Why These Women Are the Most Beautiful/Sexiest Celebrities

When I saw the category - - Why (insert name) is the Most Beautiful/Sexiest/Overrated/Underrated Person in the World - - on AC's recommended topic list, I automatically jotted down some names that came to mind. I will share those thoughts with you at the end of this article However, I thought that perhaps that process was just a bit too easy. So instead, I decided to pose that same question to a number of family and friends to see what kind of response I would get from them. I will admit to being a little more than surprised by some of the answers I received. Perhaps you will be as well.

I decided to break the question down into parts:

1. Who is the most beautiful celebrity?
2. Who is the sexiest celebrity?
3. Who is the most overrated celebrity?
4. Who is the most underrated celebrity?

The focus of the first article will be on the first two categories: The most beautiful and sexiest celebrities. I have chosen film actresses as an obvious sub-category.

In a subsequent article, I will focus attention on the other two categories as well as attempt to give some equal time to the male of the species.

In doing research, I talked with people from both sexes, from various age groups, and from different backgrounds. Here are the results:

Most Beautiful Woman in Hollywood:

From those over the age of 50 who primarily watch older movies, both men and women agreed that Elizabeth Taylor was the most beautiful woman of their generation. However, the reasons given for their responses varied between men and women. The men focused on physical characteristics like Taylor's hair, eyes, and skin. Only one talked specifically about her figure.

Women, on the other hand, talked about her strength and resolve; noting her never ending battles with health issues. They also lauded her acting skills; something that none of the men mentioned.

From those over the age of 50 who watch primarily update movies, the men most often mentioned Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson as Hollywood's most beautiful actresses. They reported liking both of these actresses for their classic beauty, sensuous lips, and alabaster skin. It also didn't hurt that they were both blond. A few men mentioned their husky voices and others actually noted their considerable acting skills.

The women were split on this issue. A couple mentioned Julia Roberts and several others mentioned Nicole Kidman. Only one mentioned Charlize Theron. Most of the women were unfamiliar with Scarlett Johansson.

Those who named Julia Roberts liked her for her unconventional beauty. "She's not a classic beauty by any means," noted one woman. "Her facial features are sharp and uneven. But she has this light that glows from within and that makes her beautiful." Those who mentioned Nicole Kidman definitely felt that she was a classic beauty. However, they like her as much for her poise and charm as well as her strength as they did for her physical beauty.

Most of the women also mentioned that both Julia and Nicole appeared to be good mothers. They felt that it added to their overall beauty.

From those between the ages of 30 and 50, men were all over the board mentioning actresses like Diane Lane, Catherine Zeta Jones, Angelina Jolie, and Scarlett Johannson. Jolie won the overall rating but Johannson was close behind. Coincidentally, both Jolie and Johannson were noted once again for their sensuous lips, beautiful skin, and stunning figures. Oddly enough men were able to name more of Jolie's movies than those of Johannson's.

Women between the ages of 30 and 50 were bigger fans of Jennifer Aniston's beauty than that of Angelina Jolie's. However, Jolie's name was mentioned as was Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman. Kidman edged out Aniston for top honors here although both were noted for their classic beauty, natural grace and charm, and sense of humor.

Again, woman mentioned Nicole's devotion to her children, which they felt added much to her overall beauty. They also appreciated the way that Aniston handled herself during her split with Brad Pitt, feeling that her strength and resolve added to her overall beauty.

From those under the age of 30, men most often mentioned the three Jessicas: Jessica Simpson, Jessica Biel, and Jessica Alba with Jessica Simpson actually managing to edge out the tough competition. All three were mentioned for their "bodacious bods and killer good looks." It would appear that Biel may be quickly gaining ground on Alba who hasn't recently done a new film. However, in reality this was pretty close to a three-way tie.

