New versions of some of the already posted 2012 GQ Australia pics - without the words.

GQ Australia’s 50 Most Stylish Men

7. Xavier Samuel

Mr level-headed

“How many times have we shot Mr Samuel for GQ Australia?” muses online producer Alex Simpson. “Our deputy editor guesses two — I guess 17. Regardless, what strikes us every time we work with Samuel, and why we work with him again and again, is how remarkably unaffected he is — there have certainly never been any diva antics to speak of. Samuel shows that even when you’ve hit the big time, a true gentleman always stays grounded.”

In case you couldn’t read the text on this scan, GQ Australia posted the article online:

Xavier Samuel could just be our next big thing. That is, of course, if he wasn’t already. The Victorian-born, Adelaide-grown actor has just released his ninth feature film, playing the groom in Stephan Elliott’s get-him-to-the-altar Oz-comedy A Few Best Men.

It’s a fresh turn for one of our most employable actors following roles in Anonymous, the drama that challenges whether Shakespeare wrote the plays bearing his name; the horror films Road Train andThe Loved Ones; and the movie that would put a rocket under any actor’s CV and profile, Eclipse, the third instalment of The Twilight Saga.

Samuel survived the Twilight machine unscathed — from the fans, that is. “Well, I’ve never been handcuffed or anything,” he says. “Though I’ve had to run away. It’s great it generates that sort of passion. Not many things can do that. It’s as surreal as it gets. I’ve gone ‘that was a pretty amazing thing to have been a part of.’”

He’s also escaped typecasting, testament to his skill as an actor. A Few Best Men sees him pull off a fine job as a Brit who falls head over heels for an Australian girl on his hols and brings his bachelor mates Down Under for the wedding. The film’s been touted as Bridesmaids meets Mel Brooks.

And next? “Bait, a hilarious tongue-in-cheek sharks-in-the-supermarket film,” he offers, as if that were a specific genre. “It’s totally bizarre and a lot of fun. Then Drift with Sam Worthington, a ’70s surfing film, and The Grandmothers, about two young guys that fall in love with each other’s mothers.”

It’s an eclectic line-up that would make a young Johnny Depp proud. And with Samuel’s globally acceptable good looks and smarts to carry him onwards, we’re sure we’ll be recounting his show-reel for many years to come. 

In GQ Australia’s February/March 2012 issue:

Fashion

GQ’s Back to Business issue is jam-packed with all of the best fashion to get you back into gear at work this year including a back-to-work style essentials section, seven ways to pull off a smart-casual work outfit (starring Australian actor Xavier Samuel), an exclusive Gucci fashion story shot on the heavenly Lake Como in Italy (accompanied by an interview with Gucci creative director Frida Giannini) and much more.