20. Gemma Arterton
Arterton has only been appearing in our cinemas since 2007, but she's made a heck of an impact. Starting with the can't-lose combo of insouciance and sex appeal in the otherwise dodgy St. Trinian's, she quickly graduated to crime with RocknRolla and became a Bond girl in Quantum Of Solace. She hasn't had the best luck with her blockbusters, but she's always charming on screen.
Sexiest Role: She's rarely been more lovely than when winning over an entire village in Tamara Drewe.
Stroke of Charm: She even looks good on a blustery day.
Stroke of Charm: She even looks good on a blustery day.
19. Kate Beckinsale
Beckinsale first hit the screen as Hero in the 1993 version of Much Ado, but for most she entered our big screen consciousness as the cheeky, quick Georgie in Shooting Fish. Since then, she's graduated to indie goddess with The Last Days Of Disco, blockbuster glamour with Pearl Harbor and vampire action icon thanks to the Underworld series' Selene and that catsuit.
Sexiest Role: There's the go-getting Ava Gardener in The Aviator, perhaps. But that catsuited vampire is hard to ignore.
Stroke of Charm: Who doesn't love a good blooper?
Stroke of Charm: Who doesn't love a good blooper?
18. Keira Knightley
With sharp-edged features and a cutting ability to be both ladylike and outrageous, Knightley seems equally at home in corseted costume dramas or edgy indies. Whether she's breaking our hearts in Atonement or threatening to break our faces for Domino, she's got that certain something, that spark beneath the model-level face that just works.
Sexiest Role: Andrew Lincoln – for all his weird stalker ways – had it right in Love Actually, when she played the beautiful Juliet. Though there's also something about her role in Silk...
Stroke of Charm: Getting adorable on Jimmy Fallon's talk show.
Stroke of Charm: Getting adorable on Jimmy Fallon's talk show.
17. Olivia Wilde
Often described as one of the most beautiful women in the world, it's not tough to see why Olivia Wilde has been in demand recently. Whether she's playing the spunky living program Quorra in Tron: Legacy (and making a pageboy wig look good against a shiny catsuit) or proving to be the most watchable thing in Cowboys & Aliens or Burt Wonderstone, she always stands out. She's also humble and funny, which only adds to the appeal.
Sexiest Role: A great blend of her funny and sexy sides, she impressed in little-seen indie Butter as a stripper with a heart of gold and a vengeful streak a mile wide.
Stroke of Charm: Telling it like it is to Justin bloody Bieber.
Stroke of Charm: Telling it like it is to Justin bloody Bieber.
16. Amy Adams
Cute seems to the easiest label applied to Adams' looks, especially given her standout roles in Enchanted and as Mary in The Muppets. But there's far more to her appeal, including an inner steeliness that belies a sweet nature, as shown in The Fighter. She also came up through comedy, especially in her film debut, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and her funniness just adds to her appeal. She was even a fine Lois Lane in Man Of Steel – we just wish she'd had more to do.
Sexiest Role: She's surprisingly sexy in Charlie Wilson's War, but talking of Sorkin (or at least his creation), you should see her as farm girl Cathy in The West Wing' s 20 Hours In America: Part 1.
Stroke of Charm: Getting unscripted with Muppet co-stars Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
Stroke of Charm: Getting unscripted with Muppet co-stars Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
15. Charlize Theron
Blessed with the iconic, leggy blonde looks of a supermodel, Theron wormed her way into our affections with an astonishing variety of roles. From her early, siren work in 2 Days In The Valley to more rewarding – yet still astonishingly lovely – turns in The Yards and The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers, she makes sexy seem effortless while also possessing the acting power to get the job done.
Sexiest Role: Squeezing into a tight-fitting catsuit for Aeon Fluxcertainly made the three people who saw take notice, and she was somehow still hot as hot mess Mavis Gary in Young Adult.
Stroke of Charm: It can be tough to upstage Michael Fassbender. But Theron manages it here.
Stroke of Charm: It can be tough to upstage Michael Fassbender. But Theron manages it here.
14. Eva Green
Great strength, astounding beauty and real vulnerability in one role; perhaps that's why so many fell for Eva Green in Casino Royale. But she'd already made us weak at the knees with a risqué performance in The Dreamers and we'd seen her tough side in Kingdom Of Heaven's Sibylla. Green has also proved the best thing in movies that don't necessarily work, chewing the scenery in Dark Shadows and out-weirding Johnny Depp in a Tim Burton film. Who knew that was possible?
Sexiest Role: She sizzles with Ewan McGregor in Perfect Sense.
