Hottest Men Alive Then & Now

There’s certainly no shortage of hot men. But there’s also no denying there’s a varying degree of attractiveness among the pool of sizzling hotties that encompasses Hollywood. Some have really managed to maintain their hotness throughout the years, and that puts them at the top of their game.

Whether through a rigorous diet and exercise routine or just great genetics, there’s no denying some Hollywood hotties have got it going on. And some of these guys are the masters of looking amazing at any age. And regardless of whether they are genetically blessed or perhaps a little vain, you can’t deny they are beautiful specimens.

The following A-list stars have really made a name for themselves not just in appearance, but as for their talent as well – which just makes them even hotter. And while we haven’t really changed how we see them, it is interesting to see how much they have changed over the years.

If there was a contest for aging like fine wine, these celebrities could win the top prize. With that said, here are the hottest people alive, then and now. Some have even earned the official title by various publications like People Magazine and GQ Magazine. Let’s take a look!

Henry Cavill had started acting as far back as the early 2000s, most notably appearing in the 2002 version of the Count of Monte Cristo. At that time, however, he was just a teenager and it wasn’t until 2007 that he got his big break on The Tudors where he played Charles Brandon.

Not long after he got his first major film role as Superman aka Kal -El in the 2013 film Man of Steel. He would appear as the character two more times in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice as well as in Justice League – all as part of the DCEU, the DC expanded universe series of films.

Today, Henry Cavill has returned to television but still makes time for movies as well. He appeared in the 2018 film Mission Impossible: Fallout, and in 2022, will be seen in the spy thriller Argylle. As for his television role, which is arguably his best role to-date, he plays Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter in a series based on the book series of the same name, The Witcher.

Henry Cavill seems to be enjoying the single life as Glamour magazine’s “World’s Sexiest Man.” He isn’t married isn’t married nor does he have any children. He is somewhat of a nerd, albeit a hot nerd, as he enjoys PC gaming and WARHAMMER – and if you don’t know what that is, look it up.

Ryan Reynolds has been one of the hottest actors of the past 20 years and we don’t mean just his career. Her notably started out in television with appearances in The X-Files, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and in 1998 the show Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place. His big break would come with his first film career.

Most notably, he starred in the National Lampoon film Van Wilder in 2002, a film in which he had a starring role. Following that he appeared in The In-Laws, also starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks. He played Hannibal King in the third film of the Blade franchise, Blade: Trinity in 2004. Year later he appeared in a remake of the film 1979 film The Amityville Horror.

Ryan Reynolds has appeared in two of People’s Sexiest Man Alive list – in 2007 and in 2009. And considering he’s just as hot as he was almost 15 years ago, we’d say he hasn’t quite lost his touch in the looks department. And his acting has only improved from there.

While some of his films are misses in terms of quality, he continues to draw in audiences with his charming personality, humor and chiseled looks. However, his biggest commercial success to-date would have to be the X-Men films Deadpool, as well as its sequel - but strangely, in those films, his appearance is covered up in hideous makeup.  

Actor Paul Rudd’s big break came in the coming-of-age teen comedy film Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone. That same year, he also appeared in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Meyers. While Paul Rudd would certainly do a wide variety of films in terms of genre, it was his career in the 2000s that really branded him as a comedic actor.

During that decade, he starred in a string of successful comedy films, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked-Up – just to name a few. His charming personality, dry humor and good looks have propelled him to the top, making him an A-List star.

Nobody can quite tell us when and where Paul Rudd discovered the fountain of youth, but it is quite clear that he did. His looks haven't changed one bit, but his acting? When he debuted in Antman (one of his first more serious roles in years), everyone applauded him. He did a great job in the role and really brought life to the character (as well as a set of six-pack abs). The movie turned out to be a huge success for Paul Rudd, and fans adored it. 

The man is now in his 50s but still looks like he’s in his 30s at most. In 2021, he was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” making his hot status official. In 2003, Julie Yaeger snagged Mr. Rudd at a wedding ceremony and never let him go. They have two children to this day. Meanwhile, Paul Rudd continues to have a successful film career. Some of his most notable recent film roles have included the superhero Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his role in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

The god-like Chris Hemsworth had humble beginnings in Australian television, starring as Kim Hyde in a series called Home and Away from 2004 to 2007. And it wasn’t long after that show that he would start his Hollywood film career jumping straight into the Star Trek franchise, starring as George Kirk, father of James Kirk.

