From the Magazine Sexiest Man Alive Hunky Halloween! See Past Sexiest Man Alive Winners in Their Most Swoonworthy Costumes In honor of Halloween, we decided to look back at the movie costumes that transformed our Sexiest Men Alive into onscreen dreams By Stephanie Sengwe Published on October 31, 2024 07:00AM EDT Comments Denzel Washington, Patrick Dempsey and Dwayne Johnson. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures; Frank Ockenfels/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Frank Masi/Columbia/Sony/Kobal/Shutterstock We love a man in uniform! For these past Sexiest Man Alive title holders, that uniform is a movie or TV costume that turns him from everyday hottie into an onscreen dreamboat. From Denzel Washington, who, at 69 years old, has turned heads in his toga for Gladiator II, to our current reigning Sexiest Man Alive, Patrick Dempsey, who was so swoonworthy as a doctor he was nicknamed "McDreamy," these men brought all the rizz to their characters, thanks in no small part to their sexy costumes. In honor of Halloween, see past Sexiest Men Alive in their best costumes ever. (And feel free to bookmark it for couples' costume inspiration next year.) 01 of 31 Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd Patrick Dempsey in Grey's Anatomy. Frank Ockenfels/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Fans fell in love with the reigning Sexiest Man Alive when he played Derek Shepherd for 11 seasons on Grey's Anatomy — possibly the sexiest guy in scrubs since fellow Sexiest Man Alive winner George Clooney. 02 of 31 Chris Evans as Steve Rogers Chris Evans in Captain America. Marvel/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock Sure, we could have gone with Chris Evans in his Captain America get-up, but who wouldn't stand and salute for Steve Rogers in military uniform! 03 of 31 Paul Rudd as Ant-Man Paul Rudd as Ant-Man. Marvel/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock Small but mighty, Ant-Man plays a pivotal role in the eventual defeat of Thanos in the MCU, and Paul Rudd's, charm and comedic timing in the entire franchise is just ... *chef's kiss* 04 of 31 Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger Marvel Michael B. Jordan's villain turn as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther was so-bad-it's-good — but we were partial to his "art student" vibes in the disguise he wore to steal Wakandan artifacts from a museum before his full transformation was complete. (We weren't alone in this.) 05 of 31 John Legend as Prince Phillip Chrissy Tiegen and John Legend. John Legend/Instagram John Legend's romantic songs make him the king of romantic first dances at wedding, but his sense of humor really puts his sexiness over the top. For Halloween 2018, 2019's Sexiest Man Alive dressed up as Prince Phillip, accompanying wife Chrissy Teigen, who went as Queen Elizabeth. 06 of 31 Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost Idris Elba in Pacific Rim. Legendary Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock We could have gone with his role as Heimdall in Thor or even John Luther, but something about Idris Elba in his Pan Pacific Defense Corps uniform from Pacific Rim just seemed better than the rest. 07 of 31 Blake Shelton as Blake Shelton Chris Hollo Blake Shelton has a uniform, and he's sticking to it! You'll usually catch the country singer in a blazer and jeans, whether he's onstage or getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 08 of 31 Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as Spencer Gilpin/Dr. Xander Bravestone Dwayne Johnson in "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle". Columbia/Sony/Kobal/Shutterstock This self-proclaimed forever Sexiest Man Alive title holder is no stranger to starring in action-packed films, but his gusto and playfulness in Jumanji took his sexiness to a new level. 09 of 31 David Beckham as Trigger David Beckham in "King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword". Daniel Smith/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock It can be argued that David Beckham looks best in his soccer uniform, but the Manchester United legend tried his hand at acting, playing Trigger in 2017's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and honestly...chainmail looks good on him. 10 of 31 Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake 'Extraction'. Jasin Boland/Netflix Again, picking Chris Hemsworth's in his costume in Thor might have been the obvious decision, but how badass did he look playing black market mercenary Tyler Rake in Extraction? 11 of 31 Adam Levine from 'This Love' Maroon 5 - This Love. Maroon 5/YouTube Okay, so this is not exactly a costume, but we'd argue that the spiked hair, double T-shirts and low-hanging pants combo was a type of uniform back in the early aughts. 12 of 31 Channing Tatum as Magic Mike Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock Channing Tatum used his previous experience as a male stripper to help create Magic Mike, and the result was so magical indeed that there's a reason you hear the opening strains of "Pony" the second you look at this photo. 13 of 31 Bradley Cooper as Adam Jones Moviestore/Shutterstock Though Burnt may not make Bradley Cooper's personal Criterion collection, he makes that kitchen uniform look so good, he has us saying (all together now) "Yes, Chef!" 14 of 31 Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios/MARVEL Ryan Reynolds' indelible portrayal of Deadpool means this is his greatest costume, even when he removes the mask to reveal one of his many variants. 