Sexiest Stars of 2015

Laith Ashley De La Cruz, transgender model

As superficial and reductive a list like this is, I still feel compelled to make it because I can't help but be amazed by the beauty of humanity most times. Yes, there are a lot of beautiful people in the world, young and old, black and white, male and female, and everything in between. With that sentiment, I have to acknowledge the work of Peche Di.

In an article for The Atlantic magazine, Peche Di describes how she started New York's first, transgender modeling agency in the spring of 2015 and how it's grown to 19 clients doing all kinds of national campaigns. Peche Di is 26 and from Thailand. She studied at NYU and worked as a model herself until she saw the difficulties for herself and others as transgender models getting work or proper treatment, so she decided to start her own company.

I first learned about Peche Di after reading about one of her models, Laith Ashley De La Cruz, a Dominican model from Harlem who caught the attention of a LGBT blog. He quickly grew a substantial following on social media like Instagram. Typically, I don't care much for models, even for lists like this, but his work in the healthcare industry, his activism and his work outside of posing in Calvin Klein underwear can't be denied.

Speaking of models, one model who impressed people early in the summer was Ruby Rose. She's now 29 and from Melbourne. She's designed clothing and has been featured in Vogue Australia and is the face of Maybelline in Australia. She started turning heads here in the United States when she became a cast member of the third season of Orange is the New Black. She apparently was so well-taken that she will be co-starring along side Keanu Reeves in John Wick 2.

Ruby Rose, Australian actress

Hopefully, she will join the likes of Adrianne Palicki and become a woman who kicks ass. This year though, the women who really showed off their amazing fighting skills included one on the big screen and another on the small screen. The best action film of the year was Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and if you've seen that film, then you know that one of the true surprises was Rebecca Ferguson, the now 32-year-old actress from Sweden whose fighting style made great use of her stunning legs.

This is not to be too out-done by the more fierce and somewhat scrappy fighting of Rachael Taylor's character in Jessica Jones. Like Ruby Rose, Taylor is also an Australian who did some modeling. She's been doing American blockbusters and TV shows with more success. She was featured in Michael Bay's Transformers and had a recurring role in Grey's Anatomy on ABC. Yet, seeing her evolution on Jessica Jones into a woman who can fight and save the day was very hot, as they say. Her scene where we see her get oral sex didn't hurt either.

There aren't that many sexy politicians. A lot of people have really taken to Canada's newest Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. There are a few American politicians who are above-average in their looks, but ever since Aaron Schock resigned earlier this year, there really isn't anyone who could be shirtless on the cover of a magazine. The one exception might be former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. He unintentionally showed his hot body and killer abs during a Polar Bear Plunge in 2012 and those pics have been the subject of various blog posts drooling over him.

There are of course tons of sexy musicians like Taylor Swift and Janet Jackson. There are of course tons of sexy athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo or Reggie Bush, but there is one athlete in particular that I want to spotlight. His name is Casey Conway.  He's a former member of the National Rugby League having played with the Sydney Roosters in Australia. He's Aboriginal Australian in fact and he made headlines this year when he came out as gay.

Casey Conway, model and former rugby player

But, what makes Casey Conway sexy is that after he left the sport of rugby in 2005. He worked for a non-profit in Gold Coast, Queensland, as a youth coordinator. A talent agent discovered him and brought into modelling. He became a model for aussieBum underwear. That agent recognized his obvious gorgeous face and physique, but reading his interviews it's clear how gorgeous he is on the inside.

Soap operas have been good at hiring and putting on screen very attractive people. A couple of years ago, Hulu started streaming the British soap called Hollyoaks, a daily half-hour. The show has plenty of eye-candy but one who was shamelessly promoted was Parry Glasspool. Glasspool plays Harry Thompson, a teenager who returns to the village where the show is set back in February. By July when it was warm outside, Glasspool started appearing shirtless at a pretty regular interval. It got so regular that a Tumblr page was made dedicated to it and a Channel 4 video was also posted mocking the fact.

However, I must make note of the fact that one of the most beautiful and amazing women that I have seen all year is Ava DuVernay. If you don't know who DuVernay is. She is a filmmaker whose latest work Selma was nominated for two Academy Awards. It won Best Original Song. The film was also nominated for four Golden Globes, including Best Director, which made DuVernay, the first African-American woman to ever be nominated in that category. She won the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for her acclaimed feature Middle of Nowhere. In 2010, she founded ARRAY, an independent film distribution and resource organization for filmmakers of color and women filmmakers. She has been such a beauty and inspiration that the Mattel toy company made an exclusive, limited edition Barbie doll in her likeness. According to an article in the New York Daily News, the doll sold out within 20 minutes of it going on sale in early December.

Now, I know that there should not be anything sexual about a children's toy. I merely include it in this article as recognition of the beauty of so many African-American women who should be acknowledged not simply for their looks but for their incredible works. That being said, DuVernay is a very sexy woman both inside and out, and I'm glad she was honored in such a way.

As for my list of the Sexiest Stars of 2015, there are of course honorable mentions like Ryan Phillippe who starred early in the year in the TV series Secrets & Lies, as well as Candice Patton from The Flash on the CW, but out of the 20 people that I did pick, only 4 people are on here solely for their looks and not based on talent. Typically, I base my list on talent and credits in the year. If I've been really impressed with a person's acting work or on-screen credits, then they make the cut. However, four people on my list didn't really have credits that impressed me, but their charm and physical features just couldn't be denied. That being said, here is my list.