Sexiest Throwbacks: See All the Sexiest Man Alive Winners Then and Now

John Krasinski

Most people recognize this year's Sexiest Man Alive from his role in The Office, but before then, John Krasinski was just a working actor waiting for his big break. He appeared in Law and Order: Criminal Intent, CSI: Crime Investigation and Without a Trace before landing the role of Jim Halpert.

These days, the father of two is known for his work as writer, director and producer of the A Quiet Place franchise. Krasinski has been married to actress Emily Blunt since 2010.

The pair are parents to daughters Hazel, 10, and Violet, 8.

Patrick Dempsey

With a career that boasts films such as Sweet Home Alabama, Bridget Jones's Diary, Scream and Made of Honor, it's no wonder Patrick Dempsey has wowed audiences for decades, not just with his dashing good looks but his undeniable talent as well.

We, of course, love him for his stint as Derek "Dr. McDreamy" Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, but since exiting the show in 2015, he has continued making good work, appearing in last year's highly-anticipated, Ferrari.

Dempsey has been married to wife Jillian Dempsey since 1999. They have three children — daughter Talula Fyfe whom they welcomed in 2002 and twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen, who joined the family in 2007.

Chris Evans

One of America's favorite Avengers got his start in films such as Not Another Teen Movie, Eastwick and The Perfect Score before trying his hand at being a superhero in Fantastic Four.

He has become a mega movie star thanks to his turn as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Evans broke hearts across the nation when it was revealed the heartthrob married girlfriend Alba Baptista in a private ceremony in Cape Cod last September. The two were first linked back in January 2022 but didn't go Instagram official until January 2023.

Paul Rudd

Throughout his career, Paul Rudd has brought the funny in Clueless, Sisters, The Object of My Affection, Anchorman, Friends and tons of other films and TV shows.

Like Evans, Rudd has also made his way into the MCU, starring as Ant-Man in several movies in the Avengers franchise.

Rudd has been married to wife Julie Yaeger since 2003. The low-key couple share two kids: son Jack, 18, and daughter Darby, 14.

Michael B. Jordan

The phrase "Where's Wallace?" is probably still familiar to long-time fans of Michael B. Jordan, but this double-dimpled New Jersey native has evolved from the sweet boy he played on The Wire to the alluring villain he played in Black Panther.

Come March 2025, Jordan will be back on our screens in another film made with his long-time collaborator, Ryan Coogler, in Sinners.

John Legend

A child prodigy, John Legend started high school when he was only 12 years old and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania when he was only 21. And he has not stopped wowing us since.

Not only has the talented musician snagged a couple of Grammys, but he's also won two Emmys, a Tony, and an Oscar, making him one of the few EGOT winners in existence.

Legend shares four kids — Luna Simone, 8, Miles Theodore, 6, Esti Maxine, 1, and Wren Alexander, 1, with wife Chrissy Teigen.

Idris Elba

Things haven't really been the same since Idris Elba first came onto the scene as Stringer Bell in The Wire. The actor has continuously made us all swoon with roles in The Office, Takers, Obsessed and many more.

These days, when he's not in front of the camera, you can catch 2018's Sexiest Man Alive making TikToks and goofing around with his wife of five years, Sabrina Elba, as well as his 22-year-old daughter (from a previous relationship), Isan.

Blake Shelton

He was a certified country superstar long before we fell in love with him as the slow-talking, bear-hug-giving, funny guy on The Voice and it was during his 23-season tenure on the singing competition show that he met his wife, Gwen Stefani.

The two have been happily married since 2021.

Dwayne Johnson

We have been smelling what Dwayne Johnson has been cooking since he came on the scene back in the '90s. One of the biggest superstars to come out of the WWE, Johnson has become one of the most beloved action-comedy movie stars of our time.

You can catch the actor — who has given us favorites such as The Game Plan, Tooth Fairy, Jungle Cruise, Jumanji, among many other films — on the big screen in Red One which is currently in theaters. Come November 27, you can also catch The Rock in the live-action Moana 2, where he'll be reprising his role as demigod Maui.

Johnson is a proud girl dad of three — Simone Alexandra, 23, whom he shares with ex-wife Dany Garcia, as well as Jasmine Lia, 8 and Tiana Gia, 6, whom he shares with wife Lauren Hashian. The pair have been married since 2019.

David Beckham

Though David Beckham is sexy in his own right, we venture to argue that the undeniable love and pride he has for the family he created with Victoria Beckham makes him that much more attractive.

