Sunday, December 12, 2010

What is Sexy or More Exactly...What Makes A Hero Sexy?

This question has been on my mind a great deal recently – no comments please! As a writer I have to think about what is sexy for my heroine, which may or may not be the same as me. Biddy wrote about crushes here and I certainly have loads of them which helps. I was speaking with DD,11, about our latest heart throbs as we share many to see if it was just a genetic pull or was sexy something that could be declared universal.

So for the sake of research I hunted out pictures...

I’ll start with one of my first and lasting crushes...Cary Grant. Now DD and I watched TO CATCH A THIEF not long ago and she agreed that he was gorgeous, but ahem wore his trousers too high however she could look past the wardrobe problem...(I told her styles change but sexy men don't...)


Next up a picture of Richard Armitage....

Then Hugh Jackman...(strangely enough I found this photo on fellow addict Julie’s blog????)


Then DD’s favourites of the moment Rob Pattison and Taylor Launter


So looking at the array above I wonder what is sexy...tall dark and handsome? 

Possibly... Is it the hair? The eyes? The humour? The intelligence?

While Biddy was in Dubai last week we spoke about who we would cast as the heroes in our books...

So it is no surprise that Mark in a Cornish House is Hugh Jackman, Tristan in August Rock is Matthew Macfayden, and at the request of DD the twins in Penderown are Rob Paterson, older hero is Jeremy Irons. 


However as I'm finishing off my NaNoWriMo project The Summer of the Black Hare I have developed an unhealthy obsession for Jake Gyllenhaal who is Alex....


So back to the beginning...what is sexy? I certainly have found men in real life sexy who were far from tall dark and handsome. Normally it was the wit that captured me in seconds and it has to be said that the smile is so important and let's not forget the backside... In my youth I had a thing for blonds despite the Cary Grant obsession. What do you find sexy and if you are a writer does your heroine agree with you or does she stick to her own ideas? Oh and do you enjoy research as much as I do?

Don't forget to come back on Thursday to see what Biddy has to say...

13 comments:

  1. I'm SO with you on Richard Armitage! (swoons) But what is it that makes him sexy? Hmm. The shape of his mouth? His voice? His eyes?

    The thing that always makes me swoon for a man when I'm watching a film is this...When the hero obviously has the tortured hots for the heroine aka Mr Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones and Edward Cullen in Twilight and they look like they can barely talk they're dying to kiss her. You can see their mouths moving as if they either want to lean forward and kiss the girl, or tell her they want to. Do you know what I mean? Their lips open, their jawlines move as if they're in an agony of indecision. Oh! Simply gorgeous. (Goes to lie down in a cool room)

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  2. It's the humor for me---the smile that promises laughter. Or maybe dry wit, or the ability to ham it up, should the need arise. Never mocking or cruel, though, except to those who deserve it (my fantasy, my standards).

    Chris Gorham, Aldis Hodge, Mark A. Shepherd, Matthew Bomer, David Tennant . . .

    Of course, I do keep going back to that photo of Hugh Jackman . . . whew!

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  3. I love this!! I definitely think about who would play the sexier male roles in the film versions of my books (talk about fantasizing...)Hugh Jackman for the Australian Kyle, John Cusack for the in-over-his-head physicist in Tangled Roots. It has to do with their voice, the killer smile, a bit of self-deprecating humour. And between you and me, I've always had a thing about strong-looking forearms :-)

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  4. Ooh, yes, strong forearms! I'm with you, Sue! And luckily for me, my hubby has gorgeous strong forearms, beautifully tanned and covered in the finest smattering of dark hair.

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  5. Y'see I'll never tell anyone who I envisage as my heroes in my novels, just in case a reader reads what I've said and goes 'urrgggh, not ....(insert hunk of choice), I hate him'. It might put them off reading my books!

    But in real life... I'm going to mention him again..Tony Robinson. Lovely lovely man, very funny and beautiful big brown eyes (eyes are, clearly, my 'thing'). It's okay, you can laugh now.

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  6. That Richard Armitage picture was gorgeous *drools*

    I think it's the eyes that make a man sexy, and his sense of humour - his form of humour springing from a sense of fun; not necessarily from a sharp wit. Together, sexy eyes and a sense of fun are an unbeatable combination.

    Do enjoy researching this important aspect of novel writing? Give me a portfolio of Richard Armitage photos, and leave me a while to study them in an attempt to define their quality of allure, and then I'll tell you.

    Liz X

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  7. I have accomplished *nothing* in the past ten minutes since I saw the picture of Hugh Jackman you've posted. Wowsers.

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  8. I'm with you re: Jake Gyllenhaal - I'm wearing out my DVD of "Prince of Persia"! Then there's Jared Leto in "Alexander", Brad Pitt in "Troy" and Jack Huston in "Outlander" ... I could go on.

    The eyes are definitely important and the smile/sense of humour. I like a look of mischief, in a nice but naughty sort of way. Yep, love this kind of "research" :) Great post, Liz!

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  9. Nicolette - As it happens i watched BJ on tv last night and i know exactly what you mean - gut turning sexy...

    Sarah - humour is key...the humour and smile of Denis Quaid in The Big Easy...

    Sue - strong forearms, eh :-) Ys, self deprecating humour.... i like your hero choices

    Jane - won't laugh at all-was watching Black Adder yesterday too...you're right about the eyes :-)

    Liz - I'll send you my file shall I?

    KJ - 'Tis a good one isn't it!

    Pia - I'm glad I'm not alone in wearing out the Price of Persia dvd :-)

    lx

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  10. Ooh what a lovely RA picture. But you know what, when I first saw him on screen I didn't think he was that handsome. Interesting, yes, but not good-looking. Now I can't take my eyes off him. I can catalogue all his flaws--lips too thin, nose too big--but I still think he's gorgeous. I have a mild obsession with his throat. I just want to lick it. Is that wrong?

    Ahem. Back on track. I think charisma accounts for a lot when it comes to sexiness. Hard to define and even hard to achieve, but it's there. I mean look at David Tennant: lanky and kind of odd-looking, but so sexy he literally makes my toes curl.

    I won't get started on Tony Robinson...

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