HOT YOUNG THINGS

Every generation has its hotties – those who cause hearts to flutter and mouths to drool for years to follow. The 80s and 90s saw a smorgasbord of sexy guys like Ben Affleck, Nicholas Cage, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Will Smith… I could go on, but unfortunately just thinking about these legendary sex symbols might cause serious day-dreaming.

These days, however, we can clearly see that age has caught up with our favourite hunks, resulting in wrinkles, bellies, hair loss, marriage and children… So let’s open our eyes to the best that the Noughties have to offer. These new contenders might not yet measure up to the guys we know and love, but we sure won’t stop them from trying to convince us otherwise.

Adam Lambert

Though only those privileged enough to have DSTV here in South Africa would have seen 27 year old Adam Lambert’s rise to the top in American Idol, you’re bound to have heard his name pop up here and there. That’s because this Idol runner-up – who’s been performing on the stage since the age of 10 – kept us on our toes with his soulful voice and sexual ambiguity.

The mystery surrounding this eyeliner-wearing grunge boy made us want more every time he stepped on stage to face the scrutiny of those Idol judges. He got everyone talking, and while the gay rumours – which he’s since happily confirmed are true – may have cost him the title of American Idol, his undisputed talent has ensured him a brightly lit future.

Anton Yelchin

Despite probably not knowing who he is, you’ll recognise this charismatic cutie from recent big budget fare such as Star Trek and Terminator: Salvation. The Russian-American 20 year old has branched out into the mainstream after memorable roles as a cheeky teenager in both Fierce People and Charlie Bartlett.

Born in Leningrad to a famous figure skating couple, his own star credentials continue to grow. The arts clearly come naturally to Anton as he plays guitar in a band and has been studying film at the University of Southern California. He’s awkward, shy, cute, and would probably bring you roses on the first date… The type of guy any mommy would be proud to share their son with.

Chace Crawford

“Not ANOTHER pretty boy…” many will sigh once they hear about the apparent Zac Efron-clone, Chase Crawford. Heck, he even lapped up Efron’s sloppy seconds after grabbing Kevin Bacon’s legendary role in the upcoming remake of the classic Footloose. Yet there’s something about the 23 year old Gossip Girls star that sets him apart from the tween-scene and puts him in the “hot men” category.

Could it be his art aficionado tendencies, or perhaps the ongoing rumours about him and his flatmate Ed Westwick? Hmmm… Nah, it’s probably just the hint of stubble on that perfectly sculpted face. People magazine in the US just named this dreamy Texan 2009’s “hottest bachelor”, a decision we’d struggle to argue against.

Cheyenne Jackson

Openly gay Cheyenne is definitely a man’s man, with his brooding good-looks, piercing blue-eyes, sculpted body and part Native American heritage. Compared to the other pre-pubescent hotties on this list, he’s earned his stubble… The Thirty three year old started his career as a backup singer for Vanessa Williams and Liza Minnelli (now there’s a pedigree for you). Since then he’s been making a splash on Broadway and climbing his way up the Tinsel Town ladder, landing roles in series such as Life on Mars, Lipstick Jungle and Ugly Betty.

He’s an LGBT rights supporter, as well as an advocate for several AIDS charities. We’d be willing to invite Cheyenne into our living rooms every night, but sadly this is likely to only happen on our television screens: Cheyenne has been happily involved with his partner Monte (a physicist nogal) for ten years.

Chris Pine

This unlikely pick for the role of the Enterprise’s best-known captain was quite surprising, considering no one had even heard of the guy. Oh how we were missing out… Twenty eight year old Chris started out acting in teen rom-coms like Just My Luck and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and even playing gay in the TV movie Surrender Dorothy.

Luckily his talent and dashing good looks helped him grab the role of James T. Kirk in the latest Star Trek adventure, which has set him on a path to stardom (he also has a degree in English to help him with all those new scripts). We’ll be seeing quite a bit of Chris in the near future, as he has four films in the works, two of which are sci-fi adventures. We’re not complaining though; Chris has proven he can bring the heat factor to all things nerdy…

Robert Pattinson

Despite being overlooked as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter franchise, Robert Pattinson caused the world to crane its neck for a second glance when he took on the role of moody vampire Edward Cullen in the teen-romp Twilight. Robert’s portrayal has won him the admiration of drooling teenage girls around the world, but his chiselled cheek bones and mischievous grin have also garnered him some adult attention.

Looking all rugged and dirty, Pattinson’s latest photo shoots seem to be dragging him away from his smooth pretty-boy Twilight image. Any gay rumours can be put on hold for now, as 23 year old Robert is rumoured to be dating co-star Kristin Stewart. But a boy can dream can’t he? “Up until I was 12 my sisters used to dress me up as a girl and introduce me as ‘Claudia’! Twelve was a turning point as I moved to a mixed school and then I became cool and discovered hair gel.” What a pity…

Shia LaBeouf

“It’s cool to be [my age] and famous,” Shia has told Playboy; a revelation that surprised no-one at all. This 23 year old Californian, who boasts a father who worked both as a circus mime and a rodeo clown, made his acting debut at the age of 12. Show business wasn’t a huge attraction he says, but it helped the family pay the bills. He’s since graduated from made-for-TV Disney movies to some of this decade’s biggest blockbusters – including Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as well as the two Transformers movies.

Not the traditionally prettiest guy in the world, Shia is still hot and desirable thanks to his boy next door looks, a mischievous grin and that wicked twinkle in his eye. He recently claimed to not be very well-endowed, but we have no doubt that he knows how to make the best of what he has to offer…

Taylor Lautner

The other Twilight hotty may not have played an important role in the first movie, but in the rest of the series he steps up to the plate as the sexy N