Stroke of Charm: Sexy. And she loves her dog, too.
Stroke of Charm: Sexy. And she loves her dog, too.
13. Marion Cotillard
A classic French beauty, Marion Cotillard is possessed of, as the French say, a certain I-don't-know-what. Whether she's being utterly charming in A Good Year or remarkably sexy in Midnight In Paris, it's hard to take your eyes off her. She even brings some warmth to the usually chilly world of Christopher Nolan, even if we all knew we couldn't trust her in The Dark Knight Rises.
Sexiest Role: She's great wooing the pants off Johnny Depp in Public Enemies. And Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes her look amazing in A Very Long Engagement.
Stroke of Charm: Uh, fellas? They're up there.
Stroke of Charm: Uh, fellas? They're up there.
12. Penelope Cruz
First noticed in Pedro Almodovar's Jamon Jamon, Cruz became his regular collaborator. It's not hard to see why, given her effortless, sultry beauty and ability to slip between humour and seduction. Though she's never been shy about disrobing, she's proved herself more than just a lovely woman, and is one of the few actors picked to play the same role twice – in Abre Los Ojos and again in Cameron Crowe's remake, Vanilla Sky.
Sexiest Role: She's incredibly appealing in Vicky Cristina Barcelonaas the ultra-high-maintenance but completely irresistible Maria Elena.
Stroke of Charm: Here she is playing Super Mario with her near-identical sister Monica.
Stroke of Charm: Here she is playing Super Mario with her near-identical sister Monica.
11. Megan Fox
She gets a bad rap for being a Michael Bay fantasy icon in Transformers, and while she hasn't yet found the perfect role where she doesn't simply rely on her looks, she's done decent supporting work riffing on her own hotness in This Is 40, How To Lose Friends And Alienate People and Friends With Kids. Plus, while the film itself didn't quite gel, Jennifer's Body gave her more of a chance to do something different – and she embraced it.
Sexiest Role: She's sassy as Lilah in Jonah Hex, though we'd still pick Jennifer's Body for her slinky, OTT performance.
Stroke of Charm: This behind-the-scenes video from This Is 40 is pretty cute.
Stroke of Charm: This behind-the-scenes video from This Is 40 is pretty cute.
10. Zoe Saldana
Holding her own against the guys in Star Trek is no easy feat, but it's one that Saldana has managed with aplomb as the capable, intelligent Uhura. She was a dancer before she became an actress and her lithe figure has always been part of her appeal. But she combines funny with sexy, and has carved out a niche as one of the believable action icons, no matter whether she's blue and animated (for Avatar) or green (for the upcoming Guardians Of The Galaxy).
Sexiest Role: Tough to chose between Cataleya in Colombiana and the rough-and-tumble Aisha in Losers.
Stroke of Charm: She plays the idiot sometimes.
Stroke of Charm: She plays the idiot sometimes.
9. Angelina Jolie
Tattooed tough girl one moment, all-action kick-ass spy the next, then beautiful and refined woman who is so far out of your league you can't even afford tickets to the game. Jolie channels old school Hollywood with iconic good looks, but matches it all with range and effortless style – and has an Oscar to prove her abilities. Her appeal isn't diminished even when she's voicing a tiger in DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda franchise. Wait, is that just us?
Sexiest Role: TV movie Gia still holds a lot of people rapt, and she shows her impossibly gorgeous, Brad-grabbing side in Mr. And Mrs. Smith.
Stroke of Charm: Something a little less predictable in a Marie Claire photo shoot.
Stroke of Charm: Something a little less predictable in a Marie Claire photo shoot.
8. Natalie Portman
Whether working in period togs (The Other Boleyn Girl) or futuristic clobber (the Star Wars prequels), Natalie Portman has always been blessed with a certain spirit, something that shines through no matter what she's doing. She matches looks with brains and chooses a wide variety of work to keep things interesting. From her breakthrough as a would-be assassin to her Oscar win, there's no danger of her becoming stuck in a rut.
Sexiest Role: Many liked her as the damaged, yet still sexy Nina Sayers in Black Swan, but she defined a genre in Zach Braff's Garden State as Sam, at the forefront of the pixie dream girl movement – though she works on a level beyond it.
Stroke of Charm: Portman and Rashida Jones explain what's really important in life.
Stroke of Charm: Portman and Rashida Jones explain what's really important in life.