15 of 31 Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow Johnny Depp in 'Pirates Of The Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest'. Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock Johnny Depp is perhaps one of the most widely-known character actors in the world, so nailing down just one costume was tough. However, we venture to claim that since the first Pirates of the Caribbean film came out in 2003, there hasn't been a single Halloween without someone, somewhere, dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow, so this one wins! 16 of 31 Hugh Jackman as Leopold Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection If you usually picture Hugh Jackman in action-star mode as the rough and rugged Wolverine, you may be pleasantly surprised at how well he pulls off period garb as a time traveler in this Meg Ryan romantic comedy. 17 of 31 Matt Damon as Tom Ripley Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Miramax/paramount George Clooney used this picture to campaign for Matt Damon to be named Sexiest Man Alive. And while that was a prank, we trust the two-time Sexiest Man Alive title holder knows a thing or two about sexy (even while playing a sociopathic murderer). 18 of 31 George Clooney as Doug Ross Geroge Clooney in ER. Sven Arnstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Before he was delighting us all with his prank stories, Clooney had the ladies' hearts racing as Doug Ross on ER. 19 of 31 Matthew McConaughey as Cooper Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar. Paramount/Warner Brothers/Kobal/Shutterstock When Matthew McConaughey got the Sexiest Man Alive title in 2005, he said he'd be ushering in a "new kind of sexy" and will be taking roles with "my gut hanging over." It was all a joke, it turns out, as the actor has since delivered a myriad of stellar performances, this one in Interstellar included. 20 of 31 Jude Law as John H. Watson Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes. Silver Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock Observant, intelligent and modest are just some words used to describe Dr. Watson, Jude Law's role in Sherlock Holmes — and Law's on-the-nose portrayal of the detective brings all that home. 21 of 31 Ben Affleck as Rafe McCawley Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor. Touchstone/Jerry Bruckheimer Inc/Kobal/Shutterstock Ben Affleck's brooding, contemplative and patriotic portrayal of Rafe McCawley in Pearl Harbor had Kate Beckinsale's character swooning — and moviegoers across the nation were equally as taken. 22 of 31 Pierce Brosnan as James Bond Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day. Moviestore/Shutterstock Clean. Sophisticated. Gentlemanly. That's how we'd describe Pierce Brosnan as a person. Add Bond's tailored tuxedos, slicked-back hair and mysterious nature, and you have a recipe for an irresistible icon. 23 of 31 Brad Pitt as Achilles Brad Pitt in Troy. Warner Bros There is so much to be said about the craze Brad Pitt created with this role in Troy, but it's best we let this photo speak for itself. 24 of 31 Richard Gere as Billy Flynn Richard Gere in Chicago. Miramax/Producers Circle/Storyline/Kobal/Shutterstock Richard Gere made a career playing polished, charismatic dudes who look great insuits and while Edward Lewis from Pretty Woman was a contender, his role as Billy Flynn in 2002's Chicago earned him his first Golden Globe. 25 of 31 Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and The Temple Of Doom. Lucasfilm Ltd/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock We imagine there was a rush to apply for archaeology degrees after Harrison Ford's portrayal of the adventurous professor. 26 of 31 Denzel Washington as Macrinus Denzel Washington in Gladiator II. Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures Denzel Washington, who got the Sexiest Man Alive title back in 1996, has still got it. At 69 years old, the two-time Oscar winner had the internet going bananas when the trailer for the upcoming Gladiator II dropped back in July. You might say ... this was our Roman Empire. 27 of 31 Patrick Swayze as John Castle Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing. Vestron/REX/Shutterstock Between Ghost, Roadhouse and his many other works, Patrick Swayze was quite the heartthrob (and frequently shirtless and shiny!) but no other role captured hearts quite like John Castle in Dirty Dancing. 28 of 31 Tom Cruise as Pete Mitchell Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock Tom Cruise's piloting in 1984's Top Gun was so good, the film was rebooted in 2022 — with him in it, looking pretty much the same. 29 of 31 Sean Connery as James Bond Sean Connery as James Bond. Bettmann Archive Like his fellow James Bond actor, Brosnan, Sean Connery was a ladies' man before he stepped into 007's shoes. 30 of 31 Harry Hamlin as Perseus Harry Hamlin in 'Clash of the Titans'. Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Decades before Harry Hamlin was playing the vicious Cortland Mayfair on Mayfair Witches, he played the sword-wielding, monster-slaying Greek god, Perseus, in 1981's Clash of the Titans. 31 of 31 Mark Harmon as Freddy Shoop Mark Harmon in 'Summer School'. Mark Harmon is now mostly recognized for playing the straightforward, always stern Leeroy Gibbs on NCIS. Years before that, though, the first-ever Sexiest Man Alive wore a lot of Hawaiian shirts as Freddy Shoop in 1987's Summer School. Leave a Comment Close