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The sexy TV hearththrob loves hip-hop, women and long, hot baths...

The approach to Brian Austin Green's Spanish-style house in North Hollywood is a steep incline. At the end of the drive hangs a well-used basketball hoop resting like a shrine above the garage door. As I pull in, he greets me with a warm, infectious smile and invites me inside, where I'm treated to an enthusiastic welcome from his two dogs, Alik, an imposing but docile Rottweiler, and Bailey, a rambunctious one-year-old Golden Retriever.

This serene domestic setting reflects Brian's early successes. His career has been going nonstop since he was 10, starting with a four-year stint as Brian Cunningham on Knots Landing, then as David Silver on the groundbreaking nighttime soap Beverly Hills, 90210, which after a healthy six-year run is in its final season.

Before the acting bug bit Brian, his father's successful career as a professional drummer helped him discover his love of music. Country was his dad's specialty, but it was far from this city boy's taste. Says Brian, "I've always loved rap music, and having grown up in L.A., I was exposed to many different hip-hop flavors. Groups like the Pharcyde had a very big impact on me. They're original, diverse, hardcore and poetically on point. That's how I hear my music, too." With his new CD One Stop Carnival and its hit song "You Send Me," he is well on his way to yet another career path.

After a brief tour of Brian's home, we settle in the living room to chat, while Alik and Bailey do their best to capture our attention with their amusing antics.

How did you got started in this crazy business?

Brian Austin Green: I was going to a performing arts school and was in jazz class and the band, playing music and the drums. A lot of student directors used to pick other students to be in their graduate films, so. I ended up doing a couple of them just for fun. Eventually, I got an agent through a friend and I did some commercials; then I got Knots Landing... Alik, stop that! (Alik drops a large rubber toy from the upper floor, which lands inches from our heads.)

What did you do after that?

I did some commercials and a couple of B movies, then a few pilots that didn't go anywhere. Eventually I did the pilot for Beverly Hills, 90210. The rest is history.

Were you excited about getting 90210?

No, because I had done three pilots before and knew its chances of becoming a series were slim. It didn't seem like anything that could possibly happen--that all of a sudden I'd be a real working actor on a series with a regular role.

Aaron Spelling sure seems to have the magic touch when It comes to endurance.

He does, although you never know. I'm sure people thought the same way when Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, and The Mod Squad were at their peak, then he kind of got quiet again.

He certainly did make his impact on the '70s. Are you Into any of the retro trends now?

No, hip-hop is pretty much my lifestyle.

How did you got involved with it?

It's just what I've always been into. When I was in school I listened to a lot of James Brown. He had such a huge influence on the whole music industry. He was one of the first artists who found four bars that he liked and played them the entire way through, and then he just added to it vocally. That was a big influence for hip-hop-there didn't have to be a certain format. It was really whatever you came up with.

Didn't you grow up listening to your father's country music?

(Smiles) No, I didn't listen to it unless I was in my room and it was playing so loudly that I could hear it, or when I went to shows that he was doing. I've never owned a country album. It's one of the few areas of music that I just can't stomach. It just doesn't fit.

But your father's involvement in the music industry exposed you enough to intrigue you, right?

Oh, yeah. My goal was to play drums, but my father made me take piano lessons. He told me I needed to learn to read music first, so I took lessons for six years. I thank God that he made me take those lessons, because it taught me a tremendous amount.

When you were in high school, were you anything like David Silver?

No. I never ran with a clique, I mingled with everybody. I was great friends with five guys from five different sections of the school, so I had to be in the back corner one day and over by the tree the next day. Everybody picked their little spot, and that's where they hung out.

Was the school racially mixed?

Very. I grew up going to mixed schools. In North Hollywood, where I was born and raised, it wasn't a real mixed area, but I never went to school there. I'm glad that I didn't grow up confused and ignorant to the whole situation. It was totally normal for all of us to be there.

You've been working non-stop for so long now. Do you ever just do nothing?

I can't just sit around and do nothing. Although, I can sit on the couch sometimes and just watch movies.