The Englishman first rose to fame as a soccer star in the late '90s and early '00s and has since evolved into a respected businessman with his own soccer team — Inter Miami CF — for a full circle moment.

David and Victoria share four kids: sons Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 22, Cruz, 19, and daughter Harper, 13.

Chris Hemsworth

Recognized for his role as the Norse god of thunder, Thor, in the MCU, Chris Hemsworth cut his teeth as a soap star, appearing in Australia's Home and Away for three years.

He has since lent his talents to films such as The Cabin in the Woods, Snow White and the Huntsman, Ghostbusters, Red Dawn and more.

The Aussie has been married to wife Elsa Pataky since 2010. The pair share three children: India Rose, 12, and twin boys Sasha and Tristan, 10.

Adam Levine

Adam Levine has had Maroon 5 fans on lock since the band came out with "This Love" in 2002. The singer and his band have continued to churn out the hits in the decades since, earning three Grammys along the way.

Viewers of The Voice fell deeper in love with the L.A. native for his cutthroat, sarcastic banter with Shelton during the time they both coached on the NBC show.

Levine tied the knot with Behati Prinsloo in 2014. The couple has three kids, daughters Dusty Rose, 8, and Gio Grace, 6. They welcomed their third child — and first son — in January 2023, but have chosen to keep his name under wraps.

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum's killer moves had us all rushing to the theaters for the Step Up movies back in the day. He dialed the sexy all the way up when he starred in 2012's Magic Mike, a film loosely based on his days as a male stripper.

This past summer, Tatum starred in the psychological thriller Blink Twice, which was directed by ex-fianceé Zoë Kravitz. The two called it quits in late October, roughly two months after the film's release.

Tatum shares 11-year-old daughter Everly with ex-wife Jenna Dewan.

Bradley Cooper

If you binged the series too fast, you might have missed Bradley Cooper's one-episode stint as Jake in Sex and the City. The Oscar-nominated actor has expansively grown his resume since the 1999 appearance, starring in Alias for 46 episodes before fully solidifying his movie career with films such as Valentine's Day, The Hangover, Silver Linings Playbook, American Sniper, A Star Is Born and many more blockbusters.

Cooper is currently dating Gigi Hadid. The two were first linked in 2023, and though they keep their relationship low-key, the pair have been spotted out and about on several occasions.

The Maestro actor shares daughter Lea De Seine, 7, with ex-partner Irinia Shayk.

Ryan Reynolds

These days, Ryan Reynolds is known for portraying everyone's favorite anti-hero, Deadpool, but the actor has been bringing the drama for well over two decades, starting with Canadian TV show Fifteen back in 1991.

He has appeared in The Proposal, The Amityville Horror, Definitely, Maybe, Green Lantern and more.

Reynolds has been married to wife Blake Lively since 2012 and the couple has four children together: James, 9, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and Olin, 1.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp first had hearts racing in films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, but he has managed to make a career out of playing odd characters such as Edward Scissorhands, Captain Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka and more.

Following his highly publicized defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, which concluded in 2022, Depp has kept a relatively low profile and is reportedly dating Yulia Vlasova, a Russian model 33 years his junior.

Hugh Jackman

Another Australian native, Hugh Jackman also got his start on TV down under before he crossed over to the X-Men franchise. The actor has played Wolverine a.k.a Logan in different franchises since 2000. Most recently, he teamed up with fellow Sexiest Man Alive and longtime friend Ryan Reynolds for Deadpool & Wolverine.

In Sept. 2023, Jackman and his wife of nearly three decades announced they were going their separate ways. They have two kids together, son Oscar Maximilian, 23, and daughter Ava Eliot, 19.

Matt Damon

Perhaps no one had a better road into the limelight than Matt Damon, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting alongside his best friend Ben Affleck back in 1997.

He has since doled out other classic films such as The Departed, The Brothers Grimm, The Martian, Invictus and more.

Damon has been married to wife Luciana Barroso since 2005. The pair share four daughters: Alexia Barroso, 25 (who's Luciana's daughter from a previous relationship), Isabella, 18, Gia, 16, and Stella, 14.

George Clooney

George Clooney got his start playing Doug Ross, M.D. on ER and he hasn't let up on charming audiences since. A certified leading man, Clooney has not only lent his talents to films such as Gladiator, Up in the Air, the Oceans franchise (with fellow Sexiest Man winners Brad Pitt and Matt Damon), The Ides of March and more, he has also been crowned Sexiest Man Alive twice!

