What are your first thoughts on awakening in the morning?

I start each morning with a gratitude meditation listing all I’m appreciative of in my life. I started this on a whim a few years ago and I think it really helps.

Do you drink coffee or tea?

I drink iced-coffee with protein inside each morning.  It’s my coffee intake & protein at once (2 in one).

Do you shower outdoors? If so, do you sing in the shower, last song?

I have an indoor & an outdoor shower. I often listen to the “Michael Jackson Channel”

Your face (and body) are known globally, how were you chosen to model?

I took pictures with a friend when I was 15 & they made their way to Bruce Weber. He was interested in my look. He was the reason I started modeling but I did not meet him till a decade later.

Where did you get the inspiration for you latest jewelry collection for “Rock Bands”?

I used to watch John Wayne films with my grandfather when I was a child. One movie he came into town wearing a leather cuff with a hunk of turquoise wrapped onto it with leather shards. I always thought it was an image of a hero. I owned an ad agency with two friends in the early 2000s. I was consulting for a jewelry company and drew on a napkin the concept of placing a rock on a band that would be called a rock band. I made a few for my friends and myself. But people seemed to really love them so I sold the home that I had just built and put all my money into building the company. It was in Neiman’s, Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s across the country. Now I just sell them directly on my website after last year‘s adapting to reality. www.LeeDahlberg.com

Are “Rock Bands” the only accessories a nude man needs?

Someone asked Marilyn Monroe what she felt most comfortable wearing… She replied the only thing she needed on was the radio and a smile.

Any humbling moments from your first time on the runway?

My mother and grandmother were dance teachers and Broadway performers. They put me in local productions my entire life. So runway to me was much less nerve-racking as I did not need to sing or dance just walk and pretend to be confident.

Where are you from and how has your family’s background impacted your life?

I grew up on a small island in North Florida called Amelia Island. It’s above Jacksonville and you can see the state of Georgia across the water. It’s a small southern town where everyone is quite friendly. My mother and grandmother had been around the world performing so they set up shop there with the school. Growing up with all that creativity around me really carved out the man that I have become. Everything good about me comes from my mother and my grandmother.

What accomplishment are you most proud of at the moment?

Being able to work with my heroes and idols.

We understand you are quite a renaissance man, what are you working on at the moment?

I own a custom furniture company called You Son of a Bench where I make furniture and art from reclaimed items. I also have a jewelry company called Rock Bands by Lee Dahlberg that use healing properties of stones to create unique bracelets. I am finishing a documentary for a major network next month. I am also writing the book to accompany that documentary that should come out early next year.

Are “Rock Bands” the only accessories a nude man needs?

Someone asked Marilyn Monroe what she felt most comfortable wearing… She replied the only thing she needed on was the radio and a smile.

What music acts do you personally listen to?

I like all kinds of music but I am a big fan of Singer-Songwriters. My taste is all over the place but I love Blues Traveler, Jack Johnson and a new favorite is LP.

Do you have any vices?

I used to enjoy my drinks… But I am too busy to drink anymore and I kind of fell out of the habit.

Who inspired you to pursue acting?

I’m a big fan of stand-up comedy. I believe Comedy is the hardest discipline in acting. So I actually tried stand up for a while. I thought if I could master my fear of that then dramatic acting would be easier. So I like to see naturally funny people playing serious roles. Robin Williams & Bill Murray types of energy.

Do you have any secret desire for a particular role?

I like acting for the challenge of it. But I fancy myself more a writer than an actor. I would play characters in my own writing if necessary but I would prefer to hire above my talent grade for the good of the story and I would never put myself in a roll I did not deserve.

Which fictional character would be the most exciting to meet in real life?

Jesus.

Is there a preference for acting or writing?

Acting gives you instant gratification in the energy from a crowd or an audience. Writing is more satisfying after the fact when you can look back and share your ideas with the masses.

Do you read books? If so what was the last one?

Sometimes reading books feels like a distraction from the books I should be writing myself. The last thing I read was the “alchemist” for the third time.

Is there a quote that speaks to you?

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”- Oscar Wilde

What would be your super power?

The power of flight…you’d need to pack light, but you’d avoid TSA.

Do you get bored easily?

Yes, but I fight it with projects, builds & the outdoors daily.

What does your grooming regimen look like?

I’m crazy low-maintenance. Seven minutes in & out of the bathroom. But I do wear 50 SPF sunscreen every day that I’m outside. I put absurd amounts of lotion on my skin after getting any type of sun. Are use CBD creams on my face when I go to sleep. And I take a ridiculous amount of vitamins and supplements every day just in case I don’t get all the foods in that I would like in my busy schedule.

A favorite cologne?

John Paul Gauthier Le Male and Joop! Homme (Old school.)

How would you describe your personal style?

I have three distinct modes of dress: My daily uniform in the world is a colorful pair of joggers, cool sneakers and a Jean shirt with my rock band accessories.

My daily uniform at the house is a bathing suit in waterproof shoes as I am in the pond, up ladders and most definitely building something.

My going out uniform is a good pair of jeans and a tank top with a sports coat over the top (as it’s hot in Miami). Paired with a cool pair of shoes and my rock band accessories.

Do you think it’s important for a man to be sexy?

It sounds cliché but confidence always wins the day. In the modeling industry and in my real life this is always proven to be true. If you truly feel good about yourself then it will exude on to others. Sexy is a state of mind.

Do you have time for love?

I am a hopeless romantic that has never quite figured out love. I thought for sure by now I would be married with children yet I am still single and trying to understand what I really want in this life. The freedom of my life that I have time to create art regularly makes me the most happy.

What qualities do you seek in your male friends?

Oh my buddies have one thing in common… They are quick witted.

What does your exercise routine look like?

When I turned 40 I decided that I would only work with my own bodyweight as to not hurt myself and to not get too bulky in the gym. I am a fit model and I have to stay to a certain regimented measurement. So at 40 I built a pull up bar although I had not done them very often in my life. When I first began I could not do more than 10. Now I can do over 100 pull-ups in one set.  For years I only worked out at my home but recently I have joined a gym just to give diversity and regimented schedule. I find that having to travel to the gym leads to motivation which leads to results.

What do you do to relax?

I try to live very relaxed at all times. Everything in my home is geared towards Zen. I got rid of all toxic relationships and devices in the last few years. Although this is not a perfect vacuum it makes it incredibly difficult for something to break through my barriers and cause any stress.

Who do you think are the most exciting people in the world today?

Those that are brave enough to speak truth to power.

What social issue are you most passionate about?

That the previous administration is called out for what it was, is made to pay for all their wrongdoings and that such an evil never rises again. 

What makes a perfect man in 2021?

I think the world needs compassion at this point… A perfect man has to be a bigger man for the sake and harmony of society.

What qualities do you seek in your male friends?

My buddies have to be able to give me a very hard time in a joking manner about every aspect of my life. That helps me toughen-up against anything the world could bring on. 

What do you sleep in?

Nude…there’s no other way in my opinion. 

Cat or Dog?

I have a 13 year old cocker spaniel with one Blueeye and one brown eye named Bob Marley. He is my aging best friend.

In this Story:

  1-7. Lee Dahlberg wears briefs RON DORFF, necklace and bracelets ROCK BANDS by LEE DAHLBERG, white jeans CELINE, denim shirt SAINT LAURENT, glasses TOM FORD.

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Photographs by FRANK LOUIS, Model LEE DAHLBERG