Will he wrestle his way to stardom?

Make way for Travis Kraft. He’s got the height, the looks and the "X" factor. And he may just be the man you are looking for. But even if you’re not looking for a man, it’s hard to ignore Travis. Let’s start with his vital statistics. He stands 6’1", weighs 187 pounds, has a 32-inch waist, 44-inch chest, size 11 shoes, blue eyes, black hair and a "killer" smile.

Travis started wrestling at age nine. He was introduced to the sport by his father, a former wrestler. He has won the North Dakota state championships thrice and ranked No. 1 in the same state. He won a scholarship at Eastern Michigan University but soon after graduation, he retired from wrestling.

"Wrestling is a rough stuff. I still have a lot of injuries that bother me from time to time. These days, I am more of a lover than a fighter. I don’t want to be a tough guy anymore," explains Travis. And he’d rather play a tough guy in the movies.

Travis could have pursued wrestling and gone on to the wrestling Olympics but he chose not to. "I didn’t want to go to the wrestling Olympics because I really wanted to get into acting. I can be involved again in wrestling when I have my own kids because I will teach them the sport."

Travis always wanted to be an actor. As a boy growing up in North Dakota, he spent much of his time watching movies. "I was excited watching cool, action movies like Rocky and Rambo films," he says. After graduation, he packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles. "I have known since I was 13 that I was going to move to California someday and get into acting. When I made that decision, I cut off all other possibilities of what I was going to do with my life."

Moving to LA also posed a big challenge to Travis. He did not know a single person in LA. He had to stay in an inexpensive motel in the middle of Hollywood until he found a place to rent. He went into auditions. Some turned him down, others landed him good roles.

"Auditioning is a skill in itself. It is a separate skill apart from acting. I have had good acting teachers who helped me a lot in my auditioning process."

Travis has had his taste of acting in Hollywood with movies like No Rule, a martial arts film starring Gary Bussey and Pamela Anderson; The Life and Passion of Christ and Skeletons in the Closet, to name a few. He has done commercial shoots, modeling and print ads. He is also a photographer.

In town since November last year, Travis is on the verge of launching a career. He has forged friendships with some people in the industry like Imabelle (09155758120) who acts as his manager. Imabelle is a kababayan and was part of The Buzz staff at one time. Travis also taped local sitcoms, guested in Lance Raymundo’s concert where he sang Orange & Lemons’ Hanggang Kailan (Umuwi Ka Na Baby).

Yes, Travis is learning to speak Filipino. He already has a few words tucked under his wrestling belt. Travis’ adoptive mother is a Filipina from Bataan. It was she who encouraged Travis to come and visit the Philippines. In 2003, he traveled to Thailand, Korea, Japan and the Philippines. It was his first visit to the country but he found the Philippines the best country "because people are super friendly and everyone is cute."

"I was here on a three-week vacation and was treated extremely well," says Travis. He also visited his mom’s hometown of Bataan. During that visit, he ate grilled squid for the first time. And he liked it.

"I love the Philippines. Everyone is happy, smiling and beautiful all the time. The people make the Philippines beautiful," he says. Travis is single. He likes the kayumanggi and tsinita types.

"I like women who treat me good like those who give you a massage and who cook for you. I love the typical Filipina," he adds.

A laid back person, Travis enjoys watching the Ultimate Fighting Championships. He listens to Stone Temple Pilots, Rivermaya and Orange & Lemons. And for his reading fare, he likes science, geography and history books.

Let’s see how Travis will wrestle his way to stardom in the Philippines. He’s certainly armed with a lot of deadly moves he’s learned along the way!