The actor wed wife Amal Clooney in 2014. The couple have two kids, twins Alexander and Ella, 7.

Matthew McConaughey

For a big stretch in the '00s, Matthew McConaughey was the king of the rom-com. So much so that many have forgotten he starred as David Wooderson, the dopey 20-something who hung out with high schoolers in 1993's Dazed and Confused.

McConaughey has managed to showcase his full range, appearing in everything from rom-coms such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to high dramas such as Mud and Dallas Buyers Club.

The Texas native found love in wife Camila Alves McConaughey whom he's been married to since 2012. The lovebirds have three kids together — Levi, 16, Vida, 14, and Livingston, 11.

Jude Law

He was broody, he was mysterious and he had beautiful eyes and a winning smile, so it's not hard to understand why Jude Law had millennials swooning every time he came on screen. From The Talented Mr. Ripley to All the King's Men to Sherlock Holmes, Law has been unstoppable when it comes to showcasing his talents.

Law married business psychologist Phillipa Coan in a private ceremony held in London in 2019. The couple have two children together whose identities they keep under wraps.

The Fantastic Beasts star also shares Rafferty, 28, Iris, 24, and Rudy, 22, with ex-wife Sadie Frost; daughter Sophia, 15, with ex Samantha Burke and daughter Ada, 9, with ex Catherine Harding.

Ben Affleck

Though Ben Affleck made a splash with Good Will Hunting alongside Matt Damon, the future Batman had already racked up some notable credits — Voyage of the Mimi! — before playing Chuckle in the 1997 film.

Following his Oscar win, Affleck went on to establish an illustrious career as a writer and director as well, lending his talents to Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo and more.

Affleck shares three kids with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet Anne, 18, Seraphina Rose, 15 and Samuel, 12.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan's career dates all the way back to 1980, when he first graced our screens in Murphy's Stroke. Over the next four decades, he starred in films such as The Thomas Crown Affair, Laws of Attraction, Love Punch and of course, he starred as 007 in several James Bond movies.

Brosnan has been married to his wife Keely Shaye Brosnan since 2001. Brosnan shares his late daughter Charlotte and sons Christopher, 52, and Sean, 41, with his first wife, the late actress Cassandra Harris. He later welcomed sons Dylan, 27, and Paris, 23, with Keely Shaye.

Brad Pitt

He stole the scene in Thelma & Louise and it's been sexy galore ever since, so it came as no surprise when Brad Pitt won the Sexiest Man Alive title in 2000. The actor has starred in films such as Fight Club, Troy, Seven, Meet Joe Black and tons of other classics.

Brad Pitt shares six children — Maddox Chivan, 23, Zahara Marley, 19, Shiloh Nouvel, 18, Pax Thien, 20, and twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Léon, 16 — with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

He is currently dating Ines de Ramon, whom he's been with since 2022.

Richard Gere

Richard Gere got the title of Sexiest Man Alive when he was 50 years old and he has only gotten better as he's grown older.

The man has brought us Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Amelia and Internal Affairs throughout his career. Most recently, he starred in Longing, a film about a businessman who finds out he fathered a child with an old flame 20 years back, also learning the child recently died.

In real life, Gere has three kids. He welcomed his first child, son Homer, in 2000, with his ex-wife, Carey Lowell, whom he split from in 2013 after 11 years of marriage. He also shares two more tots with wife Alexandra Silva — Alexander Gere, 5, and a third boy whose name they haven't revealed.

Harrison Ford

Like Gere, Ford was in his 50s when he was crowned Sexiest Man Alive — 56 to be exact — and the legendary actor has also gotten better with time. In addition to starring in mega franchises such as Indiana Jones and Star Wars, he's also been featured in Air Force One, Working Girl, 42 and Blade Runner 2048, among other notable works.

Now 82, Ford has been with wife Calista Flockhart since 2002, whom he later married in 2010. The two share son Liam, whom Flockhart adopted in 2001, shortly before meeting Ford.

