m on twitter, yes. On mine, there’s a tile picture of me in a brown shirt, a headshot.
What’s your official twitter name?
It’s just @MehcadBrooks.
You should get that verified, so no one tries to start a fake Mehcad one later on.
Wel, no one can pretend to be it now because I have the name. I should probably do that though.
Definitely. That way we know it’s you for sure! You also just finished filming Just Wright (starring Queen Latifah and Pam Grier), in which you play Common’s brother. Are you guys friends now?
We are. Everything that you hear from his album’s — he’s really like that. He’s that deep, he’s that nice. He’s so nice you think he’s faking. But he’s not. He really is that cool. He’s a very talented, hard-working, spiritual, down-to-earth individual. I just hope that when I get to his level, I’m the same way.
You’re becoming a bit of sex symbol like Common yourself. How does that feel?
(Ed. Note: Mehcad stumbles to find the words to answer, while laughing. So cute.) It’s nice to be appreciated for whatever reason. So, that’s always nice. But uhh … looks fade, so that’s not the main focus. You know what I mean? I’d rather not be known for that. I’d rather be known for being good. Rather than being…
C’mon now. You’re shirtless pretty much every time you’re onscreen — it’s clearly for a reason.
Yeah, well I don’t have control over that. I’m not the director, I don’t write it.
True, but you obviously go to the gym a lot to get those abs, running triathlons and whatnot.
I was doing all that before True Blood. True Blood has nothing to do with how I look or how I keep myself.
Right, but it’s contributed to your popularity as a sex symbol.
That’s what you’re saying, you know. I’m not going to…
Mehcad, I’m telling you. You’re hot! You’re a sex symbol! Why are you making it seem like a bad thing? It’s a compliment, everybody ain’t able.
It’s not a bad thing. I just have trouble… You know what, I should say thank you and I appreciate that. But I think I avoid thinking of it like that sometimes.
Well, trust us, as authorities on the subject, from the female True Blood-fan point of view, we appreciate that aspect of what you bring to the table. It’s a very good thing. You should claim it!
When you put it that way … thank you very much.
You seem kind of uncomfortable talking about it. Why are you so reluctant to claim your sexiness?
I mean, it’s just a strange thing to claim. I can own the fact that I’m a good actor, because I work really hard at it. I can own the fact that I’m athletic because I work really hard at it. I can own the fact that I have a lot of stamina and I have lot of strength because I work really hard at that. But one person may find me sexy, and another might not find me sexy. That’s all subjective, an opinion. I can’t go around proclaiming that I know other people’s opinions about me. Plus, I see myself everyday, and I see everything that’s wrong. I don’t see everything that’s right, most of the time. It’s all relative. Sometimes I’m running and working out and sometimes I’m just trying to chill, stomach hanging out, chilling (laughs).
I feel you, but you have to admit, you’re building a fan base of ladies — and men — who think that. I mean, you pretty much have your shirt off in every scene, so …
It’s Louisiana, sweetie. It’s hot in Louisiana, you know how it is.
How often do you work out?
When I have time, probably two days a week. For me a workout at the gym has to do with mind, body, and spirit, so I try to do things that work out your spirit. I try to keep it balanced.
How do you work out your spirit?
I started yoga this year and I’m getting pretty good. I read a lot, books based on personal power, the laws of attraction, connecting human beings to the universe…
Seems like it’s working. You’re becoming more and more successful by the day.
It’s a great time. Compared to where I was last year, the year before. Every year gets better and better, so that’s all I can continue to hope for.
You seem so uncomfortable with the idea that women find you sexy. Is this all new to you? Were you a nerd back in the day?
(Laughs) I’ve been working out heavily since I was about 17. I’ve had good times and bad times with the ladies. Sometimes they love me. Sometimes they hate me, y’know. But I’m a self-proclaimed nerd. I am.
Are you? What makes you nerd?
The books that I read. The fact that I read at all (laughs). I don’t follow sports a lot. My sport is politics.
You don’t follow any sports?
