Tobias Truvillion: Black Stud Make Soap Subs

32-year-old former model Tobias Truvillion joined ABC's long-running soap opera 'One Life To Live' in April of 2006.

In a short time, his character Vincent Jones has gone from being the misguided resident bad guy to a likable entrepreneur who is madly in love with Layla Williamson (played by actress Tika Sumpter).

His work on 'One Life To Live' is causing people to take note and Truvillion was just nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Awards for Best Actor in a Daytime Drama Series.

"I feel blessed," the actor said about his nomination.

Fans are also digging the Queens , New York-bred talent. Its no secret that soap fans are some of the most fanatical in entertainment - particularly the ladies!

"The women are crazy. Women are devious. I'll be out with my lady sometimes and then I'll have eight women winking at me. They do all kinds of crazy things. They don't care. They want me and I know that, but it's a strange balance with your regular life and dealing with women. They want to touch and feel on you and some women think you're gonna make them rich or something," the actor told me over dinner at O'Neals' restaurant on

West 65^th Street

in New York City .

Jawn Murray & Tobias Truvillion at O'Neals' in NYC

Though soap followers may be a little overzealous, Truvillion would not trade it for the world.

"The soap fans are just great though," he continued. "I think all of the fan encounters are great. I like when people are subtle and they come up to you even if you're out eating in a diner or a restaurant and they recognize you. They allow you to finish your food and then they come up to you later and speak to you and let you know they think you're doing a good job. They always catch me in the oddest places. I would be home cleaning the yard and working in the garden. Then, I'll have to run into Home Depot to pick up some more stuff and I'll be looking all dirty. People will be like, 'Aren't you...?' You know what really bugs me out? They'll be like, 'You look just like that guy on the soap, but he's way more handsome than you are!' It's fun, man."

Having once played a bad guy on 'One Life To Live,' people sometimes have a misperception of the man behind magic.

"The thing is that people have images of you and when you have an image, people have an agenda. They think, 'This is Vincent Jones, this slick guy.' When they start talking to me and I don't do the things that they expect and it can throw them for a loop sometimes," he explained.

Truvillion has enjoyed capturing the arc of Vincent Jones and helping to make the character more endearing to the audience.

"I enjoy the transition. I think it's good for my soap life. I think it's more attractive to some people to see me being the good guy. I don't really think he was that bad. He was a business man so he was just doing his thing. He had a couple of deals that didn't work out for him and then he got labeled a bad guy. He's actually got a good heart and is more of a good guy than a bad guy," he enlightened.

Tobias Truvillion & Tika Sumpter in action on 'One Life To Live'

Making the transition from model - he has appeared in ads for Brand Jordan, Reebok and Enyce - to actor was a challenge that Truvillion was excited about, but one he said he couldn't do alone.

"I wouldn't be able to do any of this without my wonderful acting coach, Phynjuar Thomas. She's the mother of actress Michelle Thomas, who was on 'Family Matters,'" shared Truvillion.

Michelle Thomas died from cancer in 1998 and her mother started the Michelle Thomas Admiration Society, which Truvillion is a big supporter of.

When he's not involved in philanthropic endeavors or shopping for Black art-he has an extensive Black art collection-Truvillion is working to stay in shape so that everything is in tact for those shirtless scenes.

"Right now, I've been riding my bike for about two months pretty hard," he disclosed about his regimen. "I'm an athlete so I've been playing football and basketball all of my life. I do a lot of boxing and I jump rope and take care of my home with my puppy. Just getting up everyday and doing your job is enough work to keep you active and burn calories. That's basically what I try to do."

Like actress Erika Slezak who played Victoria Lord Davidson on 'One Life To Live' for more than 36 years, Truvillion said he intends to play Vincent Jones for as long as the soap will have him.

"I just want to be able to work and act and keep it moving. I want to see the character do some dirt. I want to see him make love. I want to see him be an athlete and a businessman. He has power and I want to see a little more of it. I enjoy the show. If they want me there for 30 years, I'd be there," he closed.

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(Tobias Truvillion in the music video)

Buzz Trivia

A nearly baldheaded Tobias Truvillion once appeared as the male lead in what reality star-turned R&B sensation's music video. Which singer and what song was the music video for?