The Indiana Jones actor first became a father in the 1960s with the births of sons Benjamin, 58, and Willard, 55, whom he shares with his first wife, illustrator Mary Marquardt. He then welcomed son Malcolm, 36, and daughter Georgia, 34, in 1987 and 1990, respectively, with his second wife, Melissa Mathison.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington is still causing the same frenzy he was causing when he won the Sexiest Man Alive title 28 years ago, thanks to his latest role in Gladiator II. The actor, who has starred in iconic films such as Training Day, Devil in a Blue Dress, Flight and Inside Man, just to name a few, has unsurprisingly won two Academy Awards during his long-spanning career.

Washington often credits wife Pauletta Washington for being the wind beneath his wings — supporting his career while also raising their four children. The long-term loves have been married since 1983 and share four children: John David, 40, Katia, 37, and twins Malcolm and Olivia, 33.

Nick Nolte

His rough, gruff and commanding presence made Nick Nolte a captivating force on-screen. Throughout his decades-long career, the actor has snagged a Golden Globe Award, several Oscar nods, as well as an Emmy.

Nolte has two kids, son Brawley, 38, whom he shares with Rebecca Linger, as well as daughter Sophia Lane, 17, whom he welcomed with wife Clytie Lane.

Patrick Swayze

Perhaps nobody played a disgruntled lover better than Patrick Swayze. The man really knew how to emote and tug at heartstrings, so it's no wonder audiences all over the world fell in love with him.

The star of Ghost, Dirty Dancing, Next of Kin and Green Dragon died of pancreatic cancer on Sept. 14, 2009. He was 57.

Tom Cruise

One viewing of 1986's Top Gun and you can understand why Tom Cruise is one of the most dynamic actors to watch on screen. Over the course of his storied career, Cruise has starred in films such as Jerry Maguire, Rain Man, Interview with the Vampire, Valkyrie, Jack Reacher and more.

The action star has three children. He adopted Bella, 31, and Connor, 29, in 1992 and 1995, respectively, with ex-wife Nicole Kidman. He later welcomed daughter Suri Noelle in 2016 with ex-wife Katie Holmes.

Sean Connery

His silky voice and dark features made Sean Connery a commanding presence on screen, so there was no better fit to play the first James Bond. The actor brought the character to life in Dr. No back in 1962.

Connery died in Oct. 2020 from heart failure due to pneumonia and old age. He was 90.

The Scotland native had one child with his first wife Diane Cilento, a son born in 1963 named Jason Joseph Connery. 

John F. Kennedy Jr.

The lush hair, perfect smile and soft-spoken nature of John F. Kennedy Jr. made him an undeniable heartthrob in the '90s. Son to 35th President John F. Kennedy Sr. and Jackie Kennedy (later Onassis), JFK Jr. rose to prominence as an attorney and magazine publisher.

Kennedy, his wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren died tragically in a plane crash off the coast of Massachusetts in 1999. He was 38.

Harry Hamlin

These days, Harry Hamlin plays the dastardly Cortland Mayfair on AMC's Mayfair Witches, but that's just his latest endeavor. The Hollywood veteran has a career that spans four decades, consisting of films and TV shows such as Clash of the Titans, L.A. Law, Save Me, Shoot or Be Shot, Army Wives and more.

Hamlin has been married to wife Lisa Rinna since 1997. In June 1998, Rinna gave birth to their eldest daughter, Delilah Belle. Their second daughter, Amelia Gray, was born in June 2001. Hamlin also shares son Dimitri Alexander with ex-partner Ursula Andress.

Mark Harmon

Mark Harmon became the second-ever Sexiest Man Alive back in 1986, and though he's mostly known for playing the stern Leroy Jethro on NCIS, shows such as St. Elsewhere and Moonlighting made him a full-on heartthrob in the '80s.

Off-screen, Mark Harmon keeps his personal life private. The actor has been married to Pam Dawber since 1987. The couple share two children: sons Sean, 35 and Ty Christian, 32.

Mel Gibson

The first ever Sexiest Man Alive, Mel Gibson came to prominence with films such as Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Air America, Hamlet and Braveheart, among others. Most recently, Gibson starred in Monster Summer and Boneyard.

The actor has nine kids. His firstborn is daughter Hannah, whom he welcomed in 1980 with Robyn Moore. They then had with six sons: Edward, Christian, William, Louis, Milo and Thomas. In 2009, Moore filed for divorce after nearly 29 years of marriage.

Gibson then began dating Russian songwriter and pianist Oksana Grigorieva and they welcomed daughter, Lucia, in 2009. Following his split from Grigorieva, he began dating equestrian and screenwriter Rosalind Ross in 2014, and they welcomed his ninth child, Lars, in 2017.