As many people may be turning to TV and films to keep themselves entertained during the ongoing lockdown, the Neo Online team analysed 25 years’ worth of sources regarding the ‘sexiest’ stars to determine a definitive list of the ‘sexiest’ actors in the world right now. Read on to find out more…
The ‘Sexiest’ Male Actors
Looking at official lists (e.g. People ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ cover stars), unofficial polls (e.g. IMDB polls) and other articles around the ‘sexiest’ actors, we noted down how many times a person was featured in a ‘top 10’, and calculated the average ranking position for each person to give them an overall ‘sexiness’ score.
When it came to looking at the ‘sexiest’ male actors from the last 5 years, we based our calculations on the male actors that featured in ‘top 10’ in roundups more than once (2+) between 2015 and 2020, and then ordered the 40 qualifying people from best average ranking position (#1) to the worst average ranking position (#10).
Jamie Dornan took first place, featuring in ‘top 10 sexiest men’ polls 4 times in the last five years, with an average ranking position of 1.5 (coming in first or second place each time), followed by Aidan Turner and Brad Pitt.
| 5- Year Rank | Name | Average ranking position | Times featured | Films/TV appearances (‘Known For’ on IMDB) |
| 1 | Jamie Dornan | 1.5 | 4 | The Fall (2013-2016), Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), Marie Antoinette (2006) |
| 2 | Aidan Turner | 1.5 | 2 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Hobbit: The Desolution of Smaug (2013), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) |
| 3 | Brad Pitt | 4 | 2 | Ad Astra (2019), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), World War Z (2013), Mr & Mrs Smith (2005), Troy (2004), Fight Club (1999) |
| 4 | Idris Elba | 4.67 | 3 | Cats (2019), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Star Trek Beyond (2016), Thor (2011), Luther (2010-2019) |
| =5 | Tom Hiddleston | 5 | 3 | The Night Manager (2016), Avengers Assemble (2012), Thor (2011) |
| =5 | Robert Pattinson | 5 | 3 | Remember Me (2010), The Lighthouse (2019), Twilight (2008), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2004) |
| 7 | Harry Styles | 6.33 | 3 | Dunkirk (2017) |
| 8 | Henry Cavill | 6.6 | 5 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), Justice League (2017), Man of Steel (2013), The Tudors (2007-2010) |
| 9 | Chris Evans | 7.5 | 2 | Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Fantastic Four (2005) |
| 10 | Matt Bomer | 8.5 | 2 | The Sinner (2020), The Nice Guys (2016), Magic Mike (2012), In Time (2011) |
But we also wanted to look at the ‘sexiest’ actors longer term, so we also analysed data from the last 25 years! When it came to looking at the ‘sexiest’ male actors from the last 25 years, we based our calculations on the male actors that featured in the ‘top 10’ in roundups more than once (2+) between 1995 and 2020, and then ordered the 53 qualifying people by most times featured, and then by average ranking position.
Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) snatched the top spot, featuring the most times (5) of all male actors, with Dornan slipping down into second place (4). George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Chris Hemsworth and Johnny Depp also feature as favourites based on the 25-year data, in addition to all of those mentioned above in the more recent data.