What kind of movies do you like?

Everything. I've seen Braveheart 15 times now. It's an incredible film.

Are you into watching all the bloody battle scenes?

No, not really. Yes, it was bloody, but the way Mel (Gibson) brought you into the story was so natural. It's not like a Friday the 13th movie where some guy just runs through houses killing people just to kill people. It was about the price people have paid throughout time to win their freedom.

Maybe you were a Scotsman In a past life?

(Laughs) Who knows? I didn't watch it and go, Wow, I recognize this location. I am part Scottish, but I've got a whole bunch of shit mixed in. I'm like A-1 sauce. I'm a little Scottish, quarter Italian, Cherokee Indian, Hungarian, Irish. (pauses) I think that's it. Yeah, that's it.

How did you got the scar on your cheek?

I'll give you the macho story first. I was mountain climbing and stumbled across a pack of wild cheetahs and fought them off bare-handed. One of them got a slice in before I broke his neck with one swift move.

All with one arm, right?

Of course, because I was drinking some water and soaking my feet at the same time. I was tired from a long day of climbing. (laughs) My real story is when I was three years old I was messing with my grandparents' dog in Las Vegas, and he decided to pick me up by my head and run around the backyard with me. That's where it's really from.

Did he grab you from the back of the head?

I can't even recall, I just remember the view-everything was just passing by sideways. (laughs)

I'd say that's pretty macho. So did you grow up in North Hollywood?

Born and raised. And my parents are still in the same house. (Bailey nudges her head into my lap.) Yeah, she's the resident people tester. She's checking you out. (laughs)

How old were you when you had your first girlfriend?

I went through a whole bunch of girlfriends, but none of them in the sense of wanting to stay with that one person. I was never really big on that concept until my last girlfriend. She was the first big, big deal I've been through.

Was this Tiffani-Amber Thiessen?

Yes.

When did you break up?

Last September. We lived together for a year and dated for a little over three years, and we had been friends for almost six years before that. Living together was the easiest part of the relationship. We would have been great roommates even if we weren't dating.

What was the hardest part?

All the media hype. We were together before she started doing the show. Everything we did became an article in something.

Was there a little part of you that liked it at first?

It was overwhelming, more than anything. Everybody was calling us, People magazine, TV Guide, asking us to be on the cover or host this or that. NBC said they were developing a show for us. We finally sat down and asked ourselves how much of our lives we wanted to give everybody. We had just given a little too much, and it started to become a burden.

Is your relationship completely over?

We're still friends. My biggest concern was that we would end up hating each other. We had been friends for seven years. I didn't want to lose that.

It took a while for you two to become intimate. Were you physically attracted to her when you first met?

It was something that just came so naturally at a certain point, and it just fell into place. It was really ridiculous.

When did you know you were interested In her romantically?

It was really like waking up one morning and going, Wow, I enjoy being with this person more than anybody else in my life, and it just turned out to be mutual.

Did you know at the time it was mutual?

No. I was like, Oh, shit. What's going on? So I wasn't about to say anything. But then it just kind of came up in a conversation.

Before that you'd never thought about her In a passionate way?

Oh, this is enough. Let's stop talking about the relationship.

All right. What were you like before you got involved with Tiffani?

I was a lot wilder. I was...

A dog?

Well, yeah, at times. I started promoting clubs when I was 15. 1 was doing what is considered the normal collegiate stuff when I was a lot younger. I was holding my own, but doing a lot of crazy things. Once I was with Tiffani, I realized it wasn't so bad just to spend time by myself. You don't have to be around everybody drinking and being a fool to fit in and enjoy life. She really mellowed me out that way. We both definitely grew with each other and with the whole experience.

There are a lot of people twice your age who are still trying to learn this lesson. Where did this common sense come from?

I got it from my parents-and my brother and sister, too. It was just a loving, down-to-earth, realistic household. My mother's incredibly giving, almost too giving at times. And, my dad is a real logical person. He's got logic for every situation. They've been married for 24 years, so there was that stability, also. I really learned to think on my own at a very young age.

