Mel Gibson, 1985
Fun fact: Sometimes when directing, Mel Gibson has been known for having his actors do serious scenes wearing clown noses.
Mark Harmon, 1986
Fun fact: Mark Harmon played quarterback for UCLA. In fact, he comes from a football family. His father, Thomas Harmon, won the Heisman Trophy in 1940.
Harry Hamlin, 1987
Fun fact: Six years before he was the sexiest man alive, Harry Hamlin played Perseus in Clash of the Titans. In 2007, he reprised that role for the video game God of War II.
Sean Connery, 1989
Fun fact: Long before he was 007, Sean Connery was a bodybuilder. He placed third in the 1950 Mr. Universe contest.
Tom Cruise, 1990
Fun fact: Before pursuing a career in acting, Tom Cruise had attended school to become a Catholic priest.
Nick Nolte, 1992
Fun fact: Nick Nolte's son Brawley appeared in a film with another of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive: Mel Gibson. Brawley Nolte played Gibson's son, Sean Mullen, in Ransom.
Brad Pitt, 1995
Fun fact: Brad Pitt originally studied to be a journalist. In an interview, he claims that just before graduating from the University of Missouri, he packed his bags and moved to L.A. to pursue a career in acting.
Denzel Washington, 1996
Fun fact: In 2006, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia requested the assistance of Denzel Washington, Oliver Stone, and Michael Moore in hostage negotiations with the Colombian government.
George Clooney, 1997
Fun fact: Due to some recent digging by Ancestry.com, it was discovered that George Clooney is distantly related to Abraham Lincoln. In fact, the 1997 People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive is the 16th president's "half-first cousin five times removed."
Harrison Ford, 1998
Fun fact: At the time that Harrison Ford was offered the role of Han Solo, he was working primarily as a carpenter. For some extra money, he was a stand-in on screen tests for George Lucas, which ultimately earned him the part.
Richard Gere, 1999
Fun fact: Yet another student athlete who went on to become one of the Sexiest Men Alive, Richard Gere attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship.