Dancing With the Stars

William Levy's Shirtless Photo Shoot

By Dahvi Shira and Elaine Aradillas

04/12/2012 at 03:45 PM EDT

William Levy became an overnight sensation in the U.S. when he began competing on Dancing with the Stars in March, but the chiseled Cuban actor isn't letting fame go to his head.

"I might be doing all these good things now, but I'm still a very humble person and I think you should never lose that," Levy, 31, told PEOPLE during a break from his shirtless photo shoot for this week's cover story.

"When you lose that, you lose the chance to enjoy life with everyone around you."

PHOTOS: William Levy at His Hottest

As for his feelings about participating on ABC's hit show, the father of two calls the experience "a roller coaster," admitting he "thought it was going to be easier."

"It's not easy at all," he admits, but adds that he's "enjoying it so much."

The biggest challenge for Levy – whose partner is Cheryl Burke – is learning the dances with patience.

"It's hard," he says. "It's not the same thing as when you come in and learn your script. This is like a dance routine that I had never done before."

For the full story on Levy, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

MORE PHOTOS: People en Español shows off Levy's hottest dance shots