Contributed Photo T.J. JOHNSON WILL be competing on “America’s Most Eligible Bachelor” this Thursday.

'Eligible Bachelor' is from North Branch

By Jeanne Sager
NEW YORK CITY — July 1, 2008 — Could the title of “America’s Most Eligible Bachelor” land in North Branch?
Entertainment magazine program Extra, a staple on NBC every evening, already has a list six men strong this year for the bachelor side of its “America’s Most Eligible” special search.
This week, hosts Mark McGrath and Dayna Devon will be adding another – Thelonious “TJ” Johnson, the North Branch raised model-turned-actor who’s been showing up on national and international television lately as the star of an Old Spice hair and body wash commercial.
The commercial’s earned more than 86,000 hits since it first appeared on YouTube four months ago, with at least half of the 164 comments focused in on Johnson.
Playing a model who suddenly hears the “announcer voice” narrating the commercial and stops his mugging for the camera, Johnson’s character takes some not-so-gentle ribbing from the narrator.
Created to make the viewers laugh, it’s a fate shared by all the actors in the bit that’s appeared on American and Canadian television since early this year.
Johnson’s character is actually called an “idiot” by the narrator – so the mostly female audience commenting on the site means nothing bad by its references to the “idiot” and the “model.”
After all, they’re comments are nothing but good, calling him “sexy,” “gorgeous” and “mantastic”
Precisely why Extra gave him a call.
This year the show’s honed in on journalist Carlos Watson; actor Robert Buckley, star of NBC’s “Lipstick Jungle,” Australian surfer Koby Abberton who represents Oakley surfwear as its spokesmodel;up-and-coming actor Sean Faris, star of martial arts movie “Never Take Down,” singer Matt White and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart.
Johnson was fingered for his spot on the much-talked-about commercial and for his recent appearances on Law and Order: CI, One Life to Live and All My Children.
Shot while Johnson was working out and taking a dip on the roof top pool at the Gansevoort Hotel in Manhattan's trendy meat packing district, the piece will air on Thursday, July 3.
"My friends are probably going to tease me when they see this,” Johnson said, “but I had a blast shooting it and ‘Extra’ is such a popular TV show that as an actor it's going to be great to get my name out there."
He’s hoping enough fans will go online after the show to make comments at www.extratv.com to ensure he’ll get the nod for America’s Most Eligible Bachelor.