The ‘Bench-ing’ of Liam Hemsworth

Sorry, folks, you won’t get even a teeny-weeny glimpse of Liam Hemsworth’s personal life because, you see, he’s very private according to those around him on his first visit to the country to drum up for Bench which he is endorsing.

All I can tell you is something that you probably already know — that, like the Baldwins, the Hemsworths are three brothers “imported” by Hollywood from Australia (the two are Chris and Luke, older than Liam); that Liam was born on Jan. 13, 1990, in Melbourne to Leonie, an English teacher, and Craig, a social-services counselor.

Is there any competition among the brothers?

Yes, there is, admitted Liam in an interview uploaded in the Internet, adding, “We are brothers and we are always competitive, but it is a good thing, it is friendly, it pushes us and we are always happy whenever someone books something.”

In 2010, Liam starred in The Last Song (with Miley Cyrus), based on Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling novel, followed last year by The Hunger Games and then The Expendables (with such heavyweight actors as Sylvester Stallone, Jean Claude van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis).    

Liam showed up for this interview almost two hours late, blame it on the flight from Australia that was delayed by two hours. That was a journey of several miles (oops! I mean the distance not the sound-alike of somebody’s name). At 6’3”, he’s a shy, gentle giant, very soft-spoken.

The journalists scheduled for one-on-ones were asked to submit in advance a set of questions for the 10-minute interview each. Two of mine were crossed out (cannot be allowed) and here are the nine given the go-signal:

I understand that it’s the first time you are endorsing a Philippine product. How does it feel?

“It’s great! You know, I’m not too much about fashion, I want to keep myself pretty simple. I think if you’re comfortable in something, then that’s your style. Bench is, you know, casual and simple, but it’s got a creative flair.”

What Bench product do you like the most?

“I like simple stuff, you know. I like the one I’m wearing — a simple T-shirt, very comfortable.”

Do you and your brothers Chris and Luke have the same taste in clothes, the same fashion sense?

“No, not really. Luke, the eldest among us three, likes to wear quirky kind of printed shirts. Chris? It depends. He’s kind of laid-back. Sometimes, he he can be a little crazy with his style, I think, hehehehe!”

What makes up most of your wardrobe?

“Mostly casuals — jeans and T-shirts. Comfortable clothes.”

Any favorite color when it comes to shirts?

“I like darker shades. Green is more like it.”

Bench has a long line of men’s clothing, including underwear. What’s your favorite sleepwear?

“I usually sleep in Boxer shorts, hehehehe! I want to be comfortable so I want to sleep in as little as possible.”

Have you gotten used to living in the “goldfish bowl, glass house” that is Hollywood?

“There are times that it feels great living there and other times it can get so claustrophobic and you want to get out and, you know, just be by yourself and enjoy your time not being surrounded by so much, hmmm, crisis. But most of the time, I love it there because there are so many talents and I am able to meet some extremely talented directors and actors. They are people who are extremely passionate about making movies, like I am. In that sense, I love being in Hollywood. But at the same time, I grew up in a small place in Melbourne which has a population of only about 7,000. And that’s kind of what I’m used to and that’s where I want to get back to when I’m not in a big city.”

How often do you go home to Melbourne perhaps to unwind and just take it easy?

(Sighs) “I just came from Australia and I was just there for 10 days but I haven’t been home before that for almost two years, which is the longest time I’ve been away from home. You know, I love to get back more often but the past two years I’ve been going from movie to movie, and I just haven’t had the time to go back.”

Do you plan to see more of the Philippines after the Bench promo (with a meet-and-greet at a mall last night)? And what have you heard about the Philippines that has caught your interest?

“Actually, I have heard great things about the Philippines. I heard that the beaches are great. I grew up near a beach and I’m looking forward to visiting some of the beaches here.”

 (E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)