On November 15th, People magazine will unveil 2019’s Sexiest Man Alive, which will be the last time before going into a new decade. No one knows yet who will be the last Sexiest Man Alive of the 2010s, but there are plenty of men who have already been granted the title, and plenty of others who never got the recognition. In honor of nearly four decades of the publication’s Sexiest Man Alive issue, here are the sexiest men of each decade, even before the magazine’s founding. So let’s dive into the Sexiest Man Alive Through the Decades
1930s: Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn is one of the most prolific and recognizable actors in all of film history, and managed to stay relevant in the limelight from his film debut to his untimely death. In the 1930s, not only did Flynn make his film debut, but he became a household name in the same decade, starring both Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood. Flynn was always known for his good look and leading man charisma, as well as being the epitome of a manly man, making him the Sexiest Man Alive in the 1930s by a longshot.
1940s: Cary Grant
Much like Errol Flynn, Cary Grant is one of those people that everyone in the world knows, even if they have never seen one of his movies. Grant has appeared in all-time classic films throughout his career, with the bulk of those coming in the 40s, having done His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Notorious. There are very few actors in history who are prime examples of what a leading man should be, but Grant’s smoldering good looks and masculine persona makes him a prime example, and also makes him one of the sexiest men to ever live.
1950s: James Dean
James Dean only existed on this planet for 24 years, and he is still known by every single person alive today. Dean’s entire career started and ended in the 1950s, giving legendary performances in classics like Giant, Rebel Without a Cause, and East of Eden, and establishing himself as one of the most iconic actors to ever exist. James Dean remained a young, hot-shot bad boy for his entire life, and captured the hearts of every teenage girl alive at the time, which should cement him as the sexiest man of the 50s.
1960s: Paul Newman
The 1960s were defined by several legendary actors who could have held the title of Sexiest Man Alive, including Robert Redford, Adam West, or even John Wayne. However, as far as the best and hottest leading man goes, everyone else takes a backseat to Paul Newman. Newman starred in Exodus, Cool Hand Luke, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid all in the same decade, which are all films that people still watch and know about today. In many ways, Paul Newman established what casting directors should look for in a leading man, and has remained one of the most prominent sex symbols in all of popular culture.
1970s: Clint Eastwood
You do not have to have boyish charms or a killer smile to be sexy, you can be just as sexy by having a rugged look and mysterious demeanor, and Clint Eastwood proved that. Between the Dirty Harry series, his countless westerns including The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Escape from Alcatraz, Eastwood held a monopoly on the leading roles in the 1970s, and looked good while doing it. Clint Eastwood is an actor that still makes incredible movies, he will forever be known as one of the most prolific bad boys of acting, and he would have undoubtedly had his own Sexiest Man Alive cover if it existed while he was in his prime.
1980s: Mel Gibson
Sexiest Man Alive was an idea that was created in the 1980s, and it was tailor made for Mel Gibson. Without Gibson winning the hearts of millions and showing off his incredible physique in Lethal Weapon, this title simply would not exist, and that say a lot about what kind of figure he is. Gibson was so sexy that People decided to make a special issue of their magazine just for him, and no one else in the world will ever be able to say that.
1990s: Richard Gere
Very few men have been granted the status of Sexiest Man Alive, and even fewer have had it given to them twice. This was unprecedented before Richard Gere was given the cover twice in one decade, making it hard to argue that anyone else was sexier than him at the time. Gere will go down in history as one the most prolific romantic-comedy actors of all time, and he will forever be seen as a sex symbol for generations to come.
2000s: Johnny Depp
Much like Richard Gere, Johnny Depp was given the title of Sexiest Man Alive twice in one decade, and both times it defined an entirely different actor. Depp’s first win was for the man who had a charming smile and dashing good looks, and his second win was for the more rugged and seasoned actor that had emerged through his rough lifestyle and mature roles, showing perhaps the most evolution between two Sexiest Man Alive wins to date. Johnny Depp is still seen as one of the sexiest actors alive, as he has always been throughout his entire career, and that is likely to never change for as long as people remember his name.
2010s: Ryan Reynolds
The Sexiest Man Alive cover issue in the 2010s was defined by a rotating incumbent every year, but out of all of those men, Ryan Reynolds has to be the sexiest. He was given the title in 2010, and now that it is the end of the decade, it is not far fetched to think that he could win it again. Reynolds has starred in extremely successful movies for 10 years straight, as well as staying in superhero shape all the way from Green Lantern to Deadpool 2, making him perhaps the most prominent sex symbol in modern culture.
