What would a teenage Donnell think about being named one of soaps’ sexiest men? “I was the kid who ate broccoli just because they told me it was good for me, so I’m pleased to still be here at 50, but I don’t think the teenage me would be surprised. He’d probably eye-roll and say something like, ‘That sounds like me.’ ”
Who did you consider sex symbols when you were growing up? “Jayne Kennedy, who was just beautiful; she was like the Halle Berry of the ’70s. I thought Clair Huxtable [from THE COSBY SHOW] was like the ultimate wife/mom/woman who was smart, strong and beautiful. As far as men, Jim Brown. He was just a symbol of masculinity to me. And then, of course, Apollo Creed [from the Rocky films]. I wanted to wear the half-shirt and show the abs like he did.”
Assuming you do not currently own a half-shirt, what is the sexiest item in your wardrobe? “I wish I did, at this point, have a half-shirt — it’s just a pair of scissors away! No, I would say that I have some very tight gray dress pants and they show all my business [laughs]. Those are pretty sexy. And I have a long-sleeved black shirt that’s kind of lace mesh. It hugs the body and it’s very flattering but you can only wear it when you’re in peak condition … and I’ve only worn it once!”
What music do you find sexy? “That whole genre of neo soul was sexy — Koffee Brown, Lucy Pearl, Jill Scott. You could put it on during a nice romantic evening and have dinner, drink wine or whatever and you didn’t have to worry about anyone being offended. You didn’t have to worry about feeling dirty after listening to it. It just had a cool, sexy vibe.”
Looks aside, why do you think fans find Curtis sexy? “I think there’s an authenticity to him and a calmness. You saw him losing his cool when he saw rats in the Dumpster, and you may never see Curtis that extreme again! He doesn’t fly too close to the sun or too low to the ocean.”
