Filipino Model Brent Javier is Our 21st Semi-finalist

Brent Javier, born June 20, is a Filipino model.
Raised in Canada, Brent Javier came to the Philippines initially to play basketball but fate intervened and he is now a big name in the fashion industry.

Brent Javier is one of the sexiest male model in the Philippines. Javier is the 2003 Mossimo Bikini Summit Winner and MTV Best Model of the World Philippines - Manhunt Winner.
Currently, one of the most in demand male model in the Philippines, he is the winner of the Mystery Guy contest of Pond's. He has appeared in numerous ad campaigns including Addict Mobile, Bench Body, and Mossimo. He describes himself as a man of few words, but a good listener, honest and patient.
During his spare time, he loves to go to the gym and play basketball which is his number-one hobby. He also loves watching TV/movies, hanging out with friends, clubbing, surfing, and bungee jumping.
Last year, he won Mr. Internet Popularity in Manhunt International. And by topping our Group K poll, Brent Javier is our 21st Semi-finalist.

Kim Rae Won, KOREA

Heartthrob No. 88

Name: Kim Rae Won Age: 25 yrs. old

Birthday: March 19, 1981

Height: 183 cm. Weight: 67 kg.

Country: Korea

Occupation: Actor/Model

Known for: The Koreanovelas "Love Story in Harvard" and "Attic Cat"

Filipino Hunk Alfred Vargas is our 20th Semi-finalist

Alfred Vargas (born in San Juan, Metro Manila on October 24, 1981) is a Filipino film and TV actor. He was originally a member of ABS-CBN Star Circle acting workshop batch 10. From there he had his TV role in the drama soap opera Pangako Sa Yo (My Promise to you) from the same network. But this Ateneo de Manila graduate was acting in theatre long before the talent scouts lured him into television.
Undoubtedly his breakthrough role came in the film Bridal Shower by Seiko films in which he was able to display his acting potential as a drama actor. This along with the move to the GMA Network opened a slew of opportunities for the young actor. This move has seen him feature in prominently in three notable shows in Philippine television, the daytime drama Daisy Siete and the fantasy series' Encantadia (as Aquil) and Etheria (as Amarro).He is currrently rumored to have relationships with Diana Zubiri and StarStruck Batch 2's final 4 LJ Reyes.
And by placing 2nd in our Group J poll, Alfred Vargas is our 20th semi-finalist running for the title Asian Heartthrob 2006.

Rangga Raditya of Indonesia is our 19th Semi-finalist

Rangga Raditya is Indonesia's bet in this year's Manhunt International 2006 which was held in China. Rangga placed in the top 15 semi-finals of the said pageant. Last year, he won in L-Men Indonesia as 1st runner-up which earned him the right to represent Indonesia in Manhunt where the winner of the local pageant will represent Indonesia in Mr. World.
Rangga topped our Group J poll by 56% earning him the 19th spot in the semi-finals running for the title Asian Heartthrob 2006.

Jericho Rosales, PHILIPPINES

Heartthrob No. 87

Name: Jericho Rosales Age: 27 yrs. old

Birthday: September 22, 1979

Country: Philippines

Occupation: Actor, Model

Known for: the Asian hit series "Pangako Sa 'Yo" (My Promise) and as Pepsi image model

Nando, INDONESIA

Heartthrob No. 86

Name: Nando Bercitacita Age: 25

Country: Indonesia

Occupation: Model

Known for: winning the title L-men Indonesia 2006

The Result of our Group I Poll

Rafael Rossell of the Philippines and Hyun Bin of Korea is our 17th & 18th semi-finalist respectively. Malaysia's Peter Toong will compete again for the wild card while Vietnam's Le Qoang Hoa is now eliminated.

Korea's Hyun Bin is Our 18th Semifinalist

Kim Tae-pyung otherwise known as Hyun Bin (pronounced Hyeon Bin) is a Korean actor who was born on September 25, 1982. Hyun Bin is 184 cm. tall weighing 74 kg. with a blood type B.
His very first tv series is called "Bodyguard" which was shown on Korean tv last 2003. But he catapulted to stardom when his 2005 tv series "My Name is Kim Sam Soon" became a hit and was shown on other countries like Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia and other Asian countries. "Sam Soon" grabbed numerous Korean tv awards last year including acting honors for Hyun Bin.
His current tv series as of the moment is called "Queen of Snow." If it becomes a hit in Korea, there is a possibility that it will be shown in various Asian countries, too!
His 3rd movie "A Millionaire's First Love" did well in Korea's box office this year.
By placing 2nd in Group I poll topped by Filipino actor-model Rafael Rossell, Hyun Bin is now our 18th semi-finalist running for the title Asian Heartthrob 2006. View tons of Hyun Bin's photos here.

