Body Talk with Jon Avila

Before televiewers got an upclose glimpse of Jon Avila inside Big Brother’s house, he was already attracting a lot of attention — especially from motorists and commuters — with his body beautiful from huge billboards all over the metropolis, endorsing, appropriately enough, Bench underwear.

“But I really dreamed to be an actor even when I was a little boy,” confessed Jon who is half-Irish (his father, Jonathan Mullally, is from London) and half-Filipino (his mother, Teresita dela Cruz, is from Bulacan). He has a sister (older than him). Both of them were born, raised and educated in London. “At St. Helen’s where I finished high school, I did drama for one year. I still have one year to go to finish a course in business, at the Chelmsford College.”

He speaks a good Tagalog and he never forgets to end a sentence with a “po.”

Asked how much of him is Filipino and how much is British, Jon said, “When I’m in England, I’m Filipino. When I’m here, I’m British. Hehehe. My sister and I had a nice upbringing. We lived in a quiet town in a rural area, at the outskirts of London.”

A little “issue” inside Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) has to be cleared: Did Mariel Rodriguez (his housemate) “spurn” Jon in favor of Zanjoe Marudo?

“No, she did not,” explained Jon who will soon be seen in the title role as Kapitan Boom in an ABS-CBN fantaserye with Brazilian model Mariana del Rio (who was romantically linked to Cesar Montano) and in the Star Cinema movie When Love Begins (final title), the first movie together of Aga Muhlach and Anne Curtis written and directed by Joey Javier Reyes. “I kind of backed out. It takes time for me to fall in love. I actually gave way to Zanjoe because I realized that there was something between them.”

Also an endorser of Century Tuna and Active White (the leading distributor of high-quality beauty and wellness products for men and women, with Nadine Samonte and athlete Rachelle Daquis as co-endorsers), Jon stands 6’1”, weighs 178 lbs., and wears medium-size shirt and size-11 shoes. He’s a Virgo (born Sept. 1, 1985).

What sort of diet do you have?

“I avoid carbohydrates as much as possible, but I do take rice and bread sometimes because too little carbo intake makes me weak and keeps my energy level low...keeps me in a low mood. Regularly, I follow a low-carb/high-protein diet.”

What kind of food do you avoid?

“Fatty foods and sweets. I stay away from sugar.”

And what kind of food do you prefer?

“Anything grilled. I love cereals; I have more than 10 boxes of cereals at home. My ref is stuffed full with soya milk.”

Do you take three square meals a day?

“Oh yes, I do. Small amounts. For breakfast, I take cereals and toast. For lunch, some ulam lang. For dinner, salads and more cereals.”

Snacks in-between?

“Yes. A small bar of chocolate.”

How much water do you take per day?

“Only three glasses a day. I should be taking more than that. I hydrate myself with energy drinks like Gatorade.”

What vitamins do you take?

“Active White L-Gluthathione capsules which have vitamin C.”

What workout do you do?

“I try to work out thrice a week at the Gold’s Gym. I have a fitness trainer there. I do high-intensity low-light weights and cardio exercises.”

Are you fond of sports?

“I do boxing twice a week, with a heavy punching bag and not with a sparring partner. It keeps myself and my heart healthy.”

What part of your body is your favorite?

“My eyes. The color changes.” (Note: At the time of this interview, Jon’s eyes were light blue.)

What part is vulnerable?

“In general? My heart. Why? Wala lang. Maybe because I’m a sensitive kind of person. I take everything to heart. I’m also an emotional person.”

What makes your heart beat faster?

“Siguro...girls. Someone sweet.”

Your body seems perfect. But what part do you think needs improvement?

“Siguro...my eyesight. I’m near-sighted.”

What part of a girl’s body do you notice first?

“Siguro...the complexion. I like morena girls.”

How do you cope with stress?

“I get a massage. Full-body massage, once a week. Or I simply spend time in a quiet room, reflecting on the past week.”

How’s your nightlife?

“No nightlife.”

Love life?

“No love life. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Sex life?

“None whatsoever. I just said that I don’t have a girlfriend.”

What kind of music do you listen to?

“Any kind of OPM. Any kind, really, especially uplifting music.”

What about books?

“I try to read books as much as I can. I like fiction and action-adventure.”

Movies?

“Comedies...to keep my spirit up.”

Do you meditate?

“No, I don’t. But I go to church a lot, I pray a lot. I am Catholic. I go to church every day. There’s a church across the street from where I live. I spend at least 10 minutes everytime.”

What do you usually pray for?

“For the health of my loved ones. I thank God. I don’t pray to ask for anything.”

How much sleep do you get per night?

“More than six hours, less than 10 hours. I’m a late sleeper. I go to bed at 2 o’clock every morning and wake up at around 8 a.m.”

What’s the last thing that you do before you go to sleep?

“Pray.”

And the first thing that you do when you wake up?

“Pray.”

Favorite sleep wear?

“Boxer briefs. Nothing else.”

Do you snore?

“Yes, I do.”

Do you talk in your sleep?

“Yes, I do.”

What do you usually say?

“I’m not sure. But I’ve been told that I do talk in my sleep.”

Are you a pillow person?

“I can’t sleep on my back, I have to be on my side, so I have a pillow between my knees and another one underneath my head. One each on both sides of my body. I love to hug a pillow when I sleep.”

Are you vain like most good-looking men?

“I guess I am — to a certain extent. I’m metrosexual. I’m conscious about what I wear, about my skin. Kailangan sa industry, eh.”

How do you take care of your skin?

“A little moisturizer. I wash my face with just soap and water.”

What about clothes; what’s your preference?

“Bench.”

And perfume?

“Something refreshing and not so tapang.”

Name three guys you think have nice bodies.

“Marc Nelson. Will Devaughn. Zanjoe Marudo.”

And three women...

“Jessica Alba, before she had a baby. Kristine Hermosa. Angelina Jolie.”

Using only body language, how would you make a girl know that you admire/like her?

“I simply smile...and smile...and smile.”