“His look reminds me of a rock star,” model Jessica Yang says of John James Uy as we looked into the actor’s closet.

Leather jackets, a hundred chambray polo shirts and vintage prints are among Uy’s wardrobe, with the occasional tailored suit for formal events. “I like going old school,” he says.

A short invasion of his apartment yielded these conversation pieces: about 200 Polaroids of friends taped on the walls; a covet-worthy collection of vinyl records; and a number of analog cameras scattered on the shelves.

“It’s important to just be your own guy,” says Uy. “I guess you just have to be comfortable in what you’re wearing and make sure you take care of yourself.”

Then he walks to the bathroom and returns with his grooming essentials: “Aloe vera is a godsend; this bottle from Hawaiian Tropics has saved me from many a sunburn, and I like how this hair wax from Zenutrients is organic. You can never be too sure what chemicals other companies put in their products nowadays.”

Uy says he’s a huge fan of Johnny Depp, David Bowie and Heath Ledger: “It’s their attention to detail and their ability to disappear into their crafts that get me insanely inspired.”

While he waits for his dream acting role and vehicle, he believes “the trick is to just keep going and working on your art. The perfect film with that defining role will come in no time.”