What keeps them together while so many other marriages fall apart?

First, they love each other. They work through their problems. So many people are hyped on the idea that when two people get married they become one. That's just not the case. The worst thing you can do is to put your life aside for someone else. When somebody gives up their friends and everything they do just to be with a person, they wake up miserable one day. They're denying themselves for no real reason other than they think that's the thing to do.

In your wild days, what kind of girl made your head spin?

At that point, my biggest desires were someone with a pulse and someone beyond a training bra. (laughs) I'm just kidding. I had no set direction. Blondes, brunettes, dark skin, light skin, any race... whatever, I didn't care.

You were a horn dog.

(Laughs) Whatever was the pickings for the evening.

Are you getting back into that mode now?

I'm working too much now. I'm always working in my studio here with my partners, and that's my biggest concern. Going out is such a hassle. The singles club scene where you sit down, talk, get to know each other, hang out-it's such a big ordeal.

Who do you think Is the sexiest actress today?

As of right now, I'm still waiting to meet Halle Berry. (laughs) And she is single.

And beautiful, isn't she?

She's just very classy, too. Halle, oh my goodness. (he gets a big, dreamy smile) Oh, my goodness. Out of all the actresses out there, she's the one who doesn't necessarily need all the primping and prepping to be beautiful, and she comes across so sexy and sensual. (At this point in our conversation, Bailey starts to lick my sandaled foot.) Jesus Christ! What is she doing? Yeah, this is a real sexual household. We're all into physical contact. (laughs)

Tell me what you think of all the plastic surgery and the cookie-cutter look that's so prevalent in Hollywood.

It shows total insecurity. Half of the people in Hollywood are from out of town and are coming here trying to make it as an actor or a model, or whatever. To an extent I understand it, because if I'm spotted by anybody, I want to look and act my best, the whole nine yards, so it's constantly a show. But a lot of people do come out here to try and reinvent themselves. They take it to extremes.

A lot of people consider that look really sexy.

If somebody doesn't have enough judgment to be able to look at that and realize how phony it is, then they can't be helped.

What do you think Is sexy about a woman? Remember, the PLAYGIRL readers want to know this stuff.

Wow, I can't believe this is PLAYGIRL! That just hit me. What am I doing in PLAYGIRL? I don't deserve to be in PLAYGIRL.

Stop that! Everyone jumped up and down when they heard you were going to be in the magazine.

They did not. That's a bunch of shit. (laughs)

It's true. One of the editors did a back flip right In the middle of the floor. It was unbelievable.

Yeah, and now she's fallen and she can't get up. (laughs) You know, I can't really pinpoint what it is about a woman that attracts me. Nine times out of 10, it's just a real natural quality and a likability in somebody. I need to really get along with the person. Physical attraction is one thing, but there are a million-and-one different things that can attract you physically, for just the goofiest of reasons. The way she was wearing socks, or whatever. It's all dumb shit that can make a difference.

OK, socks... anything else?

(Laughs) Somebody who's really comfortable with who she is and doesn't care what other people think. I like women who are really strong and were brought up to be comfortable with themselves and respect themselves.

So, is the physical just not that important to you?

I've just had some of the worst situations with the most beautiful girls who I just could not stand talking to anymore. The physical only lasts for so long. I may see somebody in a club one night and go, Wow, she's the most attractive girl I've seen in a long time. Then I'll see her the next night and be like, Oh no, I don't think so. The body and mind work a specific way, and they pick up on certain things before they see the whole picture. We always tend to pick up on a particular aspect of somebody, whether it's an ass or legs, or whatever.

Then you go from there?

Yes. Then you sit down and really check the person out and oftentimes you think, Yeah, she's got a great ass, but she's dumber than shit. She has no real sense of humor and no real character. Then the whole package falls apart. The ass becomes an ass, that's it. In a case like that, I might as well be a sick fuck watching nothing but porno movies all night eating Nestle Crunch bars and keeping tons of lotion around the house. (laughs)

Lovely.