| 25- Year Rank | Name | Average ranking position | Times featured | Films/TV appearances (‘Known For’ on IMDB) |
| 1 | Henry Cavill | 6.6 | 5 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), Justice League (2017), Man of Steel (2013), The Tudors (2007-2010) |
| 2 | Jamie Dornan | 1.5 | 4 | The Fall (2013-2016), Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), Marie Antoinette (2006) |
| 3 | Brad Pitt | 2.5 | 4 | Ad Astra (2019), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), World War Z (2013), Mr & Mrs Smith (2005), Troy (2004), Fight Club (1999) |
| 4 | George Clooney | 4 | 3 | ER (1994-2009, Michael Clayton (2007), Oceans Eleven (2001), Batman & Robin (1997) |
| 5 | Idris Elba | 4.67 | 3 | Cats (2019), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Star Trek Beyond (2016), Thor (2011), Luther (2010-2019) |
| =6 | Tom Hiddleston | 5 | 3 | The Night Manager (2016), Avengers Assemble (2012), Thor (2011) |
| =6 | Robert Pattinson | 5 | 3 | Remember Me (2010), The Lighthouse (2019), Twilight (2008), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2004) |
| 8 | Harry Styles | 6.33 | 3 | Dunkirk (2017) |
| 9 | Johnny Depp | 1 | 2 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Blow (2001) |
| 10 | Aidan Turner | 1.5 | 2 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Hobbit: The Desolution of Smaug (2013), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) |
| 11 | Bradley Cooper | 4.5 | 2 | A Star is Born (2018), American Sniper (2014), American Hustle (2013), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Limitless (2011), The Hangover (2009) |
| 12 | Chris Hemsworth | 5.5 | 2 | Avengers Assemble (2012), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Thor (2011), Home and Away (2004-2007) |
| 13 | Chris Evans | 7.5 | 2 | Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Fantastic Four (2005) |
| 14 | Matt Bomer | 8.5 | 2 | The Sinner (2020), The Nice Guys (2016), Magic Mike (2012), In Time (2011) |
The ‘Sexiest’ Female Actors
We replicated the same methodology for female actors, looking at official lists (e.g. FHM 100 Sexiest Women), unofficial polls (e.g. IMDB polls) and other sources, calculating the average ranking position and then ordering the 38 qualifying people from best average ranking position (#1) to the worst average ranking position (#10).
Kate Upton and Scarlett Johansson took joint first place, featuring in ‘top 10 sexiest women’ polls 4 times in the last five years, with the same average ranking position of 2.75. Margot Robbie took the bronze.
| 5-Year Rank | Name | Average ranking position | Times featured | Films/TV appearances (‘Known For’ on IMDB) |
| =1 | Kate Upton | 2.75 | 4 | The Layover (2017), The Other Woman (2014), The Three Stooges (2012), Tower Heist (2011) |
| =1 | Scarlett Johansson | 2.75 | 4 | Marriage Story (2019), Her (2013), Under the Skin (2013), Avengers Assemble (2012), Lost in Translation (2003) |
| 3 | Margot Robbie | 4 | 3 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), I, Tonya (2017), Suicide Squad (2016), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) |
| =4 | Emily Ratajkowski | 4.5 | 4 | I Feel Pretty (2018), We Are Your Friends (2015), Gone Girl (2014) |
| =4 | Megan Fox | 4.5 | 2 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Jennifer’s Body (2009), Transformers (2007) |
| 6 | Jennifer Lawrence | 5.6 | 5 | American Hustle (2013), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Hunger Games (2012), X-Men: First Class (2011) |
| 7 | Emilia Clarke | 6.3 | 3 | Me Before You (2016), Terminator Genisys (2015), Game of Thrones (2011-2019) |
| 8 | Beyoncé Knowles | 6.5 | 2 | Dreamgirls (2006), The Pink Panther (2006), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) |
| 9 | Charlotte McKinney | 7 | 2 | Fantasy Island (2020), Flatliners (2017,) Baywatch (2017), The Late Bloomer (2016) |
| 10 | Felicity Jones | 9 | 2 | Rogue One (2016), Inferno (2016), The Theory of Everything (2014), Like Crazy (2011) |
Again, we looked longer term from the last 25 years, ordering the 119 qualifying people by most times featured, and then by average ranking position. Kelly Brook (Piranha 3D) holds the top spot, featuring the most times (10) of all female actors, with Johansson taking second place (8) and Kate Upton skipping down to joint nineth (5).