Women in this age group named Halle Berry, Lindsay Lohan, and Reese Witherspoon; three names that didn't come up anywhere else on the list. Berry edged out her competition here primarily for her classic beauty, her strength of character, and her role as a butt-kicking action heroine in the X-Men series. Women also liked Reese because of her role as a good mother, as well as her strength and resolve regarding her failing marriage.

The Sexiest Woman in Hollywood:

From those over the age of 50 who primarily watch older movies,the men were widely split on this issue with some still naming Elizabeth Taylor and others listing a variety of actresses including: Jane Russell, Rita Hayworth, and Lauren Bacall. However, the clear-cut winner here was Marilyn Monroe. What was unexpected about the men's comments regarding Marilyn, however, was not her obvious physical assets but her warmth, her sense of humor, and her innate ability to make fun of herself. Some even noted a certain amount of naiveté and childlike innocence, which they found appealing.

Women on the other hand, were all over the board on this issue, naming everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Audrey Hepburn. In questioning them further, many women admitted that they were trying to think in terms of whom their husbands would find sexy. They very clearly felt that men were concerned with physical beauty and a good body in determining who was sexy; which was actually in contrast to the actual feelings that the men shared.

From those over the age of 50 who watch primarily modern movies, the men most often mentioned the names of Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, and Meg Ryan as Hollywood's most sexy actresses of the day. In questioning them further, they appeared to like the "girl next door quality" of these ladies and found their warmth, humor, and charm very sexy.

Women in the same age group, however, made startling different choices, choosing Angelina Jolie by a wide margin. Again, the focus of the women was on looks and figure; while the men seemed more focused on specific qualities.

From those between the ages of 30 and 50, men were split among age lines with those between 40 and 50 focusing attention toward Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock and men between 30 and 50 focusing on Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johannson and Charlize Theron. The older group was still more concerned with specific qualities than with beautiful faces or good bodies. However, the young group was intently focused on physical characteristics over qualities.

Women in this age group sided easily with the younger men, naming Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johannson, and Charlize Theron as well; along with Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts. The women here were also convinced that all men equated "sexy" to good looks and a sexy body.

From those under the age of 30, men still most often mentioned the three Jessicas: Jessica Simpson, Jessica Biel, and Jessica Alba. However, in this category, Biel easily edged out Simpson nearly two to one. They cited her classic American beauty, her well-toned physic, and her athletic ability as being very sexy. Many of the same characteristics were mentioned with regard to Alba.

Women in this age group also mentioned Jessica Biel but added Halle Berry and Beyonce Knowles. There was no clear cut winner between these three, although the women admitted to choosing each actress for her body, noting that they felt that is why men would find them sexy.

After analyzing the information I compiled, one thing became clear: Men and women think very differently about what constitutes "beauty" and "sexiness." Women tend to view beauty from both inside and out, while men focus more on physical attributes. Men, on the other hand, tend to look at sexiness both inside and out; while women tend to "think" that men view sexiness on the basis of looks alone. Interesting and certainly not what I expected to find. I guess that goes to show that men and women really don't think alike.

Ad I promised earlier, I will now share my thoughts on who is the most beautiful and most sexy celebrity. Keep in mind that I fall into the over 50 group. I do, however, watch as many current movies as I do classic.

I consider the most beautiful actress today to be Angelina Jolie. I know she is not the popular choice among women of my age group. I think that might be because she has gotten a lot of negative publicity over the Aniston/Pitt split. I admit that was unfortunate and she loses points in my book for it. However, she gains points back for her hard work in under-privileged countries and her obvious devotion to her children. I guess that means I'm a typical woman because I'm equating beauty as much to her qualities as I am to her physical attributes (which we all know are considerable).

I believe the sexiest female celebrity today is Charlize Theron. She is stunning to look at, she is very talented, she is intelligent, and she is still pretty humble about her accomplishments. I find all of those things quite sexy.

There you have the answers in the first of this two part series. I hope it surprises you and raises some questions for you. I think it will make all of us think.

I'd love to hear your comments on this subject, if you feel like making a comment below.