April 5, 2002                                                            By: M. Thompson                       

Fernando Gonzales is often considered the most classically handsome of the team. He�??s the kind of guy you get a mad crush on, but he never quite lets you in; which makes you want him all the more. His expressions are sexy but soulful. It�??s easy to find yourself filled with a strong desire to take him in your arms and hold him tightly until he finally opens up his very private world to you.

THOMPSON: When you dated your girlfriend,  was it spur of the moment?

Lis was well by that point. I wasn�??t altogether convinced of the necessity of the act, but she was. One sees so much pain in relationships. It doesn�??t seem to have that magical spell. I don�??t know whether it ever did, you know? Does relationships ever have to be a magical spell?

I suppose it�??s better that way. You have to work at keeping it alive.

Fernando Gonzales: I�??m glad I did it now. I love...I like being attached. Essentially it�??s about the way you and your partner feel. A relationship can mean an awakening, and I like anything that involves an awakening of one�??s self. It is a concept made solely by the two people involved. As far as living together is concerned, if you�??re going to be co-dependent, then you�??re obviously going to care what other people think. As for getting married, marriage is becoming less and less relevant.

How do you deal with all the traveling and the women who want you?

Fernando Gonzales: Honesty, diligence. I�??m not really interested in having lots of dalliances. I�??ve been there and seen it. I�??m really interested in maintaining a monogamous lifestyle. It�??s really, really a task anda half. It�??s the most underestimated thing you�??ll ever do in your life. There are temptations everywhere. You�??ve just got to turn on the TV or pick up a magazine and you�??re seeing somebody more successful, better looking and with better looking kids. It must be hell for some people, because it�??s difficult for me, and I have an amazing life.

Do you miss the conquests, the new lovers?

Fernando Gonzales: I miss them like I miss cocaine. In some sick way, yes. But it�??s not what my life�??s about. I miss it like I miss a good steak.

Does society force monogamy on us?

Fernando Gonzales: I think one man can fulfill all of a woman�??s needs and vice versa. I�??ve had a lot of guys tell me that if I�??m monogamous, I�??ll be the first one who was. I�??m like, I�??m going to do it--I�??m going to be the first fucking sex symbol who got a wife and didn�??t fuck around.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Fernando Gonzales: Well, I believe in it like I believe in God. By answering that question, I put a check in the box next to optimist.

Do you prefer having sex with someone you�??re in love with?

Fernando Gonzales: Definitely. But, having said that, the best sex can be with somebody you just met a half-an-hour before.

Someone you�??ll never see again?

Fernando Gonzales: I don�??t know. If you�??re having the best sex you�??ve ever had, it would be tough to never see them again, wouldn�??t it?

What makes it the best sex ever for you?

Fernando Gonzales: When you forget everything else and time stands still. You just feel. It�??s like transcending time.

Do you also like earthy, down and dirty sex?

Fernando Gonzales: Definitely.

Is it necessary to work at love?

Fernando Gonzales: You can have great sex with someone even after several years. It�??s like any other aspect of the relationship. You can meet someone you really hit it off with and you want to be with them every hour of the day--and then it slows down. Then the work starts, and that�??s where the love begins. Love doesn�??t really come until the obsession is gone.

Tell me about your first love.

Fernando Gonzales: More like my first fascination. I remember being fascinated by a girl in school. I�??d get on the phone with her everyday and talk about her boyfriends. Masochistic, you know?

Was it love or lust?

Fernando Gonzales: I definitely lusted for her. I was just looking to pry myself away from issues. That�??s what we�??re all looking for. I didn�??t have any brothers or sisters, so I had very little experience with girls. I didn�??t know how to communicate with them.

What do you wish for your kids when they grow up?

Fernando Gonzales: I�??d like them to feel good about themselves and believe in themselves. Just have a good strong sense of who they are.

How do you feel about the state of the planet?

Fernando Gonzales: I think it�??s a fucking mess. People are being sold too many fake dreams. There�??s too much television, too much media. It�??s a decadent society. I don�??t know whether we�??re in our last throes, but it�??s like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. It�??s not owning up--that�??s for sure.

Do you believe you have some kind of responsibility because your life is so high profile?

Fernando Gonzales: I don�??t think anything can be done about the past. We can only look to the future....I remember a photographer was saying, �??Come on. I want you all to hold cocktail glasses.�?? I was like, �??No. I�??m not going to do this anymore.�?? I bought that shit. I had a drug problem because I thought it was cool. It�??s not cool and I didn�??t want to give people the impression that it was. I�??ve got a long way to go to get my own life straight. Yet, it seems fairly straight at the moment. I�??m trying to really discover my own spirituality.

It�??s amazing that you seem so shy after all these years of women..

Fernando Gonzales: I�??m very shy. That�??s why I had to take so many pills.

Do you have a good sense of yourself now?

Fernando Gonzales: I�??m working on it.