Australians have completed their domination of Hollywood: Chris Hemsworth has been named Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine.
The 31-year-old Thor actor takes the crown from the 2013 Sexiest Man Adam Levine — with many lounge chair critics no doubt happy about that news.
The role that propelled him to this status was his casting as Thor in Marvel Studios films Thor, The Avengers and Thor: The Dark World. Some of his other movie credits include his first Hollywood appearance in Star Trek, and more recently Snow White & the Huntsman and Red Dawn.
The Sexiest Man Alive accepted his award via Skype on the Jimmy Kimmel show on Tuesday evening. With his identity covered by a mask, Kimmel’s audience members asked the unidentified man “yes” or “no” questions in an attempt to reveal his identity, before an audience member picked the hunky star.
“I think you’ve bought me a couple of weeks of bragging rights around the house,” he said.
Hemsworth, whose brothers Liam and Luke are also actors, is only the second Australian to be granted the honor, following in the footsteps of Mel Gibson in 1985 (if he can be counted as an Aussie, he moved Down Under when he was 12).
Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Patrick Swayze, Sean Connery, Ben Affleck and Channing Tatum are just some of the fine specimens that have stolen hearts in previous years of the competition.
By Jenni Ryall