Colton Haynes and Alex Meraz Exclusive fashion for DA MAN. A trio of hip, young gents, Alex Meraz, who plays Paul the “bad boy” werewolf in Twilight: New Moon and Eclipse, Colton Haynes of The Gates and [updated July 2011] Teen Wolf and artist/editor Eric France, do Los Angeles in fine style. [Originally published in 2010, recently updated online]
Above: Jacket by General Idea, shirt by Raf by Raf Simons
Colton Haynes
Star athlete finds his calling
He’s “free-spirited, smiley, goofy, positive, competitive and loving” and his name is Colton Haynes. He’s done lots of modeling and now he’s on the verge of a huge acting breakout: “I am very excited about the roles I have coming up,” he says with excitement. “I have three shows coming out this year that I am super passionate about. I finished a Showtime series called Look that will be out later this year. Look was created by Adam Rifkin and will blow peoples’ minds. The premise is about what people do when they don’t know they’re being watched. I play a reckless 17-year-old kid who passes his time by shooting homeless people with paintballs and making home videos that aren’t always G-rated. I wrapped another show called Teen Wolf for MTV, where I play the captain of the lacrosse team, who has quite the temper and has jealousy issues. It was an amazing experience for me and I met awesome people. The creators and producers are brilliant and the show has so much heart. Also, I am about to begin filming my new ABC show The Gates, where I play a 15-year-old football player whose deep secret is that he is a werewolf.” The latter, Haynes describes as “a mix between Twilight and Desperate Housewives, but it is so much more… An unbelievable script, with an unbelievable cast on an unbelievable network … It couldn’t be more perfect. We begin filming in Louisiana at the end of March.” Having lived in many parts of the U.S. and starred in sports during high school (tennis and cross-country), acting soon took over as his passion ever since his mom “saw an ad for an audition for West Side Story and rushed me in. I ended up making the cuts and doing the show, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. After doing that, I knew that acting was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It’s not an easy profession to pursue but I stuck at it and great things have happened for me.” Haynes, who has the perfect look for it, someday hopes to play James Dean in his “dream role.”
Suit and shirt by Calvin Klein Collection, shoes by Topman
Alex Meraz
Bad boy wolf
Rising actor Alex Meraz plays Paul, the bad boy wolf of the pack in the Twilight series (both New Moon and the upcoming Eclipse). But in actuality Meraz is a cool, laid-back gent, who is enjoying the “amazing ride” that he’s on right now with the ‘vampire craze.’
Once, while filming, Twilight author Stephenie Meyer dropped by the set and told Meraz that he’s “the perfect choice to play Paul.” So what kind of wild parties do all the young hip Twilight actors and actresses get up to after shooting? “Our favorite thing to do is go bowling. I didn’t realize how incredible Taylor Lautner is at bowling. He can throw the ball and can whip into a back-flip at the same moment he lets go of the ball. Though it wasn’t a strike, it was still pretty damn impressive.”
From Dali to del Toro
Meraz hopes to someday play legendary Spanish artist Salvador Dali in a film and hopes to work with directors Alejandro Innaritu and Guillermo del Toro.
He is also a martial arts enthusiast (doing it since the age of nine) and greatly admires Bruce Lee, who, he says: “Bruce Lee has been my most prominent inspiration as a martial artist and a philosopher. He broke the mold of portraying ethnic actors as only villains and emerged as a hero to so many. He had such a fierce determination.”
Meraz also is an artist in another sense, having been dabbling in fine art. “I’ve been drawing and painting my entire life,” he says, while adding that both martial arts and fine art “have had huge influences on me.” Overall, he’s at a good place in his life and career and really enjoying the ride. “I have the most ridiculous job. I’m in the profession of make-believe and I take it very seriously. I’m just glad that I can make a living out of it and that people enjoy the work.”
Longevity is success
And how did he get into acting in the first place? “A few years ago, my friend, a dance choreographer that I worked with, introduced me to the person who is now my acting mentor. He made me believe in myself and I’ve never turned back. My favorite role so far has been Paul on Twilight.”
And what’s in Alex Meraz’s future? “Being both in front and the camera and also behind it. I would love to be able to make my own films one day … I will always be in artist in one form or another. Longevity in this business is an accomplishment in itself. If I’m still working in 15 years, then I’ve done something right, or I’ve gone completely mad.”
Of the show business industry, Meraz says it is quite hit and miss when going for auditions and getting roles. “The whole process of getting a job in this town is pretty bizarre. What I’ve learned is that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” he explains. “I’ll go into an audition room and sometimes the response is negative, and other times I’m a ‘superstar.’ You just can’t listen to what people say, you just have to trust yourself. It’s extremely important to have family and friends who can keep you grounded.”
Left: Cardigan and polo by Raoul
Right: Jacket and polo by Calvin Klein Collection
On Colton: Jacket by 3.1 Phillip Lim, shirt by Lustro
On Eric: Jacket and shirt by 3.1 Phillip Lim
Eric France (Silverberg)
Lover of life
Sometimes he models, sometimes he does fashion editing and photography, sometimes art, sometimes acting, but all the time he does life. Eric France, originally from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, exclaims with sheer enthusiasm that his “greatest passion is life itself.” France’s passions in the world of fashion run the gamut from Tom Ford, Gucci and YSL to “The sale rack (laughing).” And France’s idea of happiness? “Money isn’t everything, but one day owning a house in the hills would be nice. But no joking, I’m at a place of complete happiness right now. I believe waking up and doing something you love is happiness because not everyone on this planet can say they love waking up and going to work.” Other tidbits about Eric, he grew up playing football and basketball, admires Brad Pitt, the singer Drake and likes eating at In-N-Out burger in his adopted home of Hollywood.
On Colton: Jacket and polo by Calvin Klein Collection
On Eric: Cardigan and polo by Raoul
Left: Jacket by Topman, shirt by Just Cavalli available at select Macy’s, pants by 3.1 Phillip Lim
Right: Jacket by Hugo Boss, shirt by Just Cavalli available at select Macy’s, shoes by Topman, ring Alex’s own
Shirt by Raf by Raf Simons, tie by Stussy, pants by Topman
Pants by Calvin Klein Collection, shoes by Topman
This Fashion Feature was in the April/May 2010 edition of DA MAN. For info on getting a back issue send the DA MAN circulation/distribution team an e-mail.
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