Liam Hemsworth is new Bench endorser!

Breaking news!

Confirmed: Bench has just enlisted Liam Hemsworth as its newest endorser.

The deal came on the heels of the brand’s recent acquisition as models such A-list stars as Joe Jonas (who was a recent Manila visitor to drum up for Bench); Michael Trevino (of hit US TV series The Vampire Diaries); Hollywood actress Lucy Hale; and Korean superstars Dong Hae and Si Won (of Super Junior).

Bench has just also signed up a K-Pop superstar (subject of a Funfare blind item last week) whose identity Funfare is not yet authorized to reveal. The STAR did a one-on-one with the guy in Seoul two weeks ago.

Bench boss Ben Chan was in L.A. last week to finalize the contract with Liam and supervise the pictorial for the Bench posters and billboards.

Liam (the youngest among three brothers in Hollywood, the others are Luke and Chris who plays Thor in Avengers) played Gale Hawthorne in the recent hit The Hunger Games. He started his career in his native Australia by playing the role of Josh Taylor in the soap opera Neighbours and as Marcus on the children’s television series The Elephant Princess. In 2010, he starred in the American film The Last Song with Miley Cyrus with whom he is engaged.

Born in Melbourne on Jan. 13, 1990, to Leonie, an English teacher, and Craig Hemsworth, a social-services counselor, Liam was quoted in interviews as saying that though there is competition for jobs with his brothers, “It is friendly; it pushes us and we are always happy whenever someone books something.”

When Liam was a kid, he and his family relocated to Phillip Island, a small island where he and his brothers spent much of their time. In March 2009, Liam moved to the US to pursue his career there.

Prior to becoming an actor, Liam laid floors for six months. He began to seriously consider following his elder brothers’ footsteps and become an actor in high school when he took on an agent. He attended his first audition at the age of 16 and began his career in 2007 with guest spots on the shows Home and Away and McLeod’s Daughters. In July 2007, Liam began filming episodes for Neighbours, an Australian soap opera his brother Luke had previously starred in. Liam’s character, Josh Taylor, was a recurring paraplegic character from 2007 to 2008.

In 2013, he will appear in Empire State with Emma Roberts, Paranoia co-starring Harrison Ford and Timeless as a widower who travels back in time. He will reprise his role as Gale Hawthorne in Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games set to be released in November 2013.

He is set to play Ali Baba in Arabian Nights co-starring Anthony Hopkins and Dwayne Johnson in 2014.

According to Funfare sources, Liam is the ambassador of the Australian Childhood Foundation.

“I have the best parents you can have,” he was quoted as saying. “They have worked in child protection for 20 years and have only ever given me encouragement and support. The world is a scary enough place as it is for children. It is important that home should always be a safe place for them.”

When asked if he believed he was a hero to children, Liam modestly responded, “I don’t know if I’m a hero to children, but I’d like to be. I’d like to be a good role model.”

Meanwhile, watch for him turn heads when his Bench billboards are put up in the metropolis.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)