Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, George Clooney. Before them, Robert Redford, Harrison Ford, and Paul Newman. Generations before had no shortage of celebrity heartthrobs—but 2026’s hunks present much differently than the traditional “leading man” stereotype. Today’s hunks are hot, of course, but more than that, they’re unique (see 2024’s “rat boy summer”). Personality, humility, and magnetism have never been more important for the screen heartthrobs of today. Social media has nearly required these leading men to become triple threats: talented actors, charming, and humble. It’s a cultural shift, and one I welcome with open arms.

“What’s fascinating is that modern hunks absolutely need more than just looks to set the internet on fire,” says Marina May, a graphic designer and the creator of her popular namesake Instagram account, where she curates notable films. “They need vulnerability, they need to be good actors, and honestly, they need to look a little different or unconventional.” Josh O’Connor is the perfect example of this, and, arguably, no one possesses the trio of personality, humility, and charm more readily and naturally at this moment than O’Connor. “We’ve seen in Challengers (the sauna scene was very illustrative) that he’s very attractive, but what gives him the biggest appeal is his shyness and dorkiness we’ve seen behind the scenes,” says May. “I can’t count the times I’ve seen that video of him holding a puppy during the Knives Out press tour. It’s not about just being traditionally handsome anymore. It’s about being interesting, emotionally intelligent, and having an interior life that the audience can project onto,” adds May. “We’ve moved from wanting to admire men from a distance to wanting to psychoanalyze them, and I think that’s much more compelling.” 

While “traditional” looking film superstars like Glen Powell and Michael B. Jordan are clearly absolute hunks (and certified box office juggernauts), May argues the new paradigm of a heartthrob is more of a quiet, tortured-looking guy, like Paul Mescal or Jeremy Allen White. 

Meet the Modern Day Hunk

So there’s a hunk, and then there’s a hunk—a hunk 2.0, says casting director and performance coach Brette Goldstein. Think of it as perhaps the “evolved hunk,” she says, someone who is modern yet timeless, listens, sexy with real charisma, looks at you like you’re both delicious and a deity, with hunger and respect, and with just the right amount of awe that proves he sees all your brilliance and strengths (and literal strength). “He can serve you, he worships you, while still being in control somehow, possibly even in command because you work hard, girl,” says Goldstein. “You deserve to relax, to be worshipped. He’s both in control and somewhere on the scale of feral. He knows where the line is—he takes you right to it. He can read you. He’s wise and ageless. He can feel his age at times and [is] timelessly wise in others. He is in his body, and his mind is whip-smart.” (Okay, damn, Goldstein, write a smut romance novel already. We beg of you!) 

They are also required to be a “nice guy” in the era of DeuxMoi—where everyone is now watching—but they can’t just be nice because everyone is watching, but because they truly are kind at heart. “Honestly, the ultimate hunk is the one who puts his ego aside instead of leading with it,” says Melissa DeZarate, groomer to some of the biggest leading hunks in Hollywood. “True hunks don’t sweat the small stuff. They’re fun, they’re effortlessly cool, they hold the door for the next person, and they’re all-around gentlemen,” she adds. 

Are hunks just born with that inner star quality? Or can they be carefully crafted and perfected by a team of stylists, groomers, and marketing executives? Both can be true, says DeZarate, but usually when the heartthrob doesn’t have that innate confidence in themselves, they usually don’t stand the test of time. “You’re basically Frankenstein-ing together a team that will hopefully elevate the talent—sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.” Goldstein thinks a true hunk is born, though. “You see them on screen or IRL, and you involuntarily inhale that brisk, captivated inhale because they’ve just got it, and they’ve got you,” she says. 

What is exactly so enticing about swooning over a character? Well, according to Gayle S. Stever, Ph.D., a professor of social and behavioral science at Empire State University of New York, we can blame evolution. “We are basically hardwired to be [drawn] to familiar faces and voices that are attractive to us,” says Dr. Stever. “There is a part of us that doesn’t really distinguish the person on the screen from the one sitting across from us in our living room,” she adds. “Evolutionary science recognizes that there are two basic agendas for human beings: survival and reproduction,” notes Dr. Stever. “We are looking for other people who can enhance those goals.” 

There’s also a community aspect of crushing, says Dr. Stever. Think of the viral videos of a bar full of people collectively watching episode five of Heated Rivalry and cheering together. “There is a certain nostalgia in such participation, as it can take us back to these fond moments from our youth,” notes Dr. Stever. And consuming fiction, like Heated Rivalry, only enhances the fantasy and feelings. “Even knowing it’s not ‘real,’ we enjoy it and engage in activities that reinforce those feelings,” she says. But pining for a hunk is nothing new; research has been able to track celebrity crushes back to ancient Rome, where people crushed on rhetoricians and actors.

The Phenomena of (Steamy) Romance

Two words: Heated Rivalry. It’s not just about sex (but, damn, the sex), but it’s also about the yearning, the chemistry, the love story, and the acting. What’s unique is that everyone is watching, too; it has universal crossover appeal. “Heated Rivalry has a huge audience that includes a lot of straight folks,” says Goldstein. “There’s a lot of sex… and it is hot. We are not just turned on; we are moved to tears by the characters and the story,” she adds. “This is the new hunk.” 

We really haven’t seen such a frenzied rise to the top for two actors in recent history. The shocking and nearly instant fandom of the Heated Rivalry duo could—and likely will be—studied in psychology classes. But the rampant (nearly rabid—justifiably) success of both Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie is something for the hunk storybooks. Williams leaving The Tonight Show on January 7, 2026, is nothing short of Beatlemania. The awestruck (and perhaps slightly bemused) star weaves through a crowd of hundreds of screaming fans, their limbs outstretched, iPhones in tow, looking to capture their ultimate hunk. This show quite literally came out of nowhere, and no one knew their names months ago, and now they need security to walk down the street. Goldstein thinks both are magnetic, but Storrie, in particular, has It. 

But the frenzy around the show itself is really remarkable. Just a few years ago, things were far less evolved and involved a lot of homophobia, says Goldstein. “I am sure many young actors were cautioned against playing queer roles earlier in their careers at that time,” adds Goldstein. “Fears of being ‘pigeonholed’ running amok, but things have changed—praise be.” Now, heartthrobs, no matter their sexual orientation, embrace these roles. Goldstein notes Drew Starkey in Queer and Outer Banks, Paul Mescal in Normal People and All of Us Strangers, Jonathan Bailey in Wicked and Fellow Travelers, and Kit Connor in Heartstopper and (hunk vehicle) Warfare. 

In a similar steamy vein of Heated Rivalry, in Bridgerton’s upcoming season, the cast reminds us that they know how to produce a pining heartthrob. DeZarate thinks this will be Luke Thompson’s year, who will lead Bridgerton Season 4 as Benedict Bridgerton. DeZarate has worked with the actor before and notes that he’s one of the “sweetest humans to ever exist,” and because he’s not on social media, he’s a “beautiful mystery” to his fans. The show certainly has the gravitas to elevate its leading men into household names: Just look at the prime example of the quirky and impossibly handsome superstar Jonathan Bailey. While Regé-Jean Page became an instant hunk, he seemed to disappear from the public eye when he left the show after the successful first season. But fear not, he will be back in an exciting new rom-com coming out in April, titled You, Me and Tuscany, opposite Halle Bailey (consider us already sitting in the theater, waiting for opening night). A welcome sight after a serious rom-com drought. 

While movie roles have traditionally been seen as more of a vehicle to superstardom before now, the frenzy around television shows like Heated Rivalry, Outer Banks,and Bridgerton is notable (it’s equally interesting that these shows allow their hunks to dance between vulnerability, longing, and showing skin). 

And while society might have you believe that being considered hunky is reserved for your youth, plenty of screen stars are bucking that belief. Take Noah Wyle as the in-control, empathetic, and emotionally tortured Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in The Pitt (intelligence and confidence can be a major hunk indicator). Or actor, playwright, producer, and director Colman Domingo. Whether on the big or small screen, Domingo brings a soulful, intimate, and thoughtful energy to every role he takes on. We also can’t miss an opportunity to mention Keanu Reeves. Even as a full-fledged action star in the John Wick series, he’s sensitive and emotional (he goes on a killing spree to avenge his puppy, after all). Also, kids, if you haven’t seen 1994’s Speed, Reeves is quite possibly the hottest action lead ever: He’s confident, calm, and commanding and can wear the hell out of a simple white T-shirt. I can’t believe we’ve made it this far without talking about Pedro Pascal—the man, the myth, the charm. “Daddy Pascal” brings his signature energy, vulnerability, and charisma to every role. And while we called Clooney a hunk of the past, his evergreen gentlemanly charm and personable nature make him a forever heartthrob (at 64, he’s still a babe). 

The Great Hunk Way

This shift from “traditional” hunks and heartthrobs is also occurring in theater, says a theater casting agent (granted anonymity). “Shows like The Outsiders have kind of glorified the grungy, lanky, long-haired, working-class guy (similar to the ‘rat boy summer’ wave in film and TV), and the actors who play the male leads typically have huge followings,” says the agent. “There are still shows with more traditionally hunky leading men (Wicked, The Great Gatsby), but even long-running shows like Little Shop of Horrors have shifted from traditional casting types for their leading men (having people like Milo Manheim step into the show in a role that is typically cast with a Rick Moranis type).” Manheim is particularly notable at the moment because it was just announced that he’s been cast as Flynn Rider in the live-action Tangled movie. He’s been described as a modern heartthrob for the Disney set, with the 24-year-old naturally drawing in a younger audience. 

The theater casting agent interviewed thinks this leading man shift might be partly from Gen Z. “I think the younger audiences have proven to be incredibly valuable in that they see shows over and over again (there are subreddits for fans of shows like The Outsiders, Six, &Juliet, etc.), and they will see the same Broadway show 10+ times, buy the merch, buy tickets to the national tour, and follow the understudies specifically and wait to see performances where an understudy they love is on. They seem to be gravitating toward that type of leading man [who is] artsy and ‘misunderstood.’” 

A Hunky Year Ahead—Heartthrobs to Look Out For in 2026

Who’s going to have a particularly hunky year? “I think 2026 is going to be a massive year for the heartthrob universe,” says May. Notably, many of the buzziest upcoming films are book adaptations, several thankfully through a female gaze, including a new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with up-and-comer George MacKay playing Edward. “It should be mandatory to have at least one man written by Jane Austen on our screens per year,” says May. (Amen!) And, of course, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. “I’m not sure how people are going to receive this movie, but I’m certain they’ll talk about it a lot, especially with Jacob Elordi playing Heathcliff,” adds May. Elordi, although traditionally hot, has that certain je ne sais quoi that takes him to the next hunk level, not only because of his expertly done styling and grooming, says DeZarate, but also because of the intellectual movies he chooses to be in. (There’s also a bit of “tortured artist” energy emanating from him, which triggers an “I can fix him” pheromone when watching him on screen.) 

Speaking of Wuthering Heights, Irish hunk Daryl McCormack will star in the Audible drama Heathcliff this year, if you prefer your hunk in auditory form. Plus, the Good Luck to You, Leo Grande star (still emotionally recovering from that film) will be Mr. Bingley in the Pride and Prejudice mini series starring (Scottish babe) Jack Lowden and superstar Emma Corrin (hunk Louis Partridge also pops in as Mr. Wickham)—an embarrassment of hunk riches, really.

Expect internet boyfriend Josh O’Connor to absolutely dominate cinema (again). “He’s going from being the indie darling he was last year to full blockbuster mode, leading Steven Spielberg’s alien movie Disclosure Day, and I can’t wait to see him in this new register,” says May. Also, be on the lookout for the ever-charming and handsome A$AP Rocky, who had two big movie roles in 2025 (I’m told the industry is particularly abuzz after his performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You). 

Nearly every single person interviewed for this story mentioned one person: Christopher Briney from The Summer I Turned Pretty. “He falls somewhere in between the Gen Z rat boy/Milo Manheim/Timothée Chalamet type and the handsome lead that millennials are drawn to,” notes the theater casting agent. “Kind of grungy/moody/broody but traditionally attractive enough to feel like he could be in the OG Gossip Girl.” DeZarate goes as far as to say that she thinks Briney is the next Leonardo DiCaprio, and his hair even looks similar to Leo’s in Titanic. “He’s humble and kind and has a bit of an unexpected ‘hometown hunk’ look,” adds DeZarate. He’s starring in The Julia Set with the talented Chase Infiniti and, of course, there is The Summer I Turned Pretty movie, predicted to release in 2027. 

If your kink is Greek mythology, you’re in luck, says May, because The Odyssey cast is packed full of cuties: Tom Holland, Matt Damon, and Robert Pattinson in full historical (although maybe not that historically accurate) mode. “I can’t tell if Christopher Nolan will give us another masterpiece, but he’ll surely give us a lot of hunk material,” adds May. 

A few of your favorite heartthrobs when you were growing up are back and better than ever, too. Josh Hutcherson, Logan Lerman, and Dylan O’Brien are all making exciting comebacks. O’Brien, in particular, has had a run of interesting movies, including the compelling psychological horror Send Help, costarring Rachel McAdams, and 2025’s clever Twinless. And finally, absolute hunk Charles Melton will star in an episode of Netflix’s addictive show Beef, taking the hunk reins from dreamboats Steven Yeun and Young Mazino. Mazino had a tremendous 2025, with a standout role in The Last of Us and the psychological thriller Opus, and has a few interesting projects in the 2026 pipeline. 

2025 ushered the start of a new era of hunks, and it’s clear that Hollywood is (fortunately) doubling down in 2026. Gender identity, physicality, sexuality, and six-packs are no longer the driving force that separate the hunky from the hunkless. Instead, it’s all about charm, magnetism, care, consent, and maybe a little brooding. (It never hurt anyone.)