TOP 25: Hunks Past & Present Who SHOULD Have Been “Sexiest Man Alive”
Last week People Magazine named John Krasinski its 2024 selection for Sexiest Man Alive. The celebrity magazine has been doling out the honorific every year since 1985. In the intervening 39 years, standards of male beauty have changed, and the definition of what defines "sexy" has as well — among Krasinski's selling points are his intelligence, creativity, and wit, for instance.
People has honored dozens of attractive men over the years — in a few cases, it honored the same man TWICE — and made the occasional dubious calls. We wanted to look back at each decade and put forward some of our picks for men who SHOULD have been included among the Sexiest Man Alive list. Note that some of these men have been included on People's annual lists of attractive men, but none of them captured the top spot.
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1980s
Kevin Costner
It's genuinely shocking that Costner has never been named People's Sexiest Man Alive. In the 1980s and 1990s he was a massive Hollywood sex symbol, appearing in movies like Bull Durham, Dances With Wolves, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Tom Selleck
Selleck's Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I. was a defining male sex symbol of the 1980s. Those short shorts, barely buttoned Hawaiian shirts, mustache, and ample chest hair made the audience swoon.
Don Johnson
Like Selleck, Johnson's iconic role on Miami Vice redefined male fashion, offering a more slick, urban option that was no less alluring. He even tried his hand at pop-music stardom during the decade.
Eddie Murphy
Shocking that Kravitz has never received the title of Sexiest Man Alive, as he has BEEN the sexiest man alive for three decades running. Kravitz was scorching when he broke big in music in the 90s, and remains smoking hot in the 2020s.
Antonio Banderas
Banderas had been acting internationally since the 1980s, but became a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1990s with a string of sexy roles, including Interview with a Vampire, Desperado, and The Mask of Zorro.
Bruce Willis
Polarizing, as not everyone is into the bodybuilder look. But in the 90s, Arnold was one of the world's biggest movie stars, and had transitioned to box-office bank in both action films and comedies. And he did it while being built like a tank.
2000s
Leonardo DiCaprio
You could argue that Leo's peak heartthrob period was the late 1990s, but a teen has never been named People's Sexiest Man Alive. He aged up nicely in the Aughts, with roles in Gangs of New York, The Departed, and his allure remained strong.
Javier Bardem
Bardem has aged like a fine wine — he's a stunning man — and while he's been acting since the 1980s, his American breakthrough came in the 2000s with Collateral, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and his Oscar-nominated turn in No Country for Old Men.
Ryan Gosling
Taye Diggs has been hot since the 1990s, and Taye Diggs will be hot for the rest of time. But the 2000s were peak Diggs. He appeared in movies like Chicago and Brown Sugar, starred on TV in Private Practice, and was coming off Broadway in Rent.
Robert Pattinson
An unconventional pick, as he would have been VERY young to be Sexiest MAN Alive. However, women were OBSESSED with R-Pattz during The Twilight Saga; he would have fit right in with many honorees in that way.
2010s
Henry Cavill
Momoa had been working in TV and film for a while before his big break, but in the 2010s he took on Game of Thrones, Conan the Barbarian and Aquaman, and is beloved for being charmingly mischievous in addition to an absolute hunk of a man.
Oscar Isaac
Isaac's star exploded in the 2010s, as he went from a background actor to leading roles in multiple franchises including Star Wars, X-Men, and The Addams Family, plus cool indie fare like Ex Machina. He did it all while being impossibly handsome and charming.
Donald Glover
How hot is Tom Hardy? In the 2010s, he had a huge career in film (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Venom) and had his own high-budget FX drama series (Taboo), and 90 percent of the time you couldn't understand a word he said. Didn't matter. He's hot.
2020s
Pedro Pascal
Possibly the most glaring omission from the "Sexiest Man Alive" list. Pascal has been making us sweat since he showed up on Game of Thrones, and brought even more heat on The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. He is THE Hollywood heart throb of today.
Lil Nas X
A daring choice! Lil Nas X turned hip-hop AND country upside down with "Old Town Road," and his 2021 album Montero fully leaned his gay, black power. This man gave Satan a lapdance in a music video, and he was dang hot doing it.
Theo James
Another unexpected pick. James has been around for a while, with a notable guest appearance on "Downton Abbey" and a lead in the Divergent movies, but he's gaining traction in the 2020s with lead roles on White Lotus, Netflix's The Gentlemen, and more.
Manny Jacinto
Jacinto's star is still on the rise, but he broke through in a big way via the late, lamented Star Wars show The Acolyte, where he had jaws dropping with his shirtless scenes. Keep your eyes on him; 2024 was just the beginning, and we can't wait to see more.
Jonathan Bailey
Another star on the rise, Bailey first won hearts by playing the eldest son on Netflix's Bridgerton, then turned eyebrows playing gay (which he is in real life) in All Of Us Strangers, and is poised to conquer movie theaters this month as Fiyero in Wicked.
What are some famous studs, past and present, you feel deserve the title of “Sexiest Man Alive”? Leave a comment below!
