If "Dante's Cove" star Charlie David were merely one of the most handsome men on television, you'd want to hate him for being so beautiful. But because he is so smart, so multi-talented and so wonderful to talk to, he is a cut above the usual beefcake we love to admire from afar.

I've interviewed Charlie several times now and caught up with him again last weekend at the Ribbon of Hope Celebration. This season on "Dante's," Charlie had blonde highlights but they now gone. I wondered about the whole hair thing because, you know, a serious journalist needs to know these things.

"It was a travesty really," a laughing Charlie said of his blonde do. "It was one of those things where I thought with the relationship with Kevin (Gregory Michael) over, sometimes when you come out of a relationship, you decide to re-invent yourself with a little bit of a new look. So that's what I figured Toby was doing. Flush out the old, bring in the new because, of course, Toby's with Adam (Jon Fleming) this season. But I'm glad it's grown out and is back to the natural."

I had to know, do blondes have more fun? Said Charlie: "Maybe this season! (laughs)."

While "Dante's Cove" has made many of us fans of Charlie, it's not his only regular gig. He has for several years now hosted the gay and lesbian travel show called "Bump!" which this fall was added to the here! Network which also airs the gay soap.

"I just got back from South America," Charlie said. "I did Argentina and Brazil so I'm pretty lucky. Every month or so I go to a few different countires and knock off 3-4 episodes. It's absolutely wonderful. It's really fun and now the show is getting more distribution and I think we're the world's number one watched gay and lesbian travel show. Now it's available on here! and on webisides and mobisodes. You can get it everywhere."

In addition to the television work, Charlie has appeared in several indie films ("A Four Letter Word," "Kiss the Bride") but his next one is especially close to his heart: it's called "Mulligans" and not only does he star, but he wrote the script and is a producer. He plays a young man who begins an affair with his best friend's FATHER!

I'm sure the script is terrific but Charlie, are there hot love scenes?

"Of course there's some hot love scenes! ["Dante's Cove" co-star] Thea Gill is absolutely brilliant in the movie. Brilliant. Brilliant. She was over for dinner the other night and we watched a few scenes together. So, we're poretty excited about it."

The film is currently in post-production with things like color correction, sound and soundtrack being worked on with the goal of being ready for the film festival curcuit this spring: "So keep your eyes peeled," Charlie advises.

Charlie is busy, but not too busy for love. He's been "very happily together with a great guy" for the last year-and-a-half.

But no names!!