Top 10 Sexiest Men of the 2000s

#10: Ryan Reynolds

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Reynolds had his big screen breakthrough playing Van Wilder, a prank-loving, womanizing, man-child who refused to graduate from college. This showed us that he could be adorably hilarious, and that he could turn heads by taking his shirt off. Honestly, even with burn marks and a red superhero costume, Reynolds still manages to make us blush. Perhaps the most likely on this list to charm us into the bedroom through humor, he also appears to be quite a wonderful father in real life as well. Unfortunately, he’s already taken by the beautiful Blake Lively, but she’s clearly OK with his continued shirtless scenes. Declared People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2010, Reynolds is showing no sign of losing his touch.

This thespian is more than a blockbuster success. He’s readily performed in theatre over the past couple decades and is a Tony-winning force to be reckoned with. Nonetheless, he will undoubtedly be most remembered for his long-running performance as Wolverine, a mutant superhero with little need for a shirt over his rippling muscles. Jackman is an on-the-nose last name for a beefcake like Hugh, but it’s nice to see he is incredibly talented on top of this. For those of us who don’t have access to Broadway, he showed us his impressive penchant for theater performances in the next decade with “Les Misérables.”

Usher Raymond IV is has sold millions of records since he became active in the music industry in the eraly ‘90s, and has achieved numerous Billboard Hot 100 singles, along with a handful of number one hits. Creating many songs about both love, and lovemaking, his repertoire is the perfect bedroom playlist. On top of that, in an industry with its fair share of misogynist influences, Usher is a self-proclaimed feminist, and quite a sweetheart. Still not convinced? Not only is he another celebrity who can make just about anyone stop what they’re doing by removing his shirt, but he also has dance moves that are nearly on par with Michael Jackson.

The King of Latin Pop is one of the best and most popular Spanish performers of all time. A feat like that requires more than simply looks to accomplish. Iglesias is hella talented, and would easily end up center stage without head-turning features to boot… but, to put it bluntly, he’s also a beautiful man. With songs that perfectly encapsulate the freedom and romanticism of traveling, backpacking abroad, and adventure, Iglesias is a special kind of sexy. Without even laid eyes on his gorgeous face, Enrique’s hybrid English Spanish songs already make us want to fall in love.

Here’s the thing about Matthew McConaughey; we get older, he appears to stay the same age. Even in his late 40s, he looks just as young and tantalizing as he did in his breakout role in “Dazed and Confused.” The McConaissance arguably started in 2011 with “The Lincoln Lawyer,” but it was in the prior decade that he was all about the abs, and very against shirts. To the point of parody, McConaughey was practically type-casted as the hot shirtless guy. While he’s more likely to appear at the Oscars now than on the cover of People Magazine as the Sexiest Man Alive, this is one actor who did and continues to look alright, alright, alright.

The final picks on this list were really, really difficult to rank. When it came down to it, Timberlake’s triple threat of singing, dancing, and acting are just too impressive to ignore. No member of the boy band frenzy of the ‘90s managed to sell out stadiums with solo performances quite like Justin did in the 2000s. Don’t let the expensive suit fool you into thinking he’ll be completely well mannered. The man’s got an edge that is epitomized in his breakdowns on the dance floor. He also appears in films that are hilarious as well as films that are Oscar-worthy. If there’s a man worthy of both worldwide recognition and our hearts, surely it’s Timberlake.

First melting hearts in North America with his performance in “10 Things I Hate About You,” Ledger proved to be an endearing, and lovesick puppy dog right out the gate. His raw, and subversive performance in “Brokeback Mountain” hinted at an incredible acting ability, and his untimely death in 2008 shocked and saddened the world. Perhaps it was a mixture of his untapped potential, work for the LGBT community, and iconic Joker performance that remain as his legacy. But he was also a charming boy-next-door with a sexy Aussie accent that made it difficult for us to keep from blushing in more than a few incredible performances.

#3: George Clooney

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From Dr. Ross to Danny Ocean, to a wide and varied number of big screen roles, Clooney is proof that some things really do get better with age. Featured on the Cover of People Magazine's 'Sexiest Man Alive' not once but twice, in 1997 and 2006 respectively, Clooney has dazzled audiences with his roles as a mischievous thief in Ocean's Eleven, a hard hitting lawyer Michael Clayton, and a brutal HR rep in Up in the Air. Honestly, not only has he made aging look cool, but his salt and pepper coif, crinkly eyes and sexy voice have won him thousands of fans all over the world.

When he first hit the scene, it was hard to ignore that Pitt was a drop-dead gorgeous actor. But thanks to his acting skills, he eventually became a regular at the Academy Awards for his performances in critically acclaimed films. There are two films in particular that perhaps best embody his endless supply of sex appeal, however: as a shirtless, anarchist in “Fight Club” at the turn of the decade and a bronzed Greek Hero in “Troy.” His star power likely contributed to establishing the Aniston-Jolie-Pitt love triangle as the tabloid event of the decade, and his seeming unwillingness to age is its own twist on Benjamin Button. With his near-perfect looks and charisma, it’s no surprise Brad Pitt made waves like few others. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Taylor Kitsch Jensen Ackles Orlando Bloom

Gosling knows how to make our hearts melt with such precision that a meme of his drop-dead sexy face calls obvious attention to his near-perfection. In possibly the most tear-inducing love story of early 21st century memory, Gosling’s breakout role in “The Notebook” was ample argument for him to end up on our list. Taking on prominent roles of the bad boy, with always what seemed to be our best interest in mind, certainly aided his case. Meanwhile, a six-pack that makes us drool completely knocks it out of the park for Ryan. Honestly, even a silly interview with Ellen is more than enough to make our loins stir. Do you agree with our list? Which sex symbol of the 2000s do you have the biggest crush on? For more easy-to-look-at Top 10s, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.