#5 J. August Richards in ‘Raising the Bar’
The vampire drama Angel featured its fair share of hunky dudes, from the noble hero (David Boreanaz) to the conniving villain (Christian Kane). Thrown into the mix at the end of season 1 was J. August Richards as Charles Gunn, a street-smart tough guy who wanted nothing more than to dust some vamps. The side of Richards we’ll see in the new TNT drama Raising the Bar is more akin to Gunn from the final season when he got book smart and became a lawyer.
In the words of Illyria in the season finale of Angel, Richards “is not unpleasant to my eyes.” That’s a bit of an understatement, as the only thing more attractive than how tough he acts is how beautiful he is as well. Richards is the kind of guy you want to grab you forcefully and kiss you as the world burns down around you. While no such epic events are likely to occur in his new legal drama, we can still fantasize about tending to Gunn’s wounds after Angel ended.
#4 Joshua Jackson in ‘Fringe’
It’s impossible to look at Joshua Jackson and not think about Pacey. Dawson’s Creek was a seminal series in the lives of many 20-somethings, and though there was much debate as to whether Joey should choose Dawson or Pacey, the exposure still made Jackson an instant teen idol. Though his career cooled after the WB drama left the air, he’s now getting a chance to reclaim that status as the star of one of the most anticipated new shows of the year, J.J. Abrams’ Fringe.
While not sexy in any classic sense of the word, Jackson has still become a sex symbol through his pseudo-bad boy character. Pacey was a guy who seemed like he was a real wild child, but in reality, he was a sensitive soul. Does Joshua Jackson still have what it takes to make all those Pacey lovers swoon a full decade after he first came onto the scene? Only time will tell, but we’re tempted to say yes.
#3 Paul Campbell in ‘Knight Rider’
When a new show features a bona fide soap hunk like Justin Bruening, it might seem odd that the guy we’re drooling over in the remake of Knight Rider is Paul Campbell. He first charmed fans as Billy, President Roslin’s assistant in the first two seasons of Battlestar Galactica. There he also played second fiddle to a hunkier lead, as when Jamie Bamber’s Lee Adama swooped in and stole Officer Dualla from the adorable Campbell’s character.
But we have a soft spot for the cute, nerdy type, and Campbell’s character on Knight Rider fits that role to a T. He once again plays Billy, a brilliant if somewhat geeky member of the KITT team responsible for keeping the car up-to-date. You can have your generically hot soap star, we’ll be more than happy to let the masses lust after Bruening while we go for the cute diamond in the rough.
#2 Ryan Kwanten in ‘True Blood’
Who would have guessed that the short-lived WB series Summerland would have been a hottie factory? While the focus was on star Jesse McCartney, it was a young guest star by the name of Zac Efron that would one day rule the world of teen girl hearts. But the show’s other hunk, Australian Ryan Kwanten, vanished after the series ended.
Now Kwanten is back to raise sexiness to a whole new level on HBO’s vampire drama True Blood. Playing the troublesome Jason Stackhouse, Kwanten is in all his sexy glory, parading around in the hot Louisiana bayou without a shirt and engaging in rough sex with his many special lady friends. And since True Blood is on HBO, the sexiness factor is multiplied by 20 since nudity becomes a very real possibility.
#1 Justin Hartley in ‘Smallville’
There isn’t a female fan of Smallville who didn’t squeal with delight when it was announced that Justin Hartley would be joining season 8 of Smallville as a series regular. His previous appearances as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow were well-received both for the creative energy he added to the cast and for the fact that he removed his shirt in just about every episode.
Having Hartley on full-time is the smartest move the show could’ve made. Tom Welling may have been the hot new star when Smallville premiered, but the perfectly sculpted body and boyish good looks of Hartley are enough for us to forget about Clark Kent. It doesn’t hurt that the Green Arrow is a compelling character and that Hartley is a very engaging and entertaining actor. Now bring on the green leather!
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