I'm just saying, it's got to be about something more than just body parts when you're with somebody.

Are you concerned at all about being compared to the white rapper Ice Cube, Vanilla Cube? What was his name?

(Laughs) Vanilla Ice.

Sorry.

He blew himself up. He tried to prete0nd to live the life of who he thought a rapper was. He thought that all rappers need to be from the ghetto and have a tough background and come up rapping. Bottom line, it was not him.

Where does it come from in you?

It doesn't come from anything. It depends on what you grow up with and what you listen to. I grew up paying attention to every little bit of information I could get my hands on, I just soaked it all up--whether it was hip-hop or whatever. It was all from observing and being with people. I was never trying to be something. I just did what was fun and what seemed to come pretty much naturally to me.

Have you noticed any resentment?

Oh, there's tons of resentment. That's normal. I can't control that, and I don't worry about it. In every interview I've got to explain something about being white but still being into hip hop. It's gone way beyond the musical aspect of the business. And I'm as critical about music as everybody else is. I'm sometimes critical about other artists who come out with something different until maybe I hear the music. If the music is there, then they did their job, and I'll enjoy the CD.

What about those who'll say, "Oh, the squeaky clean kid from Beverly Hills, 90210 just wants to rough up his image a little."

That point has been brought up a few times. It's funny how people connect so much with the show, as though I am really David Silver. Like I wake up in the morning in Beverly Hills and go to the Peach Pit to get a hamburger. People really think like that, and there's not a whole lot I can do about it. All I can say is that I've had too many people in the hip-hop industry really like what I'm doing. I know where I'm coming from, and the album speaks for itself. (All of a sudden Bailey, who has been resting her head on a nearby couch, turns and lets out a resounding belch.)

That was the dog by the way, not me! Make sure you have that on tape. Yep, she's a belcher. She's got great vocal chords, doesn't she? (laughs)

I don't think I've ever heard a dog burp. You've got real talent going on here.

All-righty, then. (laughs)

This is the final year of 90210. Is David going to do anything wild?

I've gone through those episodes. David's already done the drugs and stuff. I'm not super-excited about playing the bad boy.

They have the old shows on reruns five days a week now. How do you react to the old episodes?

It's really funny to see myself back then. It's like seeing my baby pictures. I was so young when I started the show. It's just a fact of life. Everybody grows up and goes through changes, and our audience has seen it all.

Is fame important to you?

No. I just want to keep doing good work. I want to grow with the craft in whatever I do. The whole famous side of it doesn't thrill me anymore. It's strange, because I remember the biggest point of my childhood was one Halloween when I was trick or treating and ended up at Henry Winkler's house and he answered the door. So I got to meet The Fonz. That was cool. Then they filmed T.J. Hooker on my street, and I got to meet William Shatner. That was another big moment. But I can never put myself in that same category for some reason, it's just weird.

I think it shows you don't buy your own press.

That is a problem with this industry.

Do you have any kinky sides?

I don't want to give those away. (laughs) it's part of the whole game plan. Half of what men do is construct what the evening is going to be like, and just how they are going to impress a girl. I'm into the lotions and oils, and the romantic, sensual side. I like candles, baths-the whole thing.

Do you have a big bathtub?

Yes, I have a big Jacuzzi. I actually used it a lot when I was with my girlfriend.

Do you take baths by yourself, or is that not a manly thing?

I take a baths all the time. I'll put on some music and burn some incense and just sit in the tub and think, Wow, life is great right now.

What will you do after 90210 ends?

I'm planning to buy a house in Lake Tahoe and live there, so I can work on my music. Then I'll keep this place for when I'm in town.

Is there anything that you'd like to do before you leave the earth?

Yeah, get to know Halle Berry. (laughs) I'm just playing. Halle, please, don't think I'm a sicko... But seriously, I want my family and friends and everybody around me to be taken care of, and to enjoy their lives as much as I enjoy mine right now. (Bailey and Alik enthusiastically wag their tails and give their master a couple of wet licks.)

See, they're happy, and so am I.