DEAR DIARY...TODAY I INTERVIEWED TWO OF THE DREAMIEST BO-HUNKS IN THE WESTERN WORLD - TEEN IDOLS JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS AND DEVON SAWA, STARS OF THE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE FILM ``WILD AMERICA.''.

Byline: Story by Janet Weeks

Is it possible to bronze a tape recorder?

Know this, dear diary: I will never, ever wash the cassette that recorded their voices.

It happened last week, at a loud, contrived press junket held at loud, contrived Planet Hollywood in Beverly Hills. Earlier in the day, the adolescent Adonises presented the restaurant with artifacts from the film. Tre generous!

I arrived to find the place swarming with fresh-faced young girls - by the back door, in the lobby, in the restrooms - each holding a pen, paper and high hopes of meeting THEM.

(Apparently, Thomas' active Internet following posts daily reports of his public appearances for the convenience of autograph seekers.)

But those starry-eyed girls would have to wait. First, the boys belonged to me.

And - oh diary! - I confess my heart raced as I first spied them from across the room. OK, so I didn't really spy them from across the room. I saw an entourage of publicists and parents and assumed Thomas and Sawa were in their midst. And maybe the heart palpitations were a reaction to the salsa at the media check-in table.

Nevertheless, the guys were eventually shepherded to my booth. There, I discovered two lanky blonds who can physically pass for brothers.

Indeed, in ``Wild America,'' which opened Wednesday, they play Mark and Marshall Stouffer, real-life siblings who, with oldest brother Martin, spent the summer of 1967 traveling across country shooting endangered animals with a 16mm camera.

The quest launched all three Stouffers in careers as wildlife documentarians.

But despite physical similarities, Thomas and Sawa are quite different in style, goals and manner. Variety is the spice of life, dear diary.

A future De Niro 

Sawa, 18, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, is all electricity and energy and ambition. He's been called ``the next Leonardo DiCaprio'' by Hollywood insiders - reportedly a tag he doesn't much like - for his engaging performance in Showtime's ``Robin of Locksley'' (he played a modern Robin Hood).

He also appeared as the human incarnation of ``Casper'' in the feature film about the friendly ghost.

But big fame has eluded him.

He hopes it won't elude him much longer.

Sawa wants to be Woody Harrelson or Robert De Niro or Harvey Keitel. He likes their edginess. Their urbanness. And, although he plays an outdoors enthusiast in the film, it's obvious that Sawa is not one to get all mushy over a cuddly bear cub.

Hunk Fact: His favorite animal, he says, is a hyena.

``They laugh while they eat dead stuff,'' he says. ``That's pretty cool.''

Thomas, on the other hand, is a seasoned Hollywood veteran, even though he is only 15. His six-season tenure on the hit sitcom ``Home Improvement'' established him as a bona fide kid heartthrob, and he has kept his place with a string of successful children's films: ``The Lion King'' (he was the voice of young Simba); the Chevy Chase comedy ``Man of the House''; ``Tom and Huck''; and ``The Adventures of Pinocchio.''

Hunk Fact: His favorite animals, he says, are domesticated house pets.

``I'm partial to my dog and cats.''

Two-career hunk

His aspirations? A Harvey Keitel life doesn't seem to be in the picture. He wants to go to college - even if it means taking an extended hiatus from acting - and study either film or another subject that piques his interest. Right now, he's thinking maybe psychology, literature or history.

After that, Thomas would like to get into either directing or producing.

He yawns through the interview, obviously exhausted after a long day of promoting the film. Are you tired of working, I ask?

``I still enjoy it,'' he says. ``As long as I get my little break now and then, I'm happy.''

On those breaks, Thomas spends his time fly-fishing or hiking in the wild.

Hunk Fact: When he gets his driver's license in September, he wants to buy either a Toyota Land Cruiser or Ford Expedition.

Sawa, on the other hand, seems wired on adrenalin, rather than drained of it. He couldn't care less about rest breaks from an industry that can be grueling on the young. He wants to work.

``I want to act. I want to challenge myself to different roles, different things - edgy sort of independent projects. Or if they're studio projects, dark and edgy. That kind of stuff interests me. I think independent films are the thing of the future.''

His next project is ``Cool Dry Places'' with hot newcomers Vince Vaughn (``Swingers,'' ``The Lost World: Jurassic Park'') and Joey Lauren Adams (``Chasing Amy''). And he's looking for films to fill his schedule after that.

Whatchutalkinabout?

I ask him if he ever worries that he'll fall prey to Former Child Star Syndrome - the condition that seems to send people like Todd Bridges over the edge.

``Who?'' he asks.

Ah, youth!

``Oh,'' he says, when I tell him Bridges was the boy on ``Diff'rent Strokes'' who grew up to a life of crime.

``That's a route I'm worried about going - in today, out tomorrow,'' he says. ``That's why in between studio films I'm doing independent, dark pieces. For instance, Before `Wild America' I did `The Boys Club,' and I got a record for the most swear words in a movie, and I smoked and drank and broke into cars and robbed liquor stores. It shows audiences that I can act.''

Hunk Fact: Sawa's idea of a vacation is camping in a jungle.

``I want to go somewhere tropical,'' he says. ``I saw a TV program about these surfer guys that went camping in South America and survived on berries and bananas. I want to do it. I think it would be fun.''

``Do you like dangerous stuff,'' I ask?

``Oh yeah.''

Bonus Hunk Fact: Sawa's favorite music is rap, and his favorite artists are Wu Tang Clan, Puff Daddy, Scarface and Tupac Shakur.

In ``Wild America,'' Sawa plays the middle brother who, along with the eldest boy, mercilessly picks on the youngest, played by Thomas. He says the part fit him well, since he has been known to pick on his younger sister and brother.

``I don't see them a lot (because of work). But, yeah, when I see them, I terrorize them. Let me tell you.''

Thomas, on the other hand, is dominated on the basketball court by his older brother.

``I'm the youngest, so I definitely relate to my character.''

Hunk Fact: Thomas once caught an 80-pound halibut. At the time, he weighed 70 pounds. Isn't that hunk-a-rific!

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: Teen idols Devon Sawa, left, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas star in ``Wild America.''

David R. Crane/Daily News