Margot Robbie, Emilia Clarke, Charlotte McKinney and Felicity Jones disappear from the quarter-century list, whereas Britney Spears, Keeley Hazell, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Ratajkowski, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Carmen Electra and Angelina Jolie also featured as favourites based on the 25-year data.
| 25- Year Rank | Name | Average ranking position | Times featured | Films/TV appearances (‘Known For’ on IMDB) |
| 1 | Kelly Brook | 5.3 | 10 | Piranha 3D (2010), Duece Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005), The Italian Job (2003) |
| 2 | Scarlett Johansson | 4.38 | 8 | Marriage Story (2019), Her (2013), Under the Skin (2013), Avengers Assemble (2012), Lost in Translation (2003) |
| 3 | Britney Spears | 3.14 | 7 | Crossroads (2002) |
| 4 | Megan Fox | 3.57 | 7 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Jennifer’s Body (2009), Transformers (2007) |
| 5 | Keeley Hazell | 4.17 | 6 | Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), Like Crazy (2011) |
| 6 | Jessica Alba | 4.5 | 6 | Machete (2010), Fantastic Four (2005), Sin City (2005) |
| 7 | Jennifer Lawrence | 4.83 | 6 | American Hustle (2013), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Hunger Games (2012), X-Men: First Class (2011) |
| 8 | Beyoncé Knowles | 6.5 | 6 | Dreamgirls (2006), The Pink Panther (2006), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) |
| =9 | Kate Upton | 3.8 | 5 | The Layover (2017), The Other Woman (2014), The Three Stooges (2012), Tower Heist (2011) |
| =9 | Jennifer Lopez | 3.8 | 5 | Hustlers (2019), The Boy Next Door (2015), The Back-up Plan (2010), Monster in Law (2005) |
| 11 | Emily Ratajkowski | 4.4 | 5 | I Feel Pretty (2018), We Are Your Friends (2015), Gone Girl (2014) |
| 12 | Jennifer Aniston | 5.6 | 5 | We are the Millers (2013), Just Go with It (2011), Friends (1994-2004) |
| 13 | Cameron Diaz | 6 | 5 | Sex Tape (2014), The Other Woman (2014), The Holiday (2006), Charlie’s Angels (2000), There’s Something About Mary (1998) |
| 14 | Carmen Electra | 6.2 | 5 | Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), Scary Movie (2000), Baywatch (1997-1998) |
| 15 | Angelina Jolie | 6.6 | 5 | Maleficent (2014), Salt (2010), Mr & Mrs Smith (2005), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) |
The Films with the ‘Sexiest’ Casts
Based on the findings of the ‘sexiest’ actors over the years, Neo-Online were also able to determine the movies and TV shows with the ‘sexiest’ casts. These calculations were instead based on films which featured several of the ‘sexiest’ stars of the last 25 years in its cast, ordered from having more ‘sexy’ cast members to the fewest.
Avengers Assemble (2012) was revealed as having the ‘sexiest’ cast overall, featuring 4 of the world’s ‘sexiest’ stars from the last 25 years, including Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hiddleston. Thor (2011) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) also had several of the ‘sexiest’ actors within their cast.
| Rank | Film | Number of ‘sexy’ cast members | Sexy cast members featured in film |
| 1 | Avengers Assemble (2012) | 4 | Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston |
| 2 | Thor (2011) | 3 | Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba |
| 3 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) | 2 | Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie |
Interestingly, there were only two movies where both members of an on-screen couple featured in Neo’s definitive lists. With both ranking highly in previous lists, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper’s chemistry in Silver Linings Playbook crowned them as the sexiest movie couple, beating Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr & Mrs Smith with better average combined ranking position.
| Rank | Film | Combined average score | Sexy cast members – and average score per person |
| 1 | Silver Linings Playbook (2012) | 4.67 | Jennifer Lawrence (4.83) and Bradley Cooper(4.5) |
| 2 | Mr & Mrs Smith (2005) | 5.3 | Brad Pitt(4) and Angelina Jolie (6.6) |
The research also showed that Margot Robbie’s on-screen partners were regularly ‘punching above their weight’, with the beauty featuring 3 times in the last five years, with an average ranking position of 4. In comparison, Jared Leto only featured once in the last 5 years (in 2015) with a ranking position of 9, and her Wolf of Wall Street co-star Leonardo DiCaprio did not place in any ‘top 10’ lists over the last 25 years.
Idris Elba (featuring 3 times in the last five years, with an average ranking position of 4.67) had the closest scores in comparison, so could make a good on-screen match in the future – perhaps we should watch this space?!