The Brazilian actor, musician and model Pablo Morais has been in New York City for exactly two months and two days and despite the nonstop sirens, car honks and questions from people on the street interrupting this conversation alone, he declares with a smile you can almost hear through the telephone: “New York is my cityyyy!” He loves that everyone is an artist, he says, and that everyone looks and sounds differently from one another. Of course, he adds, “Rio de Janeiro is my city, too.” It’s where he grew up, and it’s where he’s most known, thanks to a few successful runs on Brazilian soaps, most of which he played the villain. “I’m always the bad guy! My manager says it’s because I have a bad boy face. Truthfully, I am like a poem inside,” he says.

Perhaps that’s why Morais, 29, caught the eye of Francisco Costa, who asked the rising model to join him on set in Miami for the launch of Costa Brazil’s first-ever Body Wash, a luxurious nutrient-dense gel that cleans without stripping the skin and leaves it smelling like the jungle. “The smell is very good, especially if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend,” says Morais of the sensual scent that’s smoky, citrusy and woody all at once. “It’s perfect for when you want to take a shower together.”

And while the clean, sulfate-free product was a pleasant treat for Morais, who was tasked to wash up and rinse down with it dozens of times while on set, he wasn’t at all surprised it was made by a Brazilian like Costa: “Brazil has a special connection with the body. There, people respect and love their bodies, and other bodies too.”

Next up, Morais can be seen in Netflix’s "Meu Sangue Ferve por Você" (My Blood Boils For You), out in April.