Gorgeous Hunk Rafael Rosell is our 17th Semifinalist

Meet Rafael Quimpo Rosell IV, that incredibly handsome guy throwing kisses in the Close-Up commercial in the Philippines. Born and raised in Norway, Rafael found his way into Philippine entertainment when a friend of his mom suggested that they send over some tapes and pictures to ABS-CBN, and soon, Rafael was gracing the TV screens with his killer good looks and undeniable charm.

Being in this industry isn't purely glitz and glamour for this cutie. Rafael now lives by himself, away from his parents and two brothers, Ralph, 12, and Russell, 5. He also has to take part in numerous workshops, in preparation for television guestings and also maybe to prepare himself for his greatest dream---to get to Hollywood! Well, with his personality and looks, he definitely has a shot at it!
Putting his heart into his craft, Rafael shows the promise of a true actor. Now, he is seen in more and more television shows, including Tabing Ilog, where he plays Oliver, and Arriba, Arriba, with Jolina Magdangal, his co-star in his first ever film where he played a role that suits him perfectly--- a dream guy! And just in case you are planning to capture this guy's heart, one tip from me---be yourself! Rafael finds it appealing when a girl opens up, acts natural, and eats whatever she wants to eat on a date. A girl who starves herself to death just because she wants to impress a guy by eating only a teeny-weeny serving of salad is a no-no for gorgeous Rafael.
So, wanna bet that he's on his way to stardom? My bottom dollar says that he's going to sweep us all off our feet and amaze us with how high he's gonna soar. Rafael Rosell is already every inch a celebrity, with his enthusiasm, dedication and perseverance, not to mention his smashing good looks and cute smile. He's simply what you've always been dreaming of...that's the Close-Up boy, up-close.
By topping our Group I poll, Rafael is now our 17th Semi-finalist running for the title Asian Heartthrob 2006!

Victor Basa, Another Filipino, is our 16th Semifinalist for the Title Asian Heartthrob 2006

Filipino male model Victor Basa is now breaking into showbiz by joining ABS CBN's Star Magic batch 14. He’s no "cutie" (the term Star Magic describes its new batch of would-be stars) to us but a hunk. Anyway, Victor Basa never imagined himself doing other things aside from modelling. He was first seen in a fashion show at the Mega Young Designer Competition and was last given the title Best Model Form in the MTV Fashionista 2004. His name and face are familiar in the business as he is seen in billboards and magazines, especially with him being one of Penshoppe’s image models. He was also included in Cosmo’s Ten Bachelors, Candy Cuties and Chalk Magazine’s Today’s Hottest Models.

Even before becoming a ramp model, 20-year-old Victor had wanted to try acting (whether in theater or in the movies or TV), he said. He’s very happy now because he never expected that Star Magic would notice him. Because he thought he did not have the look and the personality to be a star. Well, he’s wrong...
Check out more about Victor Basa here.
View more Victor Basa screencaps and pictorials in the AZhunks Gallery.
By placing 2nd in our Group H poll, Victor is now one step closer to the title Asian Heartthrob 2006. So for Victor Basa fans out there, support Victor in the upcoming semi-finals poll to start this October 2006.

The Result of our Group H Poll: 2 More Filipinos will Advance to the Next Round

Two Filipinos top our Group H poll and they are actor/model/entrepreneur Diether Ocampo and supermodel Victor Basa. Diether garnered 281 votes or 35% and Victor garnered 247 votes or 31%. Hong Kong pop star Kenny Kwan placed 3rd and will compete again for another wild card round. Sexy model Dan Hoang of Vietnam is now eliminated for the running.

Diether Ocampo of the Philippines is our 15th Semi-finalist

He auditioned for ABS-CBN's talent search in 1996. A year and a half later, he became one of the members of Star Circle Batch II. His first movie appearance was in 'Calvento Files (1997)' .He also dabbles in photography and used to take up classical guitar lessons at the Yamaha School of Music. But all those activities have taken a backseat to his steadily rising show biz career.

The biggest trade-off of his career, however, is his education. Diether was a second year physical therapy student at De La Salle University in Dasmarinas, Cavite, when he was bitten by the show biz bug. It was his grandmother, who urged him to take up physical therapy. After all, he comes from a family of doctors. His last name is Pascual.

It was ABS-CBN Talent Center director Johnny Manahan, who advised him to use Ocampo, his mom's maiden name. "I regret that I wasn't able to finish college when I entered show biz," says Diether. "But an opportunity like this comes only once." The eldest child in a brood of three, Diether describes himself as a reluctant actor. He never imagined himself acting before the cameras.

When he was in college, he got interested in music. He formed a garage band with his campus friends and played alternative rock. But it took acting workshops with Peque Gallaga (film director) to hone Diether's talent, before he became an actor. Today, Diether, is happy about the way his career is turning out. "Everything I planned to achieve, I was able to do in less than five years, which was the original timetable," he says. He credits director Johnny Manahan and ABS-CBN for his flourishing career. He has also been handled by resident ABS-CBN directors "They were the ones who motivated me to take up acting seriously," Diether says. His show biz earnings are apparently more than enough for him to maintain a comfortable lifestyle and provide a better life for his family.