I’ll watch the Super Bowl. I’ll watch the NBA playoffs. I’ll watch the big stuff that I think matters. But you don’t see me following stats and stuff.
I guess that means no fantasy football for you right now then, huh?
Nah, I don’t do all that. I’d rather go home and read a book. Or watch a really good movie, you know what I mean? I was a film student, so I’m into all types of movies, from Malcom X to Chinatown. I’m a film dork.
Aww, that’s kinda cute though. You sure you’re not a low key ladies’ man?
The ladies who I’ve been involved with, they like me (laughs). That’s about all that I can tell you for sure.
So are you the boyfriend type of guy? Always with a girlfriend?
I used to be a serial monogamist, but that got kind of weird. And I kind of found myself going from relationship to relationship to relationship not really knowing who I was. I just love women. A lot of them are very nurturing, they listen. I have a lot of female friends, so for me, it was really easy to just slip right into a relationship after one ended. But I’ve been trying to focus on other things, like on my career, and just focus on who I am as a human being without being wrapped up in relationships. Finding the one is not my top priority right now.
You’re breaking hearts over here! I take that to mean you’re single.
I am single. But I’m married to my work and I’m very monogamous.
You’re 28, though right?
Yup.
In normal people world, that’s about the time guys start thinking about throwing in the towel.
(Laughs) Actors are anything but normal. I think the thing is, though, if you have a timeline you’re really just putting pressure on yourself when you may not be ready for something. I don’t think I should be looking for that kind of person before I’m ready to find it because then I feel like I’m going to mess it up. And that’s the last thing I want to do.
Well, do you consider yourself the marrying kind, then? Do you want that?
I haven’t even gotten that far. But yeah, I want a wife, I want kids. The whole thing. But I’m also not even concerned with marrying somebody until it’s legal for everybody to get married. And what I mean by that is the whole Prop 8 thing.
Why is that cause so important to you?
I find it really offensive. I just find it really problematic when you start throwing people’s rights away. Until we get our gay brothers and sisters back into a realm of consciousness that everyone else is in, it’s just not right. A woman who’s getting married — it’s probably going to be a gay man who made her dress, and a gay man who’s doing her hair and makeup, but he can’t get married. How messed up is that?
Very messed up. You seem like a deep, passionate kind of guy. I can see why you’re upset being known solely as a sex symbol.
I’m not upset about being a sex symbol. The thing is I don’t really consider myself a sex symbol, because I don’t find myself sexy. I don’t have any problem taking my clothes off. I don’t even like clothing. If you have to wear them, you may as well look good in them. But if I had my way, I’d just walk around the street, you know, chillin … with just a pair of socks on (laughs).
I’m sure the ladies wouldn’t mind. You should maybe go for that look.
Just a pair of socks on? That’s it?
Works for us! Sometimes, us complicated ladies can be really simple. We’re all about a hot guy with a nice smile. Being smart on top of that is just a bonus! So you’re an athlete. Are you a good lover? You said earlier that you have a lot of stamina…
I meant, on the treadmill (laughs).
C’mon, inquiring minds want to know.
You know what, I don’t want to get involved in sex talk, because I kind of feel like that’s just for the woman that I’m with, you know what I’m saying?
Okay, we can respect that. Do you have any celebrity crushes?
I have a celebrity crush that just won’t go away. Halle Berry. They even made a song about her. I also have a crush on Rachel Maddow’s mind.
Her mind?
Yeah.
Wait, so you don’t think she’s hot?
No, no, no, I mean, she’s cute in every way. Her wit is just great. I don’t ever miss her show. So I’ve got a crush on her delivery and I’ve got a crush on her wit.
Okay, Halle Berry-pretty, Rachel Maddow-witty … what else do you look for in your ideal woman who you may one day marry if that Prop 8 situation is worked out?
(Laughs) Well put. I really like an attentive listener. And support. And a woman who has her own, who can support herself and feel secure in her own skin. I complement her and she complements me.
Kelly
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