I admittedly don’t watch a lot of TV. It’s not really my thing. I’m a movie fanatic, but it’s rare that I can really get into a TV show the way I get into movies. You can blame that on my short attention span. If a show doesn’t grab my attention from the very beginning, I won’t be able to stick with it. ‘Lost’ did it with, what I feel, is one of the most epic opening scenes on any television series ever.
Popularity isn’t an issue. If a show has everyone talking, I always give it a shot if only to see what the fuss is about. Thus was the case with ‘True Blood’. Sorry folks. It isn’t the sex or the violence. My lack of affection for ‘True Blood’ has a lot more to do with the fact that I hated all of the characters immediately. Sookie with her doe eyed innocence. Bill and his… everything. What was really missing more than anything else? A smoking hot guy for me to be patient for.
If you’re like me and need a little eye candy to help you get invested in a show, I have compiled a list of the hottest guys on TV for your reading and viewing pleasure. And yes, despite having not seen the show passed the first five episodes, I added Joe Manganiello to the list because leaving him out felt like I lessened the integrity of the list. It also robbed me of the chance to drool over pictures of him in the name of ‘research’. Sometimes I really love my job.
10. Kunal Nayyer (Raj Koothrappali – The Big Bang Theory)
Kunal plays Raj Koothrappali, a socially awkward astrophysicist who can’t quite seem to muster the courage to talk to women unless he’s drinking on ‘The Big Bang Theory’. One can only imagine he doesn’t have nearly that much trouble getting dates in real life. One look into those gorgeous brown eyes and women must absolutely melt. Although born in London, his family moved to New Delhi, India when he was five. He moved to America when he was eighteen to attend school. He holds a B.S. in Business and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts.
‘The Big Bang Theory’ airs Thursdays on CBS.
09. Peter Facinelli (Doctor Fitch Cooper – Nurse Jackie)
Peter currently plays Doctor Fitch Cooper on ‘Nurse Jackie’ but most of you will know Peter for his role as Doctor Carlisle Cullen, patriarch of the Cullen clan. Peter is married to the beautiful and talented Jennie Garth. The couple have three daughters. Peter also uses his Twitter account to spread the word about various charities he is passionate about. A loving family man with a heart of gold – definitely appealing.
‘Nurse Jackie’ returns to Showtime for its third season on March 28, 2011.
08. Paul ‘DJ Pauly D’ Del Vecchio (DJ Pauly D – Jersey Shore)
Pauly plays DJ Pauly D on the hit MTV reality show ‘Jersey Shore’. While the show may be known for it’s drama and drunkenness, Pauly has set himself apart from many of his cast members by taking the opportunity to make a name for himself across the country as a DJ. Pauly is officially the first Jersey Shore cast member to score a spin-off series of his own. Pauly’s reality show will center on his career as a DJ. Women everywhere are going to be tuned into their television sets for this one – whether they admit it or not.
‘Jersey Shore’ airs Thursdays on MTV.
07. Joe Manganiello (Alcide Herveaux – True Blood)
Joe plays Alcide Herveaux on ‘True Blood’. To prepare for the role on he trained for five months to get the ‘arms like tree trunks’ the character was said to have. What you may not know is that Joe once earned money by dressing up as Captain Morgan, was a roadie for rock band ‘Powderfinger’ and even sang backup vocals on a song by the band as well as for rock band ‘The Used’.
‘True Blood’ returns to HBO for its fourth season on June 12, 2011.
06. Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore – The Vampire Diaries)
If you don’t recognize Paul’s name from some of his earlier work it is likely because he didn’t start going by the surname of Wesley until 2005. Paul was concerned his real surname, Wasilewski, was too hard to pronounce. A native of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Paul considers himself both an actor and director, but had neither of those careers panned out, he says he would’ve become an investigative journalist.
‘The Vampire Diaries’ airs Thursdays on CW.
05. Hunter Parrish (Silas Botwin – Weeds)
‘Weeds’ lost me this season. I found it hard to sympathize with matriarch, Nancy who seems almost eager to put her family in harm’s way. Only one thing really kept me interested in ‘Weeds’. That one thing is Hunter Parrish’s unflinching willingness to take his shirt off. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also an incredible actor. Hunter brought the heart this season.
‘Weeds’ returns to Showtime for its seventh, and possibly final, season but no official premiere date has been announced.
04. Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson – How I Met Your Mother)
Neil plays womanizing Barney Stinson on HIMYM. He hosts awards shows. He starred in a truly awesome web series (Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog). He has been in countless movies. He’s a star of the stage. He killed ‘Dream On’ by Aerosmith for his guest starring spot on ‘Glee’. He also loves magic and has a ridiculously nice body. There isn’t a thing about this guy I don’t love.
‘How I Met Your Mother’ airs Mondays on CBS.
03. Mark Salling (Puck – Glee)
Mark Salling is more than just an actor who happens to be on one of the most popular television shows currently airing. He is a multi-talented musician who plays guitar, piano, bass and drums. The fact that he’s hot is all icing on the already delicious cake. Mark doesn’t have much free time outside of his music and television career but he actively volunteers with the James Hunter Wildlife Rescue charity because of his love of wildlife. Pretty sweet, right? If you like Mark and you like Mark on ‘Glee’ check out his solo album, ‘Pipe Dreams’. Definitely worth a listen.
‘Glee’ airs Tuesdays on Fox.
02. Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore – The Vampire Diaries)
Past Highlights: Adam Knight on ‘Smallville’, Josh in ‘Life as a House’, Paul Denton in ‘The Rules of Attraction’, Dexter in ‘Pulse’, Tyler in ‘Wake’, Boone from ‘Lost’.
I tried hard to limit this list to one actor per show, but I couldn’t choose between the Salvatore brothers. Ian is higher on the list than his TV brother Paul because, well, Boone. Ian is the kind of sexy that drives women wild but his appeal isn’t all about his looks. He’s an intelligent man who is passionate about the environment and animal rights. He started off his career as a model but don’t let the face fool you – Mr. Somerhalder’s beauty is far more than skin deep.
01. Charlie Hunnam (Jax Teller – Sons of Anarchy)
Past Highlights: Nathan Maloney in ‘Queer as Folk’, Embry Larkin in ‘Abandon’, Lloyd Haythe in ‘Undeclared’, Bosie in ‘Cold Mountain’, Pete Dunham in ‘Green Street Hooligans’, Patric in ‘Children of Men’, ‘Gavin’ in ‘The Ledge’.
I had a hard time coming up with this list, but I had no doubt at all of who would come out on top. I have been a Charlie Hunnam fanatic since his days as Nathan on ‘Queer as Folk’ but fell in love with him all over again when I began watching him on ‘Sons of Anarchy’. Charlie has carefully picked his roles, taking projects that may not advance his bank account as much as they’ll advance his career. For that reason, I think Charlie is here for the long term and I couldn’t be happier about it.
‘Sons of Anarchy’ returns to FX for its fourth season in 2011 although no official date has been announced.
