Sexiest Man Living - By Salon Staff

The Sexiest Man Living 2008The Sexiest Man Living 2008
He is a rogue, a gentleman and a brilliant actor. We loved him through good times and (very) bad, and we're so glad he's back.
By Salon staff
The commander in chief
The compassionate and surprisingly funny politician who won our hearts -- and our votes.
The high-school boyfriend
He's the brainy, tongue-tied movie star who's cleaning up as his generation's John Cusack.
The Latin lover
A powerhouse actor who happens to be off-the-charts attractive, not to mention real.
The activist
A do-gooder who fights for civil rights and the environment -- and looks like he wandered straight off a Ralph Lauren shoot.
November 20, 2008
The Chinese superstar
A badminton bad boy who is a demon with a shuttlecock -- but has the smile of an angel.
November 20, 2008
The coed dreamboat
He's America's first bona-fide Indian-American movie star -- and a darn hot one at that.
November 20, 2008
The rugged intellectual
A leading man with smarts, toughness and true versatility.
November 20, 2008
The debonair novelist
He's an award-winning writer who wrings humor from chaos. His dreamy eyes don't hurt.
November 20, 2008
The Olympic diver
An astonishing athlete with his priorities (and his Speedo) in the right place.
November 20, 2008
The entrepreneur
The swaggering MC every woman wants to bang and every man wants to be.
November 20, 2008
The top chef
A Renaissance man with a tireless work ethic, an aesthetic in the kitchen and piercing blue eyes.
November 20, 2008
The HBO "It Boy"
This Swedish actor has a whiff of arrogance, as if he thinks he's superior to the rest of us. Maybe he is.
November 20, 2008
The indie heartthrob
The Ivy-educated, button-cute musician who rocks our world with songs about the serial comma.
November 20, 2008
The funnyman
The unsung hero of "Saturday Night Live" sets our inner geek aflame.
November 20, 2008
The tastemaker
Hip-hop vlogger, self-confessed nerd and darn cute to boot.
November 14, 2008

About Sexiest Man Living

Our third annual alternative to People magazine's Bible of Sexy -- with its pretty pinups and bland predictability -- has become a tradition here at Salon. In our third year, we've curated a list of 17 men for whom 2008 was a winning season. (For the first time, we also opened up the awards to the Open Salon community, selecting our two favorite picks from their suggestions and adding them to our list.) These are smart men, men of brains and brawn, art and athleticism. And they're not bad looking, either.

Want more?

Read last year's

By Salon staff

Because there's more to life than pretty boys ... Salon picks the 17 men who make us giddy for all the right reasons.