Sexiest Man Alive: Sexy Guys at Every Age

01 of 22

LIAM HEMSWORTH, 21

Perhaps best known as Miley Cyrus's off-again, on-again boyfriend, the Aussie actor is about to show audiences just why he's so irresistible in the upcoming Hunger Games. "On first glance he's such a hunk that it's easy to ascribe a hunklike simplicity to him," the movie's director Gary Ross tells EW. "But this is a phenomenally subtle actor, totally in control of what he was doing."

02 of 22

DANIEL RADCLIFFE, 22

He literally grew up right before our eyes, so when it came time to wrap up the final installment of Harry Potter, Radcliffe admits: "I wept like a child the day we finished filming." But the British actor has shown there is life after Hogwarts – just check out his, ahem, body of work in the London production of Equus and the Tony-nominated How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

03 of 22

JOSHUA BOWMAN, 23

The 23-year-old Brit proves that Revenge, ABC's Hamptons-set drama, can be quite a hot dish. But unlike the reckless party boy he plays on TV, Bowman, who stars opposite Miley Cyrus in next year's So Undercover, tells Seventeen that in real life he's looking to be "challenged mentally. I like to be, you know, kept on my toes."

04 of 22

ZAC EFRON, 24

Women – of all ages! – have swooned over Efron ever since he played singing jock Troy Bolton on the Disney Channel hit High School Musical. "I will say I do find Zac Efron really handsome," Cougartown star Courteney Cox Arquette told AOL Television's Outside the Box. "I know he's young."

05 of 22

ROBERT PATTINSON, 25

The question is: What's not sexy about the Twilight star? Case in point: Pattinson, with his signature messy hair and intense stare, ignites mass hysteria wherever he goes. "I don't know how the Beatles felt, but very few human beings could ever get this feeling," he told PEOPLE. "You can't prepare for this."

06 of 22

TREY SONGZ, 26

Between his chart-topping collaborations (with Nicki Minaj to Lupe Fiasco) and his chiseled physique, it's no wonder fans throw "bras and panties…as many as the stage can hold!" during any one of the RampB singer's concerts. And while Songz enjoys the attention, he knows exactly what he's looking for when he's ready to settle down. "A woman that's goal-oriented, a woman that has desire and drive," he tells the Singersroom.com.

07 of 22

PRINCE HARRY, 27

He may be second in line to the British throne, but this reformed bad boy is first in line when it comes to the ladies. "Wherever you are . . . you've got to roll with it," Harry has said of the royal hysteria he often induces.

08 of 22

ANDREW GARFIELD, 28

The British actor went from relative unknown to a household name thanks to roles in The Social Network and the highly anticipated Spider-Man reboot. As for rumors that the newly single star is dating his Spidey costar Emma Stone, he admits she's "a pretty special person."

09 of 22

CORY MONTEITH, 29

The 1988 Olympics may have put Calgary on the map, but it's also given us something else to cheer about – Glee's resident singing and dancing eye candy. "As much as he's a guy's guy, Cory fits in with the girls – with his sense of humor and quirkiness," his Monte Carlo costar Leighton Meester told InStyle.

10 of 22

CHRIS EVANS, 30

Brace yourselves: Evans goes from scrawny kid to brawny superhero Captain America in the blink of an eye in next year's The Avengers. Jokes the modest 30-year-old actor about his remarkable onscreen before-and-after transformation: "That's what I looked like for a big chunk of my life."

11 of 22

MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, 31

The hot Ukrainian has some familial competition in the Dancing ballroom this year – his younger, equally handsome brother Val. While the siblings are perfect foils on the parquet, at 31, Maks confesses to PEOPLE, "I'm ready for marriage." But not necessarily settle down, as brother Val tells it: "He wants a star: a woman who dominates physically."

12 of 22

JOHN KRASINSKI, 32

He was named one of PEOPLE's Sexiest Men Alive, but this Office star, who's married to actress Emily Blunt, says humor, above anything else, tops his list of what he looks for in a girl. "Being able to laugh with someone is one of the best feelings," he told PEOPLE.

13 of 22

IAN SOMERHALDER, 33

The Vampire Diaries star says he feels sexiest "first thing in the morning, when I'm most relaxed." But sorry, ladies, Somerhalder, who's dating costar Nina Dobrev, already has company. "I have three animals in the bed, and there's fur everywhere in the sheets," he tells PEOPLE. "It would be a little weird for me to say that I feel sexy with all my kitties. I would be 'that guy.'"

14 of 22

TOM HARDY, 34

He's played the shape-shifting Eames in last year's hit Inception, wowed audiences as the vengeful mixed martial arts fighter in Warrior, but what could be the British actor's sexiest role yet comes next summer when he plays Batman villain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. "I'm banished to more chicken and broccoli," jokes Hardy of maintaining his fighting form.

15 of 22

ALEXANDER SKARSGARD, 35

Already crowned sexiest man alive in his native Sweden, the 35-year-old star has been wooing American audiences with his brooding portrayal as bad-boy vampire Eric Northman on True Blood. "It's very flattering," the newly single star says of the attention. "I turn a little pink!"

16 of 22

BRADLEY COOPER, 36

Parlez-vous français? The Hangover star does, to the shock and delight of his female fans, who have yet another reason to swoon over the actor's many talents. Clearly Jennifer Lopez is a fan: She's been spending time with Cooper since her split.

17 of 22

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, 37

He's romanced the world's most beautiful women, including Blake Lively, Gisele Bündchen and Bar Refaeli, but the Oscar-nominated star confesses he's come a long way from his days as a child actor. "I was a real punk," he told Rolling Stone. "I would talk back to anyone and be up for any fight."

18 of 22

PATRICK WILSON, 38

The A Gifted Man star is happiest as a family man with wife, actress Dagmara Dominczyk, and his two sons. But how does the hot papa maintain his flawless physique – which he gamely shows off as a surgeon haunted by his dead wife in the CBS drama – while balancing work and home life? "Push-ups and sit-ups," says Wilson. "And pushing the stroller."

19 of 22

BEN AFFLECK, 39

It was his multitasking turn as actor, screenwriter and director in 2010's The Town that ushered in the new and improved Affleck – complete with a box-office six-pack! "I'm happier than I've ever been," the self-proclaimed "Mr. Mom" told EW. "I'm extremely lucky in my family. I'm married to this incredible woman [Jennifer Garner]."

20 of 22

JEREMY RENNER, 40

Best known for his Oscar-nominated roles in The Hurt Locker and The Town, the versatile actor will star next in The Avengers, in which he plays expert archer Hawkeye. Though Renner trained rigorously for the role, when asked how much action his character sees in the all-star movie, Renner joked, "I get to sleep with all of them."

21 of 22

VINCENT CASSEL, 45

Cassel pushed Natalie Portman to edge of sanity and artistry in The Black Swan, but the French actor says one actress he enjoys working with most is his wife of 12 years, Italian stunner Monica Bellucci. "To work with somebody you love makes filming faster, more fun," he told the U.K. Telegraph.

22 of 22

GEORGE CLOONEY, 50

The two-time Sexiest Man Alive has what PEOPLE describes as the "Clooney maneuver" that all but announces, 'Yep, I'm trouble, but you love me anyway.' Certainly his latest gal pal, Stacy Keibler, would agree. "I wake up every day and I say thank you," the former wrestler tells PEOPLE of the amazing year she's having.