By 2011 he had a starring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the film Thor. It was his first big starring role and from there he would only appear in more. Playing a literal god undoubtedly helped him obtain a powerful onscreen presence and its helped claim a ton of lead roles.

Four Thor movies and four Avengers films later, there are no signs of anything stopping Chris Hemsworth soon. The actor has starred in numerous other blockbusters, including Snow White and the Huntsman, In the Heart of the Sea, and Men in Black: International, among many others.

In 2023, Hemsworth will be seen in a sequel to his film Extraction, appropriately titled Extraction 2. After that, Hemsworth’s next project is Furiosa, a spin-off and prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road. In it, he will play Immortan Joe. It is currently filming and is set for release in 2024. Whether we will see him again as Thor remains to be seen. Nevertheless, on top of all that, he has three kids that keep him busy as a dad.

Idris Elba is one of the hottest British actors in Hollywood and he’s so good at accents, some people don’t even realize he is British. As equally as talented as he is handsome, Idris Elba took Hollywood by storm ever since playing Stringer Bell on HBO’s The Wire – a show considered by some to be the best ever made.

In that role, he played Stringer Bell, a leader in the criminal underworld. In his next big television role, he was on the opposite side of the law, playing Detective John Luther in the BBC series Luther. One of his first major films was 28 Weeks Later, a sequel to the horror film 28 Days Later.

Ever since, Idris Elba has appeared in a number of major blockbuster films, including Thor, Prometheus, The Suicide Squad, and Pacific Rim. His commanding onscreen presence has made him a leading man in Hollywood. Some have even touted him as a worthy replacement for the next James Bond.

In 2013, Essence named Elba the Sexiest Man of the Year, and in 2018, Idris Elba was named as People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. But being hot isn’t all he does. He’s also a family man who has been married to Sabrina Dhowre since 2019 and currently has two kids.

(Image via Instagram; Instagram)

Chris Evans started his career off in the early 2000s, acting in teen flicks like the teen film parody Not Another Teen Movie as well as the teen heist film The Perfect Score about a group of students who steals the answers for SAT exam. And that same year, he also appeared in the action thriller Cellular, which also starred Jason Statham.

His first big break happened in 2005 when he appeared in the comic book film Fantastic Four. In it he played Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch. Although it received mixed reviews, it definitely had commercial success. Little did he know then that he’d end up playing another superhero.

Chris Evans ended up getting to show off his bodacious abs again for his role as Captain America role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which he appeared as in several films of the franchise. His final appearance as the character happened in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame. His most recent film appearances have included the Disney/Pixar film Lightyear, in which he provides the voicework for Buzz lightyear, and the Netflix original film The Gray Man.

But how does someone as hot as Chris Evans stay single? In the past he’s been linked to Jessica Biel, Minka Kelly comedian Jenny Slate. But what about now? It seems there’s nobody yet but he does want a family. He told Men’s Journal, “I want a wife, I want kids. I like ceremony. I want to carve pumpkins and decorate Christmas trees and s**t like that.”

Chris Pratt started humbly, waiting tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Maui when he was just 19. He was discovered there by Rae Dawn Chong, who wanted him for a short film called Cursed Part 3. From there he would pursue a career in acting, appearing in television series like Everwood and The O.C. In 2008, he appeared in Wanted, starring James McAvoy.

His big break came on the show Parks and Recreations in which he played Andy Dwyer. Upon joining the show, he was only intended to be a temporary character but the producers loved Pratt so much they kept him on as a regular character. His first major film role was in Moneyball starring Brad Pitt.

Many blockbuster films later, Chris Pratt has since become an A-list star. He’s part of three film franchises, including Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie. In 2023, he can be seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and in 2024, a brand-new Garfield film.

Only two lucky women have laid claim to Chris Pratt’s heart thus far. The first of which was Anna Faris whom he was married to from 2009 to 2018, and Katherine Schwarzenegger whom he has been married to since 2019. Thus far, he has three children to pass on those genes.