To date, he has purchased a townhouse for his mom, who moved from Cavite to Quezon City, Philippines. He is one of Bench top models. He also established several business ventures. From TV, Diether has made a smooth transition to the movies. He has appeared in a number of big screen blockbusters in the Philippines and has won some acting awards. By topping our Group H poll, Diether is officially our 15th semi-finalist for the title Asian Hearttrhob 2006!

First Wild Card: Eight Heartthrobs Compete for 2 Slots in the Semis

They placed 3rd in their respective heats and now they are given one last chance to become ASIAN HEARTTHROB 2006. The top 2 heartthrobs among this group of 8 who get the most number of votes will fast track to our semi-finals.

VOTE HERE

Alvin Alfonso is Our 14th Semi-finalist

Chinese Heartthrob Edison Chen is our 13th Semi-finalist

Edison Chen was born on October 7th, 1980 to Chinese parents. Raised in Vancouver and New York, he now lives in Hong Kong and currently works in Asian cinema, music and fashion. He owns a lifestyle company named CLOT, which works with labels and artists from all around the world gathering them all together in unison in the Greater Asian region, although they are based in the Hong Kong region. Edison's official online blog states that "He is just a normal everyday guy like you, but only his job is to entertain..."

As a Canadian, he searched for a successful way to become a celebrity. Seeing how he failed to receive any recording contracts within Canada or the States considering his Chinese descent, he later returned to Hong Kong, and with the help of his Father and networks, he was able to make it big, signing a deal with the EEG company. Since then, he has sold over a million in CDs, involved with numerous films and advertisements, including Levi's Jeans and Samsung Cellphones.

Prior to his music career, he went to High School in Hong Kong International School (HKIS) in the class of 1998. He also attended high school at R. C. Palmer Secondary School in Richmond, BC.
Chen has starred in many films including Infernal Affairs II and Twins Effect. He also sings cantopop and can speak English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. However, as with many foreign-born Chinese, Edison does not have a perfect command of Cantonese or Mandarin. He is idolized for his "cool" attitude and his good looks, though critics cite him as conceited ("chuen", "串", in Cantonese slang).
Though many consider Edison Chen to be the first pop singer who brought hip-hop culture to Hong Kong music industry, it was LMF that began the underground hip-hop industry in Hong Kong. But if LMF started hip-hop in Hong Kong, Edison made it mainstream in Cantopop. This is reflected as many of Edison's rap songs feature MC Yan from the now disbanded LMF.
His song "Hong Kong Place", featuring MC Yan and Han Jin, about how the Hong Kong people are like, and calls for union of the Hong Kong people, was one of the great hits in 2004. Edison continued his hip-hop style, and released another hip-hop album HAZY in 2005. The song "Taste of Breath" describes the assault incident Edison encountered before.
Edison's first movie Gen-Y Cops received terrible reviews from the Hong Kong media. As he has gained more experience he has improved somewhat since those early days. He recently starred in the film Jiang Hu in which his character had to rape a dog as a punishment. This scene however, did not bring praise from critics as Edison remains, as some critics say, "talentless". In the movie Initial D Chen took the role of Ryosuke Takahashi.
Currently, Edison is making his Hollywood Debut in The Grudge 2, the second in a Japanese horror remake of Ju-on, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Amber Rose Tamblyn. He is cast as an investigative reporter. The film will be released on Friday, October 13 2006.
Edison had also established his own lifestyle company, CLOT inc. It is co-owned by Edison himself with partners Kevin Poon and Billy Ip. CLOT has been a hit in Hong Kong since its establishment in 2004, with their retail select clothing shop JUICE selling brands from around the globe, including silas, tonite, PAM, devilock and neighborhood, etc. Edison and co hit the peak this year with their collaboration with Nike on a pair of sneakers, known as the Air Max 1 Kiss Of Deaths. The sneakers sold out immediately after its worldwide release and has known to be one of the most sought after sneakers this year to Sneaker Heads.
Edison has got the help from fellow rap artist "Lupe Fiasco" to help Edison by being fetured in a mixtape with Edison. The song "Chicapow" was well known getting Edison more well known in the rap scene. Not only has Lupe Fiasco helped Edison with songs, he also models with Edison's CLOT clothing.

The Result of our Group G Poll

Chinese superstar Edison Chen tops our Group G poll by garnering 305 votes or 40% of the 4-way poll. Placing second is commercial model Alvin Alfonso of the Philippines by garnering 279 votes or 37%. Both Edison and Alvin will now enter the semi-final round leaving third placer Narimiya Mocomichi of Japan to compete again for the wild card round by placing 3rd in this poll. 4th placer, Ahmed Butt of Pakistan was only able to gather 49 votes and is now eliminated for the running.

Wilson Chen, TAIWAN

Heartthrob No. 85

Name: Wilson Chen Age: 23 yrs. old

Birthday: August 27, 1983

Country: Taiwan

Occupation: Actor