Madison native Nick Hawk, who stars in the Showtime series ‘Gigolos,’ is anything but Midwest bland

Nick Hawk is a counter-punch to the concept of Midwest bland. The Madison, Wisconsin, native has a freewheeling, risk-driven personal life along with a thriving and diverse career that includes starring in the Showtime series Gigolos. Add to that his roles as a media personality, fitness model, personal coach, businessman, recording artist, entrepreneur, author, Air Force marksman and 2014 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion, and you have a very busy man.

Hawk’s love for physical challenges began during his childhood in Wisconsin.

“I was born and started my early childhood in Madison,” Hawk says.  “I loved martial arts and was a ninja or Batman every year for Halloween. In 5th grade I moved to Waunakee, where I graduated high-school. I loved sports and played them all. I lettered in wrestling four times and was the captain my senior year.”

Hawk attended college at UW-Stevens Point, where he was on the wrestling team. He quit after a year and joined the Air Force.

“I definitely miss my family, friends, hunting woods and land in Sauk City and all the wildlife, water, grass, plants and trees. Wisconsin is beautiful, but I sure the hell don’t miss the winter,” Hawk says.

Hawk developed a respect for hard work and a love of nature in Wisconsin. “I detassled corn, milked cows and did other farm work growing up,” he says. “I always loved the outdoors, building forts, animals, riding horses and dirt-bikes.”

From shy child to gigolo

But, as a Wisconsinite, Hawk was nothing like the crowing rooster that he is today.

“I was a fairly shy child,” he remembers. “In the summer after 5th grade I asked my first girlfriend, Cindy Meicher, out over the phone. We dated the entire summer but I was too scared to call or see her the entire time.  She broke up with me, through a friend, the first day of 6th grade. Her friend ended up being my first kiss. I’ll never forget that terrifying moment, either. And yes, now I coach confidence and I’m a professional companion to women. It’s a long road but achievable by anyone.

“I’m a very competitive person and somewhat of a perfectionist. As a young adult male we go out with our friends hoping to ‘pick up’ women, and if you pick one up, you win. I like to win. So I decided to put myself out there and fall on my face, many times, in the process. It took much practice and many attempts, but eventually it became very natural, and to the day where the pieces started falling in place, there’s been nothing I’ve enjoyed more than women.”  

Hawk’s love of women and his athletic body made him the perfect star for Gigolos, Showtime’s hit reality show about the lives of five male escorts in Las Vegas. The series follows the men, all employees of the agency Cowboys4Angels, through their daily lives and interactions with each other and more provocatively, with their female clients.

Showtime recently renewed Gigolos for a sixth season, which begins airing this month.

Hawk, who prefers the term “gigolo” to “escort,” transcends all stereotypes associated with the job. “Cowboys4Angels does some great things for people,” he says. “Our goal is to inspire and help clients, operating at the highest level to benefit them in as many ways as we can. It’s really centered around companionship and encouragement. We travel with women everywhere and do crazy activities with them. We’re making a difference in our clients’ lives and seeing them become happier and more confident. It’s very rewarding work.”

A real-life Magic Mike, Hawk had post college jobs that included stripping, bartending and personal training. In 2008, his notoriety for those endeavors landed him on the cover of Men’s Health UK. His passion for all forms of self-expression includes having tattoos of all sizes and styles all over his body. In July, Inked Magazine did a feature article and photo spread highlighting his compelling body art.

When he was still in college (enrolled as an English major) and first pursuing his acting career, he began stripping at parties to earn money while working around his class schedule. Within a year, he cut out the middle-man and used his savings to launch Explicit Strippers, which books male and female strippers for private parties, including bachelor, bachelorette and birthday bashes. Explicit Strippers now has locations in Orange County, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, Hawaii and Dallas.  

Nick made the switch from stripper to gigolo in 2009, when Garren James with Cowboys4Angels saw his modeling photos on a website and recruited him. When the producers of Gigolos asked James to send them his best guy, Hawk auditioned and was booked as one of the show’s stars.

Entrepreneur and recording artist

In 2013, Hawk released The Nick Hawk Gigolo Line of sex toys and other novelties, which include a dildo fashioned from his molded penis, a blow-up doll, a sex position book and over 20 other items.

