Will-ing to take risks

MANILA, Philippines - There is much more to Will Devaughn than the perfectly chiseled body and the absolute to-die-for face. The hunk commercial model-turned-actor is a loving son, a wonderful brother and a patient lover.

What William Devaughn Stumpf treasures most in his life is his family. He reveals he has never met any of his grandparents, uncles, aunts or cousins. The family he dearly loves is composed of his mother and brother.

“It’s just me, my mom and my brother. And that’s all I need,” Will says.

Will’s mom is of German descent and his is from an African-American family. Will, his mom and his older brother Kevin stayed in Germany until Will was five. The family then moved to the US and transferred from one state to another until before Will turned 20. His mom now lives in Radcliffe, Kentucky while Kevin lives in New York.

Will’s stepfather, who somehow replaced his real father in Will’s life, is in Iraq where he works for the US government as head of security.

Will’s search for the father he never knew brought him to the country.

He thought his search will end when he joined Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2 in 2007 where he emerged the Fourth Big Placer.

A true Filipino by heart, Will came to the Philippines to follow a dream and his heart. The Filipinos welcomed him warmly as he tried his luck in modeling. Lady luck smiled at this handsome young man and soon, Will was in TV commercials and print advertisements everywhere.

 Will has done hosting stints, movies and TV series. He played the character of Patrick in Regal Entertainment’s trilogy film Desperadas. He has another movie in the works. In the small screen, Will was seen in a cameo role in Komiks Presents: Da Adventures of Pedro Penduko before he went inside the Big Brother House. He also played a supporting role in Love Spell: The Bet.

The Kapamilya Network gave Will his break when he played a main role as Monty in Precious Hearts Romances: The Bud Brothers which made afternoon TV viewers swoon over him. He also starred opposite Judy Ann Santos in Habang May Buhay and again in Precious Hearts Romances: You’re Mine, Only Mine. He guested in Shall We Dance, Your Song Presents: Gimik 2010 and Magkaribal.

Mid-October last year, Will decided to take a great leap forward and signed a contract with the Kapuso Network. He was formally introduced on GMA’s Party Pilipinas and hosted the show Beauty Queen. He is Elvin in Dwarfina.

Through it all, Will’s family has been behind him, supporting him all the way, even as it meant seeing him only once a year. What Will misses the most is snowball fighting with his brother in Germany.

Before Will entered show business, he was a medical technician in Anaheim, California. Actually, Will wanted to get into the Air Force but did not make it because his vision was 1100, over exceeding the Air Force limit of 300. Yes, the piercing eyes that could melt anyone’s heart were once “legally blind” until three years ago when Will had LASIK surgery. He now has almost 20/20 vision. Will holds a bachelor’s degree in Surgical Technology from Bryman College in California. If Will is not in showbiz, he is most likely to be working as a medical technologist or a pharmaceutical salesman. Because he came from the medical discipline, Will knows that being healthy is very important. His priority when not working is working out at the gym.

 “I always mix up routines at the gym so that I don’t get bored easily. I make it a point to find a new workout program every now and then,” Will shares. He also likes playing basketball.

The gentleman looks up to Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid and keeps in touch with his close friends from ABS-CBN like Rafael Rosell, Jon Avila and John James Uy. “We walk the same path but have different shoes on,” he says of his contemporaries.

Will admits he is not in any relationship at the moment, but that he would love to settle down in the future.

“Getting married and having kids has always been a dream of mine. It will happen, just not now,” he says.

“When I do get married and become a father, I want to be a good role model to both my wife and children. I want to be the kind of dad who my kids can talk to about anything. A father and a friend. Fairly strict but still the ‘cool’ dad,” Will adds.

Also a budding entrepreneur, Will is working on a business with a few friends that they hope to launch soon.

  When asked what his dreams are, Will says, “I am living the dream.”