Friday, February 06, 2009

Sexiest man on the planet?

Well my RNA chums seem to think so. They've just voted Richard Armitage the sexiest man of 2009. As he is the model for Gabriel in Last Christmas, I'm not uninclined to disagree... Only I realised when I was obsessing about him as Lucas North in Spooks, I have inadvertently given Gabriel deep brown eyes, when of course, Richard's are a piercing blue...

Coincidentally, of late Medium Rob has been running a feature on his blog called Dick Heads, which is, er, pictures of Richard Armitage's head for us all to write witty comments (or in some cases haiku on). You can find our latest efforts here. (And yes, I think we're all aware that this is very very silly).

The complete list of who our Dick was up against is listed below. I'd have had a certain Mr Tennant higher placed myself, but at least Johnny Depp is still no 2. Sadly I won't be at the RNA Awards Lunch on Monday - I hadn't planned to go anyway, but with the disastrous week I've had workwise I don't think I could possibly justify it anyway. But still, at least I have this nice picture of Mr Armitage to while away my snowbound hours. I wonder whether I still have time to change Gabriel's eyes to blue...

Romantic Novelists vote Richard Armitage
Sexiest Thing On Two Legs

British actor Richard Armitage has leapt from last year’s 4th place to this year topping the ratings in the Romantic Novelists’ Association 2009 Valentine’s poll, to take the title of Sexiest Thing on Two Legs, beating top Hollywood stars to the number one spot.

Johnny Depp, who topped last year’s poll, was pushed firmly into second place, with Hugh Jackman and George Clooney mere also-rans. “Richard Armitage took 20% of the vote, more than double the count of any other male on the list,” said the RNA pollster. “He was a clear winner from the off.”

The RNA is not alone in admiration of the actor, as numerous online Richard Armitage fan sites will testify. The ardency began with North and South, grew by leaps and bounds with his appearance as the leather-clad baddie in Robin Hood, and shows no sign of diminishing as Spooks takes to the airwaves.

‘It’s a coup for Britain ,’ said one starstruck writer, ‘not just for sexy Richard.’

According to romantic novelists, the sexiest male celebrities of 2009 are:

1 Richard Armitage
2 Johnny Depp
3 Hugh Jackman
4 George Clooney
5 Daniel Craig
6 Sean Bean
7 Alan Rickman
8 David Tennant
9 Pierce Brosnan
10 Gerard Butler

The winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2009 will be announced on Tuesday 10th February.

8 comments:

Lisa Rullsenberg said...

See I have a certain attitude to these sort of decisions about who is sexiest - and it basically comes down to this. In a somewhat contradictory manner, what is sexiest may not always be what we find sexy, let alone provide an explanation for that which we are inexplicably drawn towards.

Richard Armitage is an interesting one, in that he has elements of being conventionally sexy but is possibly more earthy is than usually expected for such voting. But he probably does have more in common with the upper half of the list (not least in his choice of roles) than some of those in the lower half of the list.

I'm thinking especially of Alan Rickman and David Tennant here, who I don't think have much of the conventional qualities expected of sexiest men, but who both capture something almost undefinably appealing. It's something to do with the roles selected but also to do with demeanor, with quirkiness.

I'm not expressing this well, but then I think that kinda is the point. That voting for the sexiest isn't necessarily about your own personal choice of someone sexy, appealing to the gut, loins or throat of desire.

I should really have written my own post shouldn't I: *sigh*

Jane Henry said...

Lisa, I know what you mean, but last year Johnny Depp won, who I'd say qualifies for your Alan Rickman/David Tennant interpretation and always comes top of my list. (Fave film of his is Rochester. A subliminal choice. My sexiest film hero plays my favourite sexiest literary hero, sigh.). I love Alan Rickman, because even when he plays the hero as in Truly Madly Deeply, there's a bit of an edge to it, you sense he'd be very passionate but a bit of a wanker too. More interesting then the guy she does go off with though...

I am surprised my RNA chums don't go so much for David Tennant, but there seems to be a hard core of us who really fancy the pants of him, and the rest don't. Richard Armitage on the other hand, gets consistently mentioned... Like I say, I modelled my most recent hero on him, but don't think I could model one on DT cos he's so quixotic and changeable I don't know how you capture that in words.

I don't really know why Rupert Penry Jones isn't on this list either, I think he's rather lovely too. Or Dougie for that matter, but then I think Dougie might be an acquired taste only for superior beings like us who "get" why Primeval is so silly but brilliant!!

Lisa Rullsenberg said...

Bravo! Indeedy!

Expat mum said...

Hmmm. A bit of a questionable mouth I'd say. A bit too thin and frilly for a true heart throb. Jonny Dep has such a perfect mouth he could win with that alone!

Jane Henry said...

Expat mum - ah but have you seen him in Robin Hood? Rest of the series is rubbish, but Richard smoulders his way sexily through the series thereby rendering Jonas Armitage as Robin to mere eunich status. He is also dead hot as Dawn French's love interest in The Vicar of Dibley (in fact, I think that's where I fell in love with him). And as for Lucas North in Spooks... Sigh. He is just fabulous - edgy, dangerous, sexy, and yet underneath the toughness you sense vulnerability. Forget the mouth. It's the eyes. They're absolutely MESMERISING. (Can't believe for that reason I go the colour wrong!) And I haven't even seen him in North and South where he originally garnered his army of fans.
But I am with you on Johnny Depp, all the way. The only thing I haven't liked Johnny in was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but I was a bit startled when I realised I'd seen him first in Nightmare on Elm Street ahem years ago... I first noticed him properly in Edward Scissorhands, which is such a beautiful, heartrending dark fairy tale.

Alice said...

I absolutely love him in North and South - he is heart-stoppingly sexy in Robin Hood, but North & South is such a beautiful love-story, I really think its one of his best bits.
Johnny Depp was just so wierd in Charlie, it shows what a good actor he is, how he can just step out of him and be wonderfully wierd Mr Wonka xD
But I would pick Richard Armitage over him - simply because I love him so so much :D

Ren said...

Richard Armitage definitely deserves this, finally! He was wonderful in North and South as well as the Vicar of Dibley. Incredible penetrating eyes, a deep sexy voice and sorry, yummy lips.

Raychel Coe said...

Richard Armitage's character in North and South was a really complicated one, and the fact that he could really 'be' the character, and emit such an aura is just fabulous. Guy of Gisbourne is also a really complicated person, and the last person who played Guy of Gisbourne was Basil Rathbone, who also played Sherlock Holmes in 1939, and that for just makes it even more complicated.

Richard's characters are all complicated, and I really think he deserved this. He's an awesome person, who by working hard, and nearly giving up got his reward, and now he can enjoy it, and welcome to him. I'm glad he came top.

David Tennant should have been second though. I love his character in Broadchurch, and the Doctor was so awesome *sheds a tear*, but I'm really glad Richard came first, but David should have come second. That Scottish accent next to Richard's chocolate one is so awesome!