Back in 2010, the world felt a little different. The Social Network was the big movie everyone was dissecting, Instagram had just launched its little polaroid-style app, and we were all collectively obsessed with the idea of a Canadian actor who could deliver a punchline as fast as he could do a sit-up.
That man was Ryan Reynolds.
When People magazine crowned him the hottest man alive 2010, it wasn't just another year, another face. It was the 25th anniversary of the award. They needed someone who felt like the "now," and Reynolds—with his self-deprecating wit and that infamous eight-pack—was the guy. He was the first Canadian to ever snag the title, which honestly feels like a crime if you think about all the Ryans Canada has produced since then.
The Year of the Eight-Pack and the Green Lantern
In 2010, Ryan Reynolds was everywhere. He had just finished filming Green Lantern, a movie that... well, let’s be real, he’s spent the last decade making fun of it. But at the time? It was the biggest thing in Hollywood. He was training like an absolute beast. His trainer, Bobby Strom, had him on a grueling seven-day-a-week schedule.
Ninety minutes a day.
Think about that.
Reynolds famously told People that his body naturally wants to look like "Dick Van Dyke." He said if he stops training for a month, he turns into a "skin-colored whisper." It’s that kind of honesty that made him the hottest man alive 2010. Most A-listers want you to believe they just wake up looking like a Greek god. Ryan wanted us to know he was eating chicken breasts and lifting heavy things until he wanted to cry.
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A Very Specific Type of Sexy
What made 2010 different was the vibe. We were moving away from the untouchable, brooding leading man. We wanted someone who could take out the trash. Literally.
When he won, he joked that his wife at the time, Scarlett Johansson (yeah, remember that era?), would probably use the title against him. "Now it's going to be, 'Sexiest man, take out the garbage.' That does sound better," he told the press. It was that relatable, "I'm just a guy" energy that sold magazines.
He was 34. He was at the peak of his physical powers, but he spent his interview talking about how his brothers used to use him "to make a new door" instead of using the actual door when they were kids. That’s not "hottest man alive" behavior; that’s "youngest of four brothers" behavior.
The Class of 2010: Who Else Was on the List?
Reynolds didn't just walk to the throne; he had some serious competition. The 2010 list was actually a pretty fascinating snapshot of what we valued in men back then.
- Jon Hamm: The Mad Men era was in full swing. He was the brooding, suit-wearing contrast to Ryan’s boyish charm.
- Kellan Lutz: Twilight was peak culture. If you weren't Team Edward or Team Jacob, you were probably Team Emmett.
- Drake: He was still relatively new to the global music scene, fresh off Degrassi and blowing up with "Find Your Love."
- Matthew Morrison: Glee was a juggernaut. We liked singing teachers back then. Don't judge.
- Joe Manganiello: True Blood was the "adult" version of the vampire craze. He brought the "werewolf chic" to the table.
Looking back, it's a wild mix. You had the rock star longevity of Jon Bon Jovi and the rising star power of Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. But none of them had the specific "it" factor that Ryan Reynolds brought to the table that year. He was the bridge between the goofy guy from Van Wilder and the action star we see today in Deadpool.
Why the Hottest Man Alive 2010 Tag Actually Mattered
For Reynolds, this wasn't just a trophy for his mantle. It was a branding pivot. Before 2010, he was "that funny guy who’s also ripped." After 2010, he was a certified A-list leading man.
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It’s actually kinda funny to look at his stats from that year. He was 6'2", weighed about 200 pounds of pure muscle for Green Lantern, and had a body fat percentage of 3.8% at one point. That’s basically science-fiction levels of fitness.
But he also talked about his love for Lucky Charms. He admitted he would pick out the marshmallows from one box and put them in another to double the marshmallow count. Honestly? That's the most "hottest man" thing I've ever heard. It’s that mix of extreme discipline and total relatability.
The Canadian Factor
"We're trying to nationalize Sexy," he joked. "Sort of like Medicare."
By being the first Canadian to win, he broke a long-standing tradition of American-centric winners. It opened the floodgates. Suddenly, the "boy next door" didn't have to be from Ohio; he could be from Vancouver. He leaned into his roots, talking about Granville Island Lager and growing up in a house full of boys where he was the "human moving target."
What Most People Get Wrong About This Award
People think the hottest man alive 2010 is just about a photo shoot. It's not. It's a campaign.
In Hollywood, this title is often timed with a massive movie release. For Ryan, it was the preamble to the summer blockbuster season of 2011. It’s a way for studios to say, "Hey, look at our lead actor, everyone wants to be him or be with him."
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But it can be a curse, too.
If the movie flops—and Green Lantern famously did—the title can feel like a heavy weight. Reynolds had to spend years reclaiming his career after that. He had to go back to his roots, find a project he actually cared about (Deadpool), and prove he was more than just a pretty face with a title from a magazine.
Actionable Takeaways from the 2010 Era
If we’re looking back at the hottest man alive 2010 through a modern lens, there are a few things we can actually learn from how Ryan Reynolds handled the spotlight:
- Humor is the ultimate equalizer. If you’re too serious about yourself, people get bored. Reynolds’ ability to make fun of his own "sexiest" status is why he’s still relevant 16 years later.
- Consistency over intensity. While he trained like a pro for movies, he was open about the fact that it wasn't sustainable. He prefers running 5 miles a few times a week when he’s not "in character."
- Own your "uncool" hobbies. Reynolds talked about being handy and fixing motorcycles. He wasn't trying to be a fashion icon; he was trying to be a guy who could fix things.
The 2010 crown was a moment in time. It captured a transition in masculinity—from the stoic hero to the guy who could laugh at himself while doing a 300-pound deadlift.
To really understand why Ryan Reynolds won, you have to look at the "This or That" section of his original interview. He chose beer over champagne. He chose "repair" over "replace." He admitted he was a workaholic but tried to be laid-back at home. He wasn't a character; he was a person. And that, more than the abs, is why he was the hottest man alive 2010.
If you want to dive deeper into the history of this cultural milestone, check out the archives of People Magazine or look up his trainer Bobby Strom’s old workout routines. They are still some of the most effective (and brutal) core workouts out there. You can also re-watch Buried (2010) to see the acting chops that actually earned him the respect of the industry before the "sexy" tag even hit the newsstands.