Why Brad Pitt is the Sexiest Person in the World

It doesn't take a genius to figure out why someone would consider Brad "Mr. Wonderful" Pitt one of the sexiest people in the world. His golden good looks and rugged style consistently score him a spot as one of People Magazine's most beguiling men. But anyone who is a true fan of Brad Pitt, the actor, will be able to rattle off at least a dozen ways his prowess is displayed in the films he chooses. But for the time being, I'll just stick with a solid five...

REASON #1: He's "the coolest guy on campus.."

PROVEN IN: True Romance (R, 1993)

HOW: If you blinked somewhere about halfway through this film, you might have missed one of the movie's quirky comedic highlights: the introduction of "Floyd" to the audience. This film, directed by Quentin Tarantino set the ideal landscape to capture the colorful personalities of so many different characters.

In this offbeat, yet action-packed film, we follow a pair of lovers attempting to escape the fate of an assortment of treacherous individuals. Their flight brings them across the path of "Floyd", the dazed and incoherent roommate of one of the supporting characters. At 30 years of age when this movie was released, Pitt successfully captured the grungy debauchery of Generation X. Through Pitt, Floyd's character came alive, igniting the inner crush that many young women had on "the coolest guy on campus."

REASON #2: He's a walking romance novel hero.

PROVEN IN: Legends of the Fall (R, 1994)

HOW: There is something incredibly brazen and passionate about the character, "Tristan Ludlow." Perhaps it's his flaxen golden locks, his ruggedly athletic physique or better yet, his impenetrable stare. Whatever traits that made Tristan such a sex symbol were unveiled brilliantly by one, Mr. Brad Pitt.

The story, centering around three brothers living during the 1900's, truly showcased Brad's gift of delving deeply into a character's psyche, to make the performance that much more believable. In this case, Tristan's rugged appeal touched a chord in all the women who have ever fantasized about the sensitive, yet passionate heroes of so many traditional romance novels.

REASON #3: He's beautifully flawed.

PROVEN IN: Seven (R, 1995)

HOW: There is some irony to the fact that one of the movies which put Brad Pitt on the map, turned out to be one of the sickest thrillers in cinematic history. Brad's disheveled detective ("David Mills") stole the hearts of millions as they watched his emotions unravel while attempting to catch a sadistic serial killer. His gritty determination and professional naivete gave Pitt's character an authenticism that appeals to dark, intellectual women across the globe.

REASON #4: He makes Death look good.

PROVEN IN: Meet Joe Black (PG-13, 1998)

HOW: Portraying the mystical love interest of Claire Forlani in 1998's "Meet Joe Black", Brad Pitt had the opportunity to tap into his ability to become a blank canvas.

The mysterious lead character, "Joe Black" walked around in the film as Death Himself. His iniquitous banter with other characters kept the movie rolling along at a wonderful pace. But it is perhaps Pitt's effortless delivery of a Jamaican accent that proved to audiences just how much of a seasoned actor Brad Pitt really is. His ability to channel a personality with so much soul, garnered him a bigger slice of the female fan pie.

REASON #5: He's an international sex symbol.

PROVEN IN: Snatch (R, 2000)

HOW: It's doubtful that Brad Pitt had a formal script to follow for his indie role of Mickey O'Neil in the action-comedy, "Snatch." The star of the film ultimately, was a huge diamond. But the ensemble cast more or less revolved around Mickey and his penchant for knocking blokes out with one powerful punch.

Brad Pitt clearly drew on his talent for mastering international dialects. But more than that, he let the pure emotion in his features carry the role. His mystifying ability to be both strong and vulnerable was all rolled up into garbled-mouthed gypsy.