Hey may say he doesn’t know how to be sexy, but former “All My Children” star J.R. Martinez does know how to shake his bon-bon…

Performing a sizzling samba and even playing the drums to Gloria Estefan‘s “Conga” on Monday night’s ‘80s-themed “Dancing With the Stars” performance show, the 28-year-old wounded-Iraq-veteran-turned-actor showed just why he’s a frontrunner.

Martinez and his dancing partner Karina Smirnoff received a total of 28 points from the judges, including the pair’s first 10, to earn the highest score of the night.

Martinez tapped into his Latin roots to get “inspired” and perfect the complicated Brazilian dance.

“One of the advantages that I think I have in the Samba this week is the fact that I am Latin,” said Martinez in the pre-dance clip. “Being raised by a single mother, I was always dancing with my mother and I think that will help me do well with the samba.”

Meanwhile, Smirnoff pushed him hard to help Martinez capture the dance’s sexual energy.

“It’s funny, she kept telling me, ‘Be sexy here! Be masculine!’ and I would do something and she’s like, ‘That’s not sexy! That’s
not masculine!’” said Martinez after the dance. “And I was like, ‘I don’t know how to be sexy!’ I really don’t. It’s not my thing. I don’t think I’m a sexy and masculine type of guy, but tonight, it was fun.”

Boy, did the judges respond to the pair’s high energy dance!

“You were like a loin-shattering sex machine,” said Bruno Tonioli. “You had so much fire down below, it was like a volcano!”

Meanwhile, Carrie Ann Inaba told Martinez just how hot she thinks he is: “Hey papi, muy caliente!” she said. “That is the way to dance that samba.”

If the dancing pair survive tonight’s elimination round, Smirnoff says they’ll tackkle a quick step for next week’s Broadway-themed performance show.