Sam Concepcion Is Our November Cosmo Crush—And Dream Leading Man

Crushes come and go, it's true. But some just hit different—they last longer than others and will always make you feel that spark whenever you remember their charming looks and swoon-worthy smiles.

So you can imagine how the Cosmopolitan Philippines team felt when Sam Concepcion's viral photo from his Once On This Island performance came up on our feed. When did the Candy Cutie singer we all know glow up into…well, a hunk? (Take this as a reminder that Sam also "graduated" into Cosmo Bachelorhood in 2013.)

READ MORE: Sam Concepcion Had The Cutest Reaction To The Witty (And Thirsty) Comments On His Viral Photo

The now 32-year-old multihyphenate has been making waves as the leading man of musical theater this year. Whether it's as Popoy in One More Chance or Daniel Beauxhomme in Once On This Island, he's been busy commanding the stage. But let's be real—he's never far from the spotlight...or our minds.

From his thoughts on that viral pic to the qualities of his ideal reyna to his career plans in 2025, Sam's ready to show the world why he's always going to be the leading man of our dreams.

Sam Concepcion Is Cosmopolitan Philippines' Cosmo Crush For November 2024

You were introduced as a Candy Cutie in September 2006 and now you've been named as our newest Cosmo Crush. How does it feel and what does it mean for you to be a Cosmo Crush?

Sam: Like you said, I was a Candy baby. I think it was earlier than my TV career. Then I did the Cosmo Bachelor Bash in 2013. It was a graduation for a lot of us at the time, kind of a rite of passage for us artists who started very young. I'm glad that Cosmo's still doing their thing. It's like a full circle at the moment.

To be very honest, the team felt inspired when they saw that viral photo from Once On This Island. How did it feel seeing people's reactions to your physique?

Sam: I think a part of it is because I never really posted so much. Since the pandemic, I think everything kind of ceased to move. It became a habit not to post so much on social media. But since it was the end of our run at Once On This Island, I just decided to post one of the photos that we had in the show and just say like, "Thank you for watching!"

That was really it. There was no intention behind it or anything, but sometimes you really cannot anticipate what the Internet will do or say. I just woke up one day and people started sending me all these links to these articles and all that. I thought, "Okay, what's going on?" I mean, it's nice. It's flattering in many ways.

You mentioned that you just wrapped up Once On This Island and One More Chance. Do you have any upcoming projects you're working on? Or any dream projects you want to work on in the future?

Sam: Theater-wise, I have no plans to do anything anytime soon, at least for now. But starting early next year, I want to return to releasing some songs and maybe working on a movie.

The things I do in my career come in waves or seasons because I like theater, movies, and music. I have to dedicate myself to one or two things among those in a year. Some things have to take a back seat which happened with music this year.

If you were to collaborate with any artist on any project, as a singer or an actor, who would it be and why?

Sam: I'd love to work with veteran actors because I think that's the best way to learn—it's from your co-actors and fellow artists. The likes of Dolly de Leon would be pretty cool. Music-wise, I think BINI is cool. You know, SB19 is cool, too. I love Angela Ken. I worked with her in Once On This Island, too. She's great.

Sam is wearing an outfit from M Barretto

Which of your previous roles do you think is the closest to your personality, especially regarding love and relationships as an actor?

Sam: Not exactly the same but I would say it's my last role in One More Chance as Popoy. I'm not toxic and controlling like him but, in many ways, taking on that role required finding myself in him through my personal experiences.

I think I am similar to him in that he gives his all in a relationship. Well, extreme love for him because it's to the point of being possessive, overly protective, and controlling. But, the flipside of that is that he's very caring and very thoughtful with his relationship. So, I like to think that I aim for that.

Let's talk about a day in the life of Sam offstage. What's a typical day off like for you?

Sam: I'll probably wake up late, around 11 a.m. or 12 p.m., have a good workout, eat well, and maybe cook a little bit. I wouldn't cook for other people, though. I'm not sure I'm that good yet, but sometimes I enjoy doing that. Sometimes I would go bouldering all day until my fingers bleed. Maybe see a good show, especially now since there are so many theater productions.

Sam is wearing a top from HANSEN

Once you become confident enough to cook for somebody else, what's a dish you would want to cook?

Sam: I want to find a difficult recipe and just do it over and over until I perfect that one thing that you already do well. Imagine making the best Beef Wellington?

Everybody's curious: What's your exercise routine like?

Sam: It's just a regular workout split, right? So, Monday, you do push which includes chest, shoulders, and triceps. The next day, you do pull muscles, back, biceps, all that. On Wednesday, you do legs and abs. And then, on the fourth day, either you do that all over again or rest on the fourth day. So, basically, it's just those three things alternating.

