Friday, September 05, 2008

so what is it about gorgeous men?

Current work: nonfic; MH duo book 2
Listening to: Seahorses
Reading: The Bride Hunter, Amy Appleton (enjoying so far but haven’t had much time to read this week, as am in screaming deadline mode)

Given the fairly grim economic state of the UK right now – rising inflation, rising unemployment, and the FTSE dropping like a stone – not to mention the persistent rain, I think it’s time for some frivolity. As in talk of gorgeous men.

(Like this one. OK, so it’s a gratuitous pic. But hey.)


So there I was yesterday, wrestling with the book and working out what it was that made my heroine give my hero a second glance.

On a purely shallow level, it’s looks. For me, it’s the eyes. I have a real thing about gorgeous blue eyes. (Reader, I married him. Actually, he loathes me mentioning his eyes in newspaper interviews, because then he gets teased unmercifully at work. But the wedding photo on our wall… the man has seriously stunning cornflower-blue eyes. Apologies for the adjective and adverb overload.)

Actors with stunning eyes that have made me stop and think ‘ooh, potential hero casting’ include Richard Armitage, Pierce Brosnan, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Hugh Laurie and Rufus Sewell.

It’s also the voice. Add the above plus Antonio Banderas, Jeremy Irons and Alan Rickman.

Hmm. Interesting that all of them (bar one) are Brits. I do like American actors, too. Jensen Ackles (the hot guy in Supernatural – at least, the pic on my totty gallery is hot), David Duchovny (in his Mulder days; my fave episode is probably ‘3’, aka season 2 ep 7), Matthew McConaughy, and Bruce Willis (possibly because he looks like my DH, but I have been banned from posting the pic of my DH holding the cover of a magazine with Bruce on the front – he says it’s not dignified. Rats, rats, rats.).

Interesting also that all of them are over 40 (bar three – two of whom are very nearly there). Clearly I should just admit to being middle aged.

This is all Julie Cohen’s fault. Julie Cohen and her posse of men barely old enough to shave. (She has made me feel o-l-d.)

So what does it for you? What makes you give someone that second glance?

18 comments:

Jan Jones said...

Oh, I don't know. Their smile? A twinkle in the eye? Whether they're passing me a glass of red wine at the time?

No. Bad Jan. One does not pick up stray men at parties any more.

Lorix said...

ooh...strong, manly men! Not as in spent all their free time at the gym but as in have got a proper manual job. Strong hands, broad shoulders, thighs like a rugby player...my DH has beautiful long dark eyelashes (which both my children have inherited!)

Hmm unless of course I'm more in a Andrew McCarthy/John Cusack kinda phase and am liking that nerdy, lost soul sorta thing...I'm a gemini, it explains a lot!

Lori

Anonymous said...

Obviously I'm with you on Richard Armitage (so to speak!)

Diane said...

No wedding ring ...?

Actually, a full head of hair. Usually dark. And I like brown eyes.

Liz Fielding said...

I'm a voice girl. They don't have to look great, but the voice has to really do something to me. I'm shallow enough to hope that it comes wrapped in a Hugh Jackman package, though. :)

Unknown said...

Cheekbones. And a generous mouth.
And nice hands. All of these reappear in my heroes with frustrating regularity, so I'm grateful for all these reminders that other features are important!

(Mmmm... Lovely topic for a rainy afternoon, Kate...)

Kate Hardy said...

Jan - tut, tut on the red wine :o) Definitely the twinkle and the smile, though.

Kate Hardy said...

Lori - love the idea of eyelashes!

Julie (who inspired this post) is deeply into John Cusack: he's one of her more sensible crushes *g* (She is so going to slap me for this in a couple of weeks.)

Kate Hardy said...

Nicolette - ah, yes. The delightful Richard. I can't wait for series 3 of Robin Hood, I must admit. I think Guy is going to have more depth. (And he's still going to outact everyone else except possibly Keith Allen.)

Kate Hardy said...

Diane - LOL.

Would that be long hair, too?

Kate Hardy said...

Liz - mm, I forgot someone else on the voice front. Hugh Grant. I heard him on the radio on the way back from school. Luscious.

(Hugh Jackman seems a really nice guy, in interviews I've seen/read but - apart from Kate & Leopold - doesn't have the sizzle factor for me.)

Kate Hardy said...

India - cheekbones, mm. Has to be Rufus Sewell and Jeremy Irons (in his Brideshead role) there.

And yes - nice hands.

Anonymous said...

Well, I first fell in love with John Cusack when he was about sixteen. But then again, I was about fourteen, so that's permissible. I have a t-shirt with a picture of him from Sixteen Candles on it, and people do look at me a bit strangely for wearing a teenager on my chest. But it's an age-appropriate crush now! Really!

I do like my geekies (David Tennant and the musicians Sufjan Stephens and Neil Hannon) and my pretty boys (Cillian Murphy and now James Pattinson) but I also like my hunkas (Hugh as Wolverine, Christian Bale) and just the guys who have so much charisma you wanna melt (Ewan McGregor).

Oh, and of course, Sportacus. *VBG*

Anonymous said...

(And I won't slap you; you've given me the opportunity to talk about gorgeous men!!)

Melissa Amateis said...

Daniel Craig has AMAZING blue eyes. Ohh...I *heart* him!

And he's a Brit, too. No wonder I want to move across the pond! ;-)

Lorix said...

Gotta say I'm with everyone on the Hugh Jackman front, he definitely comes in the description of real man for me!
Nicollette, I followed the link to your book cover (looks good) is it inspired by Sawyer - drawing a blank for his real name - from Lost? See gorgeous men, I'm so shallow, I like Sawyer, Jack and Sayed! And probably a few of the others if I think about it...
(I do have inner depths, I do have inner depths...)

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

I'm an eyes gal through and through.

Piercing, sexy eyes will get me every time.

Mind you, I love a nice broad chest. And strong forearms.

Donna Alward said...

Arms, and a swimmer's build. Eyes....check out my latest blog post for a set of stunners. And lips. I like SKL - seriously kissable lips.

A sexy voice is awesome, but the sexiest thing for me is conversation. I love a thinker, and someone with a broad outlook. Intelligence is SUCH a turn on.