Top 10 Shirtless Moments That Made the Scene Better (For Real!)

“Australia” (2008)
Baz Luhrmann’s polarizing epic about a cattle station in Australia during the Second World War ran a little longer than a lot of critics would’ve preferred. But for all its excess, there was one moment that audiences were more than glad to see in the final cut. In this erotically charged scene, Hugh Jackman plays a rancher in the Australian Outback who’s camping with a repressed aristocrat played by Nicole Kidman. Well, he shows her some of the more majestic beauties of the Australian Outback. Chief among them, his rock-hard abs. It’s a heavy-handed but effective way to turn up the tension between them.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997)
Ryan Phillippe’s a jock with a bad attitude and a big secret in this late 90s slasher about a group of young people who are terrorized by a stalker. We catch up with him as he’s alone and shirtless after an intense gym workout. Not only is it a welcome dose of eye candy, but it also just kind of adds to how terrifying a situation like this would be. Being undressed and vulnerable in an empty, public place can be uncomfortable enough. It’s also kind of the worst situation to find yourself being stalked by a killer.

“It Happened One Night” (1934)
This Oscar-winning romantic comedy broke the mold in more ways than one. In an early scene, Clark Gable’s journalist erects a makeshift wall out of bed sheets to divide the motel room he’s sharing with Claudette Colbert’s runaway heiress. Then, he did the unthinkable. He took off his shirt, revealing only a bare chest and no undershirt. Gable was one of the biggest stars of the classic Hollywood era, and he was certainly one of the first big stars to do this on screen. It had such an impact that there’s even a myth that the scene led to a drop in the sale of men’s undershirts.

“She’s the Man” (2006)
In this take-off of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” Amanda Bynes stars as soccer player Viola[a], who disguises herself in drag to play on the men’s soccer team at a prep school. Unfortunately, this becomes really complicated when her roommate is revealed to be the swoon-worthy Duke Orsino, played by Channing Tatum. Watching Viola fumble her way through the conversation with her casually shirtless roommate while trying to pretend to be a boy and also pretend like she’s not into him is comedy gold. It sets the stage for the romantic tension that’s gonna make her charade even harder to maintain.

“I Am Legend” (2007)
Being the last man in New York really requires you to stay in shape. Virologist Richard Neville and his dog, Samantha, both have a strict workout routine. And seeing as he’s the only one around, Neville sees no reason to dress up for the occasion. Will Smith clearly bulked up to play the ripped scientist, and his taut physique is put on display in this early sequence. Yes, he looks great. It’s also a testament to what the character has to do to keep sharp and keep fit in a world where everything is a threat.

“Black Panther” (2018)
The final showdown between the Black Panther and Erik Killmonger is more than just a vicious battle between two men. Their showdown is a collision between political and spiritual ideologies that could tear Wakanda apart. Facing off at the top of a waterfall, the two strip down and engage in one on one combat for the throne. There’s no superhero tech, no campy costumes. It’s just two characters battling it out without armor or protection. And it must be said. Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan are in great form. Jordan’s character is outfitted with markings that make his torso all the more striking, but even without that, he’s impressive to look at.

“Dirty Dancing” (1987)
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze are an iconic dance pairing. Their chemistry is undeniable. But this scene, when Baby finally tells Johnny how she feels about him, and they engage in a sensual, incredibly erotic dance, is still one of the steamiest dance scenes ever captured on film. A good deal of that has to do with their chemistry. But Patrick Swayze’s dancerly physique captured in warm lighting is probably responsible for most of that. The moment is already peak romance. Throwing in a shirtless Swayze was almost too much for 1987 audiences to handle.

“Top Gun” (1986)
Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and their fellow military pilots take a break from their high-octane flight training to have a volleyball game. The sun shines down on them, bathing their sweaty, muscular, tanned bodies in golden hour light. There’s no other way to read this than an unabashed celebration of gorgeous men’s bodies. The homoerotic overtones have not been lost on viewers. The 2022 sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” decided to restage a version of the scene with its new, younger cast and original star Tom Cruise, who somehow looks just as good over 35 years later.

“Thelma & Louise” (1991)
This feminist buddy movie stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two friends on the run after one of them shoots a man dead in self-defense. While on the run, Davis’ character, Thelma, meets J.D., a suave and rambunctious young man who admits to being an armed robber. Played by an early-career Brad Pitt, J.D. gets up and demonstrates his robbery technique with a blow dryer instead of a gun. But the most memorable part about it is Pitt’s iconically cut abs. It’s the same thing that made Tyler Durden so intoxicating to watch on screen in “Fight Club.” He’s devilishly handsome and totally dangerous.

“Casino Royale” (2006)
For years, the James Bond movies were where you went to see beautiful women objectified in the most outlandish and ludicrously over-the-top ways. Daniel Craig’s version of the character flipped that script entirely. In “Dr. No,” the very first film, Ursula Andress rose out of the water in a bikini. In “Casino Royale,” it’s the secret agent himself that we watch. Craig’s broad frame and chiseled features drip with water as he emerges from the ocean. Not only is it a fun and modern twist on a then-40-year-old series, but it also gives us the opportunity to gaze upon the handsome and talented new James Bond.

Did your favorite movie hunk make the list? Let us know in the comments.

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