Fabio On Sex Appeal

Fabio Lanzoni started modeling at the tender age of 14. At 46, he's the world's go-to knight in shining armor, having beefed up the covers of hundreds of romance novels. A true Italian renaissance man, Fabio evenly divides his time between socializing, working out, managing his ladies' apparel business and caring for his 175 motorcycles.

How have your looks helped you?

Looks are a double-edged sword. With women, it has opened a lot of doors for me. With men, it's closed a lot of doors.

Because men are jealous?

Not so much anymore, but when I was younger, some of the male entertainment executives felt threatened.

How did you deal with that?

It's part of life. I see myself as a very fortunate human being. Most people are always comparing themselves to that top 1 percent. I compare myself to the other 99 percent.

What is your advice to help women feel more attractive?

God gave you a mind, a spirit and a body, and you should take care
of all three.

Would you like to be married someday?

Yes. I'm looking for a woman with a really good sense of humor. There is only so much time you can spend looking at another person without conversation.

Don't you think the longer you are single, the harder it will be to adjust to being married?

But you're wiser! When you're young, you're stupid. In my 20s, I had tons of testosterone. You have to get that out of your system.

Have you ever met a woman who wasn't initially attractive to you but then became so?

Oh many, many times. To me, the biggest attraction is a woman's charisma, her soul, her inner strength.

How do you pick up on those qualities?

They really shine through. When she looks into your eyes, and as soon as she opens her mouth, you can tell. If she is wise, she can jump from one topic to another.

Sometimes you meet a pretty woman, and it's like talking to a little girl. Because she's based everything on her looks, she hasn't developed anything. So as a human being, she has nothing to offer.

Your ads for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and Nationwide insurance skewer your sex-symbol image.

The Nationwide commercial was the Superbowl favorite. And we were selling death! I like to make fun of myself. I don't take myself seriously, because there is so much more to life than just being good looking.