Friday Morning Man: Alex Meraz!

The lion’s share of attention surrounding the Twilight sequel New Moon has been around Taylor Lautner’s transformation from everyday skinny teen to buff movie stud.

But Taylor is just 17 so I shy away from going on too much about his new body. His co-star, Alex Meraz, however, is 24 and fair game! The actor put on 20 pounds of muscle to play a werewolf in the movie.

What’s the difference between a werewolf and a vampire? Alex explains it in the new issue of People Magazine: “Werewolves represent a raw, animalistic side of sex. Vampires are pasty. I’d rather be a werewolf.”

Alex grew up just outside Tempe, Ariz. and is also a contemporary Native American dance (a member of the Mexican tribe Purepecha),. He fell in love with his wife, Kim, when he saw her doing the salsa because, he says, “the hips don’t lie.”

And neither do these photos. Alex is one smokin’ hot werewolf!