7. Mila Kunis
"Confidence, not cockiness. Knowing who you are is confidence. Cockiness is pushing it down everyone's throat." Words to live by from Mila Kunis, who combines adorability with plenty of acting talent and who is fluent in Russian. Voted Woman Of The Year by more than one publication, her on-screen persona is an intoxicating combo of hopelessly sexy and entirely relatable. Oh, and she's also a huge Star Trek fan. How do you say "perfect" in Klingon, again?
Sexiest Role: Charming Jason Segel in Forgetting Sarah Marshallwas a highlight (and bikini-tastic), but we're going for her pairing with Justin Timberlake in Friends With Benefits.
Stroke of Charm: Hanging with the Sesame Street crew. Like you do.
Stroke of Charm: Hanging with the Sesame Street crew. Like you do.
Stream Forgetting Sarah Marshall now with Amazon Video
Stream Friends With Benefits now with Amazon Video
Stream Friends With Benefits now with Amazon Video
6. Emma Stone
Not every young actress can combine looks with actual funniness, but Emma Stone is genuinely witty both on and off screen. Admirably centred in her career and personal life, she's gorgeous and gregarious but also capable of bring thoughtful in the likes of Crazy, Stupid, Love. She can even battle the undead, as she showed in Zombieland, so she's the first person we want around in the event of a zombie apocalypse.
Sexiest Role: Her Gwen Stacy won over Spider-Man (and, in real-life, Andrew Garfield), but her ballsy, whip-smart high schooler Olive in Easy A was the perfect role.
Stroke of Charm: No one is safe from her photo bombing. Not even her boyfriend.
Stroke of Charm: No one is safe from her photo bombing. Not even her boyfriend.
5. Anne Hathaway
We're puzzled by the backlash that swamped Hathaway during the run-up to this year's Oscars, where she capped months of awards with a golden baldie. Hathaway has always come across as sweet, funny, real and, it almost goes without saying, beautiful. She also has a backbone and a set of pipes to die for. Presumably everyone was basically jealous; there's no other explanation.
Sexiest Role: Whether battling it out with Christian Bale, or setting up smug senators, her Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises was definitely one to watch.
Stroke of Charm: A sad-off with Samuel L. Jackson.
Stroke of Charm: A sad-off with Samuel L. Jackson.
4. Kristen Stewart
Twilight's Bella might have been the role that launched her to the next level of superstardom, but Stewart is more than simply a girl with a weakness for sparkly vampires. She's proved herself capable of much more, in films like On The Road and even Snow White And The Huntsman – who doesn't love a woman that can swing a sword likes she means it?
Sexiest Role: We'd plump for Adventureland's Em Lewin, where she charms Jesse Eisenberg with her sarcastic appeal and quick wit.
Stroke of Charm: Outing her fame-whoring dad (with love) on Conan.
Stroke of Charm: Outing her fame-whoring dad (with love) on Conan.
3. Jennifer Lawrence
Emerging to awards acclaim with Winter's Bone, Lawrence has quickly cemented a reputation as a natural, down-to-earth beauty who can also turn her hand to any role going, shining in big ensemble films like X-Men: First Class or being the focus as with The Hunger Games. In real life, she's by turns a goofball and one of the more beautiful women to walk a red carpet – a pretty irresistible combination.
Sexiest Role: It's not tough, for someone who looks like she does, to be sexy in Mystique's blue body paint, but she's also hot and Oscar winning in Silver Linings Playbook.
Stroke of Charm: Did you hear about her holiday? It was un-Belizeable.
Stroke of Charm: Did you hear about her holiday? It was un-Belizeable.
2. Scarlett Johansson
Johansson graces perfume ads and fashion shoots – which seems inherently unlikely for someone who broke through to the big time thanks to Ghost World. But it's her brains and that husky voice that really put her ahead. Impressively, she can make anything from her Black Widow bodysuit to thick glasses and awkward gawkiness seem sexy.
Sexiest Role: Working with Woody Allen brought out something great in her, particularly when she was paired with Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Stroke of Charm: Making with the funny at a Cosmopolitan photoshoot in 2004.
Stroke of Charm: Making with the funny at a Cosmopolitan photoshoot in 2004.
1. Emma Watson
Combining smarts with beauty, Emma Watson's been a favourite for years, even back in the days when people really shouldn't have been thinking that way about young Hermione. But since leaving Hogwarts she's blossomed into a fine young actress, playing roles from teen thief to music nerd, and even having fun as herself in This Is The End.
Sexiest Role: Her later Potter days might have hit the pop culture heights, but she's charming, self-possessed and full of spark in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower as Sam.
Stroke of Charm: Talking Santa and more with our Chris Hewitt at Cannes.
Stroke of Charm: Talking Santa and more with our Chris Hewitt at Cannes.
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