The Shirtless Tongan Guy Is Pursuing a Shirtless Modeling Career

The "shirtless Tongan guy," an Olympic fixture forever burned into our brains, cannot make a living by simply carrying his country's flag at every future Olympics. He'll get older. His muscles will sag one day. But that's why he's poised to take his glistening biceps to Hollywood, where he'll hopefully become a male model. It's the next logical step for a dude who has become one of the world's favorite human meat slabs. 

TMZ caught up with the man -- whose real name is Pita Taufatofua -- at LAX, where he was wearing a shirt, despite his reputation for bare-chestedness. The tabloid publication prodded him about what he plans to do after the Olympics, and how he can harness his newfound fame to perhaps be shirtless in another venues. 

"I've got a few things lined up, so we'll see what eventuates," he said. "At the end of the day, it's what can I do with it to encourage other people to have something positive in their life."

Taufatofua is a bonafide piece of eye-candy, sure, but he's more than an Olympic hype-man. He competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio in Tae Kwan Do, and in PyeongChang as a cross country skier, where he braved freezing temperatures during the opening ceremony to bring us shiny pectorals. It was in Rio where his muscles became a sensation on the internet. They've since been adored by many people who probably can't find Tonga on a map. 

When it comes down to it, Taufatofua wants to use his oiled-up body for good social deeds, which is noble. 

"I'm about brands that actually help people, that help people feel good, clothing that they wear makes them feel good," he said.

So when you see the shirtless Tongan on a billboard over Sunset Boulevard, it'll be evident that he's got the most famous nipples in the world. All thanks to the Olympics

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster