Sexiest Stars of 2013

In my opinion, there are so many sexy and beautiful people in the world. Certainly, many of them end up in magazines, on billboards, on television and in films. Most of those people are models, working in the service of the fashion industry. One of the most successful is Sean O'Pry, currently the most successful male model in the world. Another is Kate Upton, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model for the past two years. Both are gorgeous, and no offense, but O'Pry and Upton have not much other talent besides looking pretty and being somewhat athletic. I have no problem with models, but I would prefer those on my list to be able to do other things than pose for a camera or strut a catwalk. There are also a lot of sexy musicians like Adam Levine who People magazine named the "Sexiest Man Alive" as well as Levine's co-star on The Voice, Christina Aguilera, but again my list is limited to actors or people in movies and TV shows, those with whom I'm most obsessed.

20. MELISSA MCCARTHY - the now 41-year-old comedic actress first caught my attention back in 2000 on the TV series Gilmore Girls, but it probably wasn't until her Oscar-nominated role in Bridesmaids (2011) that she caught the world's attention. She followed that movie up with the box office success Identity Thief (2013). McCarthy became a lightning rod for that movie after a very mean-spirited review from Rex Reed who made fun of her appearance. The fact that McCarthy followed up with another box office hit The Heat as well as being on the cover of the November issue of Elle magazine was awesome, and I love her.

19. SAM BURGESS - Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe persuaded the 25-year-old English rugby player to sign to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, an Australian team, which Crowe is part owner. He did so by inviting Burgess to the set of Robin Hood (2010). In August 2013, Burgess along with his older brother Luke, 26, and younger, twin brothers George and Tom, 21, made history when all brothers started playing for that same team. Sam Burgess and his family is also the subject of the documentary Slammin' Sam: The Sam Burgess Story, narrated by Russell Crowe.

18. PEYTON LIST - not to be confused with Peyton R. List, the star of Disney's Jessie. this Peyton List was born 1986 in Boston but grew up in Baltimore. She started modeling at the age of 12. She went on to work on a soap opera. She's probably best known for being in Mad Men, but I fell in love with her in her current role on the CW series The Tomorrow People.

17. BLAKE BERRIS - he made a triumphant return to the NBC series Days of Our Lives where there is no shortage of sexy people, but Berris managed to make an indelible impression. Berris was so singularly unique and so outstanding as an actor that I don't think he can honestly be denied. He was nominated for an Emmy back in 2009. If he's not nominated again in 2014, it would truly be a crime. His work opposite Camila Banus (pictured) and Chandler Massey as well as Alison Sweeney has been phenomenal. He's also starting to make a name for himself in the independent film world with titles like Meth Head and House of Last Things.

16. RACHEL NICHOLS - I know a lot of people were raving about Orphan Black as the science-fiction series with the female actor with whom to be in love but to me sci-fi TV in 2013 was all about Continuum and as the lead, Nichols was not only beautiful, but also strong, smart, heartbreaking and she just kicked ass.

15. DAVID RAMSEY - he's been a great working TV actor for nearly 20 years. He's been in shows like Dexter and Blue Bloods, but now, at the age of 42, the black belt martial artist from Detroit has finally gotten a breakthrough role, one that could make his name a household one. It also helps that Ramsey's body is so amazingly muscular that he rivals even the younger star of Arrow.

14. JESSICA MAUBOY - she's an Australian pop star who recently released her third studio album, which was certified Gold. She headlined the second film she ever did The Saphhires, which premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and later got a limited theatrical release in the United States in the spring of 2013. The film drew a bit of controversy when the DVD was released in terms of its cover art, but for the most part the film flew under the radar of the mainstream, but Mauboy has simply a beautiful voice and soul.

13. CHARLIE BARNETT - last year, I declared Chicago Fire had the sexiest cast of any TV series, certainly of any new series that year. Barnett's performance in the show alone is enough, but his performance in the equally stunning The Happy Sad shows his openness, range and sensitivity as an actor.

12. CAREY MULLIGAN - despite the light cast on her by the Coen brothers for Inside Llewyn Davis, I much prefer the light cast on her by Baz Luhrman for The Great Gatsby. Her costumes, her makeup and her entire introduction is just the height of glamorous and gorgeous.

