Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

James Dean

Dean rose to fame in the 1950s, most notably for his role in Rebel Without A Cause, for which he became a cultural icon as the ultimate bad boy. The actor's life and career were both cut tragically short when he died in a car crash in 1955 at the age of 24.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Smoking a cigarette (sorry but yes) in that iconic red jacket in Rebel Without a Cause

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Marlon Brando

From his role as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire to Vito Corleone in The Godfather, Brando's characters may not have always been the good guys, but he was always the most good looking guy. Still widely considered one of the greatest screen actors of all time, Brando's career spanned an astounding four decades, leaving an influence that remains today.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: His arms nearly bursting through his tight t-shirts in the '50s.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Cary Grant

Before there was George Clooney and Mr. Big, there was Cary Grant—the ultimate classic leading man of Old Hollywood.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: On the run with Grace Kelly throughout the French Riviera in To Catch a Thief

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Rock Hudson

The heartthrob was best-known for his romantic comedies of the 1950s and 1960s including Giant, Magnificent Obsession and Pillow Talk. In 1985, he tragically became the first major celebrity to die from AIDS.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Opposite Elizabeth Taylor in Giant

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Paul Newman

The actor and philanthropist's bright blue eyes were unforgettable on screen, transcending flawlessly into his career move from actor to race car driver.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Lounging around in an unbuttoned shirt in the 1962 film, Sweet Bird of Youth

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Elvis Presley

The King of Rock and Roll hit the scene in the '50s, causing everyone to lose their minds with that coiffed back hair, deep voice and those "scandalous" dance moves.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Those "Jailhouse Rock" dance moves

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Steve McQueen

Dubbed "The King of Cool," McQueen's sense of style made him that much more attractive in every single role he played.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Emerging from one of his many collectible cars in his signature sunglasses

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Robert Redford

How could anyone resist that head of hair? The Oscar-winning actor was impossible not to fall in love with in his many romantic films that spanned from the '60s to today.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Suited up in naval uniform while starring opposite Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Clint Eastwood

Before his days as a director, Eastwood lit up the screen with his charming looks in a slew of Western and action films.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Young cowboy Clint Eastwood

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Richard Gere

From American Gigolo to Pretty Woman to An Officer and A Gentleman, Gere became one of the sexiest leading men of the '80s and '90s.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Two words: American Gigolo

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Denzel Washington

The Oscar-winning actor has a repertoire of inspiring, powerful roles but also not to be overlooked? His incredibly good looks and also, his abs in The Hurricane.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: The incredible abs (and body) mentioned above ^ in the 1999 film, The Hurricane

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Kurt Cobain

The Nirvana frontman perfectly mastered the grunge look and had the greatest head of hair and blue eyes to go along.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Nirvana's incredibly raw, acoustic performance on MTV Unplugged

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

George Clooney

From his TV role on ER to taking on the film scene, Clooney has somehow only managed to get better looking with age since the start of his career.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Looking serious in his doctor uniform on ER

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Brad Pitt

It was love at first sight as soon as Pitt made his first major film debut as the hitchhiker in Thelma & Louise (the best looking hitchhiker there ever was). Since then, the actor went on to make our heart skip a beat in movies like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Babel, and Inglorious Bastards.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Shirtless, sweaty and angry in Fight Club

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Leonardo DiCaprio

From the second he stepped on the Titanic, the actor stole all of our hearts—and remains the ultimate heartthrob to this day.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Playing the Romeo of all our dreams in the 1996 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ricky Martin

He rose to fame in the U.S. with his 1999 hit, Livin' La Vida Loca (a timeless classic, truly)—and went on to take the Latin American music industry by storm.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Dancing in leather pants throughout the 1990s

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Heath Ledger

With blonde curly locks, the dreamiest of eyes and a perfect jawline, the late actor skyrocketed as the ultimate Hollywood heartthrob in the late '90s and early '00s.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Jared Leto

Not only does the singer/actor manage to pull off everything he wears (including the most over-the-top Gucci), his roles dating back to My So-Called Life have managed to capture everyone's eyes—and hearts.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Looking better than all of us in Gucci

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Pharrell Williams

The singer/songwriter/producer simply does not age and has looked consistently handsome since his breakout in the '90s. His effortlessly cool sense of fashion doesn't hurt either.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: Taking fashion risks with an array of hats on the red carpet

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Justin Timberlake

With his signature curly ringlets, the *NSYNC lead-singer won us all over—Britney Spears included—in the '90s. From "Cry Me A River" to "SexyBack," he managed to win us over with his solo career too.

Peak Level of Hot 🔥: "Sexyback" is the only correct answer here.

Lauren Alexis Fisher is the Senior Editor at Cosmopolitan, overseeing digital content across fashion, lifestyle, beauty, sex, and culture. Previously, she was the Market Editor at Harper’s BAZAAR and has written for publications including WWD, Bustle, and W Magazine. When she’s not busy taste-testing her way through every dirty martini in New York, you can follow her on Instagram for bad jokes, good outfits, and annoying vacation pics. 

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below