Chris Evans FC (Captain America 2 Pics sets pg26) - Page 11

Hero Complex

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE CAPTAIN AMERICA? FOR ACTOR CHRIS EVANS, IT'S COMPLICATED.

There is a scene halfway through The Iceman—the based-on-a-true-story movie about Richard Kuklinski, the most prolific, least conflicted hit man of all time—in which Chris Evans, who has become wildly successful in the role of squeaky-clean Captain America, chops up bodies with a giant cleaver. There are bloody limbs everywhere, and Evans, his boyish features obscured by a shaggy beard and long matted hair, is positively gleeful as Robert Pronge, the contract killer who assisted Kuklinski. Evans, 31, is a natural leading man, and although it would make sense for him to protect his superhero status, he is aggressively resistant to being typecast. "I was obsessed with the Iceman," Evans told me over the phone from Los Angeles, where he is training for the next installment of Captain America (a series that includes Marvel's theAvengers, Disney's highest-grossing domestic film to date). "I'm attracted to that sociopathic stuff—the idea of no handcuffs on your personality. A thousand times a day I want to stand on my chair, kick over my water glass, and say what's on my mind. But I don't. Pronge did; he was the crazy mayor of his own island."

Pronge, who sold ice cream when he wasn't killing strangers for money, had the split personality that Evans finds attractive in the characters he portrays. What made Captain America compelling was the disparity between Steve Rogers, the real-life regular guy, and his crusading, muscle-bound alter ego. And yet when Evans was offered the part, which came with a multi-movie franchise commitment, he resisted—and even went into therapy. He was worried about being seen as a cartoon character for nine more films. Marvel Studios reduced the number to six, but Evans said no again. Finally, he realized that becoming an international star would not be the end of the world. "And if I hadn't done the movie, I'd be kicking myself," he said.

Evans grew up in Boston in a family of performers, and his mother still runs a youth theater. "We were like the von Trapps, all singing and dancing. I still sing everywhere—in the shower, in the car, before I got on the phone with you." As a teen, he went to acting camp ("I was one of the few straight guys there; I realized early that the odds with girls were in my favor"), and at 18 he moved to Los Angeles after booking a pilot. He was cast almost immediately in the 2001 spoof Not Another Teen Movie and then opposite Scarlett Johansson in 2004's The Perfect Score.

I discovered Evans when he appeared in 2005's London. I was procrastinating and desperately searching for something to watch at 2 a.m., when I became riveted by a movie in which a couple—Evans and Jessica Biel (who were dating at the time)—are fighting at a party. Evans was seductive and hateful, a rare combination. "When people tell me, 'I love London,' I say, 'You must have had a f**ked-up relationship!'?" Evans said. "I've had those arguments with women; I've said those things. Sadly, I related to that narcissistic drug addict!"

Photo courtesy of Gucci

"I'm hoping nobody figures me out and takes it away from me," says Evans of his campaign for Gucci's new fragrance, available in stores now. Before he started acting and had to dress up for premieres and press junkets, Evans stuck to his everyman outfit of a T-shirt and jeans. His style and grooming have since evolved out of necessity, but repping a luxe label like Gucci still occasionally throws him for a loop. "I don't know how much I really bring to the table," he says with a laugh.

He needn't be worried. As it turns out, Evans has sage style wisdom—and more—to impart. With his new flick The Iceman in theaters Friday (and sequels to both Captain America and The Avengers hitting the next two summers), the 31-year-old actor is busier than ever, but he's still got advice for his fellow average guy.

Men's Health: The last time we interviewed you, you said Not Another Teen Movie is "the worst movie ever made." I'll give you the chance to go on the record and officially take that back, sir.

Chris Evans: [Laughs] You gotta take everything I say in interviews with a grain of salt. I'm sure it's not the worst movie ever made. But you know, it's one of those movies you look back on and say, well, it was fun at the time, and there was certainly a reason for doing it, but it's not exactly Citizen Kane.

MH: I'll accept that. Obviously you were super young when you made it. How do you learn from your past mistakes, especially when one such mistake is signing up for a movie in which you almost have sex with your little sister?

Evans: Oh God, did I do that in the movie? That's right! Well, that's just it. Acting is a trial-and-error business. Every actor has a few movies on their resume that they're not terribly proud of, but that's how you learn. You realize that acting is such a collaboration, and you can't just focus on your piece of the puzzle. You have to work with everybody. If making movies was easier, there'd be a lot more good movies. So you kind of learn that if it's just a good script, or if it's just a good producer, that's not always enough. You need an entire team of creative people coming together.