A provocative beat maker, poet and wordsmith, Nick drew on his notoriety from Gigolos to launch another career as an independent recording artist. He has now released a total of 10 singles, including the hits “Leave With Me,” “Tippin ’N’ Sippin’” and “We Like to Show Off.” He calls his latest track, the metal/rap anthem “We Fight,“ a stadium rocker in the vein of Queen’s “We Are the Champions.“

Nick shows a sense of humor in his music. “Everybody’s Got A Little Country In ‘Em” is a quirky, steel pedal-driven charmer that will be featured on Gigolos this upcoming season.

Nick has also set his sights on conquering the book publishing world, starting with his first tell-all book Sexoirs of a Gigolo. He’s also putting the finishing touches on his upcoming breakthrough volume Nick Hawk’s 100 Kicks In The Ass: A Guide To Reach Your Full Potential & Gain Confidence.

“It will include 100 bold thoughts with new perspective on how to live a better life with stories that taught me lessons that I would like to pass on,” he says. “Everything from why being competitive is good, why you should lose your filter, why you should case every place you walk into, be mysterious, confident, have sex and how to, get fire behind your eyes, get tattooed and develop your creativity.

“I enjoy riffing on my favorite line from the show, ‘I break a sweat six days a week,’ and apply it to both physical and mental activity. Some of the book’s content also ties into my work as a confidence coach. I’m proud that this aspect of my work with others was part of a feature spread on me recently in Hustler Magazine. For approaching women, interviewing, auditioning, public speaking or just basic public socializing, it’s what I know and do best.”  

Over the past few years, Nick’s whirlwind of multi-media activity includes being featured on Watch What Happens Live, The Soup, Playboy Radio with Jessica Hall & Bob Guiney, Radio Sex LA Talk Radio with Sheena Metal, Debi Diamond’s Playground Show, Movin’ 92.5 Morning Show with Brooke & Jubal Seattle, The Pop Dungeon KUNV Las Vegas, Sick & Wrong, Rock That Fashion Los Angeles and The Las Vegas Fetish & Fantasy Halloween.

Print-wise, Nick has also been featured in The New York Times, Variety, Men’s Health UK (cover story), Playgirl (as a cover and centerfold), OC Weekly, Chilled Magazine and The Examiner.

Next up for Hawk is receiving an award as “Ultimate Alpha Male Role Model on TV” the Global SLR,  set for Oct. 2–4 at The Bardot and The Avalon, located at 1737 Vine Street in Hollywood. He will also be guest of honor for the pink carpet and pink party event on Saturday night, when he’ll perform his new sports-oriented motivational metal/rap anthem “We Fight.”    Also at the event, Hawk will share insider information as one of the event’s 10 real life experts and relationship/seduction “gurus.” During the event, Hawk will be available for photo ops and will be doing a Meet-and-Greet with VIP guests during dinner W. 1600 Vine.

Unlimited challenges

When he’s not lighting up the airways as a nedia personality, Hawk’s favorite recreational activities include working out, working on his music, traveling the world, exploring the outdoors, hiking with his dogs, snowboarding, wakeboarding and surfing.

Hawk’s website — www.nickhawkexplicit.com — features an extensive list of things he’s accomplished and things on his bucket list. His “done” list includes: wrestle in a professional match, fly a plane, ride a 250 dirtbike in Nevada’s canyons, dune buggy in the desert, cage dive with great white sharks, mountain bike through the Swiss alps, back pack through Eastern Europe, hunt a trophy white tail deer, surf in Hawaii, snowboard in the Rockies, swim with wild dolphins, stalk a wild tiger in India, shoot a machine gun, drive the Batmobile, scuba dive with seals, visit the Taj Mahal, horseback ride in the Amazon jungle, pet a crocodile, repel off a waterfall, skydive, do a backflip off a yacht in the Mediterranean, lasso a large horse or bull, pass all the tests required to join the Air Force Special Ops and ride an elephant. Whew! 

“I think we’re all on this road to becoming our best selves and reaching our full potential, and all of my professional endeavors and personal activity helps me stay focused on that road,” Hawk says. “For me, that includes helping others and taking them on the journey with me. I also write in the book about life-changing events that I have had that have helped me realize the importance of compassion and a giving spirit.

“I believe we’re all put here to make a difference, and my goal with everything I do is to operate on the highest level while helping others change for the better. In addition to having many opportunities to be of service to others, the best part of my life now is having the freedom to be creative, stay balanced, train hard and be as happy as possible. I work my ass off all week doing so many things I enjoy and working on multiple projects. I will always have more enjoyment, fulfillment and satisfaction entertaining … and I will always be hustling.”