Do you have a fitspiration—somebody you look up to in terms of fitness?

Sam: I do watch a lot of fitness videos. Jeremy Ethier. There's Mike Izritel, he's a doctor. They create content based on science-based lifting. Oh, there's this guy that I really love to watch. His name's Magnus Midtbø and he's a competitive climber. People like that inspire me.

We saw you have some tattoos. How many do you have?

Sam: Eight, I'd say. I started getting them when I was around 22 or 23.

What's your favorite one, if you had to pick?

Sam: My favorite one? Probably this astronaut one. It took around four hours to finish. I just love space, generally. I love science and space stuff, to be more specific.

Since this is Cosmo Crush, how would you define a crush?

Sam: I think a crush is that immediate attraction. It's when you walk into a room, you see someone new, and she catches your attention. It could be because of her looks, her personality, or whatever it is. I think it's an instant thing that happens.

How do you act when you have a crush?

Sam: Oh, I think I'm pretty obvious and I've been told that I am. I'd probably talk to them a little more, and look at them a little more than many others in the room.

Speaking of crushes, would you mind telling us who was your first crush?

Sam: I think I was maybe 10 years old when I knew that I loved Jojo, the singer. She's really pretty. I remember voting for her music videos on MTV. And I love her singing—she still sings really well to this day. So, she was definitely one of the first ones.

Moving forward to today, do you have a crush now?

Sam: Yeah, sure. Of course, I do. She was a crush. She's not anymore. ;)

So how would you describe your ideal crush-slash-reyna?

Sam: How would I describe my reyna? Funny and has a great personality. She gets along with people, very pleasant. Easy to be around, easy to have around. Sweet, caring, thoughtful. And at the same time, they carry themselves well. Quite confident, all that stuff.

For you, what's important when you like someone? Is it the looks or is it the personality?

Sam: I think the immediate thing is the physical attraction. That's the first thing you see, obviously, but then you stay a little longer and it's really the personality that shines in a person.

Let's flip the perspective. What's the best way for someone who has a crush on you to get your attention?

Sam: It's attractive when someone's just really confident to be themselves, you know? And I like it when a person is genuinely interested in me. You will feel it when you have a conversation with someone and they're genuinely interested in you or in genuinely making a connection. I think because I'm that way. I like to speak to people and find common interests—just get to know the person.

How do you react when somebody tells you that they like you?

Sam: If I liked them back, that would be okay. Of course, ideally, I would like to be the person to do that—to be the first to confess. But it wouldn't be such a big issue if someone I like said it to me first. If I don't feel the same way, then it's kind of a difficult situation to be in, right? I think that's happened to me maybe once. I think I would try to handle it in a way that I would let them down easily.

What's your ideal date?

Sam: Honestly, I think it would depend on the person [I'm dating]. I would try to do something or plan an activity that she's comfortable enough in. For example, if she's an artistic person, I would probably take her to see a show or go to a museum. If she's an athlete, we'd watch a game, play a sport, or try a physical activity that she's never done.

How do you express your affection?

Sam: Quality time, acts of service, and physical touch.

So what's the best dating advice you've received or would give to somebody else?

Sam: This is something I'm learning. I think my failed relationships failed because I wasn't very good at communication. So now I think keeping communication open, as cliché as that sounds, really is making a world of difference for me. Just be sincere and really honest about how you feel. And if it's the right person, they will know how to hear you out, you know?

Do you think acting has helped you be a better partner in a romantic relationship?

Sam: I think there are many ways where that is the case. I'd say when you're acting, you have to make sure that you're open to receiving whatever your scene partner is giving you. In theater, when you're doing a scene, it could be different each time. You have to be keen on observing that and receiving whatever it is that comes your way and reacting to it in the moment.

It's essentially an exercise of empathy, right? I think that helps in relationships: the practice of listening and understanding and feeling what the person is feeling and reacting accordingly.

In one sentence, how would you want people to remember Sam Concepcion?

Sam: Honestly, just as a good, loyal, honest, responsible human being. Of course, I want to achieve a lot of things. I want to have more hits, make the biggest movie, travel the world, go on Broadway, and all that stuff. But I think at the end of the day, I just want to live my life as a hardworking, responsible actor who was passionate about what they did.

PHOTOGRAPHER: JL Javier
ART DIRECTION: Ica Del Mundo
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Ida Aldana
PRODUCED BY: Alyana Olivar, assisted by Cheska Santiago and Clara Umali
STYLING: Team Rain X Em
GROOMING: Aimee Grey, assisted by Chino Maniquiz
SET STYLING:Jagger Studios
STORY: Alyana Olivar
VIDEOS: Greeko Junio and Cherrie Julian
SOCIAL MEDIA: Aina Lizarondo, assisted by Keonna Atienza