11. MIKE VOGEL - in both Bates Motel and Under the Dome, he played the bad boy whom you couldn't help fall for, until in the former series, it was revealed he was just a little too bad. The 34 year-old started acting when he was 21. He made a lot of appearances in TV and films, until being noticeable in the Oscar-winning, hit film The Help (2011). That same year, because of his role on ABC's Pan Am, the Seattle-based web site BuddyTV ranked him as one of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011."

10. RACHELLE LEFVRE - honestly, it's the hair. Her long, curly, beautiful red hair is just so stunning. This might be a spoiler alert for Under the Dome, but to me it was no surprise that she was the "monarch" or the chosen one on that show.

9. COREY STOLL - the 37-year-old had been acting here and there since 2004, laying good groundwork by guest starring in a string of hit TV series. He even landed the lead role in the short-lived Law & Order: Los Angeles. His break-out role might have been as Ernest Hemingway in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (2011). I was so happy though for his Golden Globe Award nomination for House of Cards, as in my opinion he was the best thing about that first season. This past year, I also thought he was hilarious in Kyle Patrick Alvarez's C.O.G.

8. JENNIER HUDSON - her appearance has changed dramatically since she won the Oscar for Dreamgirls (2006). Yes, I'm referring to the weight loss. I thought she was beautiful as she was and my inclusion of her on this list speaks less to that and more to the fact that 2013 has been a busy year for the now 32-year-old. First off, Hudson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making her the 2512th person to have one. She sang "America the Beautiful" along with the Sandy Hook Elementary School chorus at Super Bowl XLVII. She sang at the 85th Academy Awards and at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, along side Macklemore and Miranda Lambert. She guest starred in the TV series Smash. She also starred in several films including Winnie Mandela, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete and Black Nativity.

7. JAMIE DORNAN - the humble, Calvin Klein model was chosen to be Christian Grey, the titular character of the best-selling book Fifty Shades of Grey. The film won't be released for another year, but this past year, the 31-year-old, Irish actor appeared on the TV series Once Upon a Time and The Fall.

6. OLGA KURYLENKO - she was born in the Ukraine but moved to Paris at age 16 to pursue modeling. She was a Bond girl in Quantum of Solace (2008). That same year, she was on the cover of Maxim magazine. She's currently co-starring on the TV series Magic City, but the reason she made my list is her appearances this year in Terrence Malick's To the Wonder and in Oblivion opposite Tom Cruise.

5. ALEXANDER SKARSGARD - he's made the list before. Putting aside True Blood, the tall, blonde, Swedish actor has been doing phenomenal work, appearing this year in three indie films that I enjoyed: Disconnect, What Maisie Knew and The East.

4. BRIT MARLING - she wrote and produced The East. She also stars in it. She wrote and produced two films that premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. That and the acting work she's done since then has cemented her as a smart and beautiful force to the world of cinema.

3. DWAYNE JOHNSON - he's known in the WWE as "The Rock" but the man is now a bonafide movie star, filling the void left by the 80s and 90s action stars. He's beautiful, part African-American and part Samoan. He's charismatic. He's soulful and smart, in addiction to being a beefcake. He was in three #1 movies this year in the span of three months: G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain and Gain and Fast & Furious 6. He even put in great acting work in Snitch. The man is awesome.

2. AMY ADAMS - first she played Lois Lane in Man of Steel. She then played a stripper-turned-con artist in David O. Russell's American Hustle. She's been getting some notice for her performance, but it might not be enough to land her fifth Oscar nomination this year. She finally appeared opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Spike Jonze's Her, which is just indicative of her range.

1. LEONARDO DICAPRIO - he received his ninth nomination for the Golden Globe Awards, but it's the first time he got nominated in the Musical or Comedy category. Some people have laughed at past performances but his role in The Wolf of Wall Street is probably his funniest intentional performance in a decade. What isn't funny is how the near 40-year-old still can get away with looking like he's 25. he's just boyishly handsome. Yet, he's also a great enough actor that he can also pull off playing the larger-than-life, titular character in Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby.