Samantha’s new ‘Sex and the City’ boy toy: Meet Noah Mills

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Man candy is as crucial to the formula as Manhattan and Manolo Blahnik, so in ‘Sex and the City 2’ Kim Cattrall‘s Samantha Jones, of course, gets a serious hunk of it.

Cattrall endeared herself to millions as the super-sexed publicist on Michael Patrick King‘s HBO show, then in 2008’s box office juggernaut film adaptation. With the gals returning in May for more misadventures in love, I’m pleased to introduce Samantha’s new love interest: Noah Mills.

Hailing from Baltimore, Mills makes his feature film debut in the sequel, playing tough but gorgeous blue-collar type Nicky. It also marked his first ever audition.

‘That was the first audition; I put a lot of work in,’ the 26-year-old said, chatting from his home in New York. When Mills says ‘work,’ he means impressing King and ‘Sex’ producer John Melfi, gatekeepers for the legacy of the popular franchise.

I don’t suspect Noah had much trouble -- he’s had a major modeling career that spans seven years, with jobs for houses such as John Galliano, Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors. His fashion cred alone must have gone miles with the SATC crowd.

This doesn’t mean Mills wasn’t a bit nervous going in for scenes with Cattrall -- which consist of a bar-side chat followed by something a lot more intimate, according to rumors ....

‘It’s my first film, and there was a lot to prove. Every day was like, ‘I belong here!’ But it felt like they were all coming to set for the first time,’ he said of stars like Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon.

As far as Cattrall is concerned, ‘she and the character are quite different.’

Mills said the actress woke in the wee hours to be present for his close-ups, when a stand-in would have sufficed for the star.

‘She demanded to stay; she’s really intelligent and really there to work.’

Cattrall’s Samantha is undoubtedly an archetype for the modern-day cougar, snatching up virile young things just like Mills. And with the Madonnas of the world cavorting with models like Jesus Luz, is Mills aware he’s prime bait?

‘You always have your suspicions, but I wouldn’t say I’d never do anything. If I met a woman, and she was older and I was into her, I’d go for it.’

In case you were wondering, he’s single and happy working -- Mills has already landed a second gig in the film ‘Happy New Year,’ playing the friend of a physically and emotionally damaged young vet.

‘I’ve always been interested in a war project,’ Mills said. ‘I lost a childhood friend in Iraq, so it’s something that’s close to me. The character, again, is sort of an urban, New York type, which I do well.’

We look forward to seeing the many things Noah can do. ‘Sex and the City 2’ opens this May, and look for ‘Happy New Year’ in theaters this fall.

-- Matt Donnelly

Top: Noah Mills, the current face of Michael Kors menswear, suits up for a steamy bike ride; credit: Doug Inglish. Bottom: Mills gets wired with a microphone on the set of ‘Happy New Year’; credit: Frederick Charles / FCharles.com

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