MH: Do you think every guy needs to have a clunker or two on his resume to be successful?

Evans: I don't think you need to go through failure first, but it can certainly help. Failure is the opportunity to learn.

MH: Playing Captain America has made you mega-famous. How hard is it to moonlight as an average guy when your day job is to be a movie star?

Evans: It depends on how you set up your regular life. If you're strutting around Beverly Hills and hitting up these big industry parties every night when you're not making movies, then it's going to eventually consume you. But for me, I live most of my life in Boston. I do things no different from the way my buddies back home do them, except when I go to work, I go to a film set.

MH: What do you do to stay grounded when things get nuts?

Evans: It's not like you actively have to do things to stay grounded. You're either one type of person or you're not. If you're someone who's gonna start getting too big for your britches and your head's going to swell, it's almost strange that you'd have to go and do something to bring you back down to earth. I live a normal life. Being around my friends reminds me of who I am and where I come from.

MH: There's a ton of research on the health benefits of guys' nights. Are they still a regular part of your schedule?

Evans: Oh God, yeah. Absolutely.

MH: Okay, so let's go grab a couple pints and shoot the shit tonight. What are we talking about?

Evans: We're definitely talking sports. I'll talk about football and basketball all day. I'm not a huge fan of baseball, which is too bad, since the Red Sox are kind of in my blood.

MH: Or we could talk about how you're the face of Gucci Guilty Black. Doesn't a Boston guy representing this luxury Italian brand strike you as a little weird?

Evans: Yes, it's beyond weird. I'm representing this very stylish brand with all this cache and class. But it's fantastic, and I'm blessed.

MH: Since you stepped into this role, how has your own style evolved?

Evans: Well, Gucci makes sure I have clothing. I do a lot of press for films, and they've definitely outfitted me with suits when I've needed them. It's good to have a closet full of nice things. I didn't always have them.

MH: Even before Gucci, how did you arrive at your own individual style?

Evans: I feel like my style's always been influenced by less is more. The coolest styles are kind of simple and classic, like a white T-shirt and jeans. Maybe you have a cool belt and cool shoes, but everything else you keep simple.

MH: Before you had to get fancy for premieres and junkets, how much stock did you put into wearing cologne?

Evans: I always cared about fragrance. I love the way women smell, and by the same token, women love the way we smell. When it comes to grooming, I may not do facials and manicures, but hitting yourself with a bottle of cologne in the morning goes a long way.

MH: What are your personal cologne rules? Dab it on your neck? Walk into a spritz cloud?

Evans: I do the cloud thing. I never want to put it on my skin. I don't know why, but my dad shied me away from that as a kid. I think he said it wasn't good.

MH: So what does Gucci Guilty Black do for men?

Evans: It's a darker, sexier, sleeker kind of look. The scents kind of hit the base notes of patchouli in there. It's just a little more intense.

MH: Let's end with your three most underrated style and grooming tips for guys.

Evans: Let's see. I really like this stuff called Fiber, by Crew. It's always been my go-to hair product. It just works for my hair. What else? Uh, be sure to moisturize. And don't forget deodorant. [Laughs]

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Actor Chris Evans and Minka Kelly are still going strong. They were recently spotted holding hands after going to Jessica Alba's birthday party at the Bootsy Bellows Club in Los Angeles, California on April 27, 2013. 

Rumors spread of them getting back together in September of 2012. Evans, who's currently in filming for the second Captain America movie, and the newly blonde Kelly had tried to avoid the paparazzi in October and again on Valentine's Day. 

The two had previously dated for a while in 2007. Evans and Kelly broke up for the first time in August of 2011 after dating for three years. They split again in March of 2012 and Kelly was rumored to be dating "That 70's Show" star Wilmer Valderrama and later, actor Jake Gyllenhaal. 

Evans has previously dated Kate Bosworth, Jessica Biel, Gisele Bundchen and Christina Ricci. 

Evans's second Captain America film. "The Winter Soldier" started filming in early April and is scheduled for release on April 4, 2014. Anthony and Joe Russo will direct the film based on the Marvel comic book. Evans previously starred as Captain America in the 2011 film "Captain America: The First Avenger" and in the 2012 summer hit "The Avengers."