It was the year of the V-neck sweater and the rise of the "relatable" leading man. When People Magazine officially crowned Ryan Reynolds as the 2010 Sexiest Man Alive, it wasn't just another annual PR stunt for a Hollywood movie star. It was a pivot. For the first time in the franchise’s history, a Canadian took the top spot, beating out the gritty veterans and the brooding heartthrobs of the late 2000s.
Ryan was 34. He was everywhere. He had just wrapped Buried, a movie where he was literally stuck in a box for 90 minutes, and he was gearing up for the massive—though ultimately ill-fated—Green Lantern. People didn't just pick him because he had eight-pack abs (though that certainly helped). They picked him because he was the first guy to make being the "Sexiest Man Alive" feel like a self-deprecating joke rather than a self-serious coronation.
Why 2010 was the year of the Reynolds "Brand"
Honestly, looking back at the 2010 landscape is a trip. We were transitioning out of the George Clooney and Brad Pitt era of untouchable, classic masculinity. Those guys were like statues. Reynolds was different. He was the guy who could deliver a lightning-fast quip while looking like he lived in the gym.
This was the "Year of the Abs," sure, but it was also the year the public started demanding personality.
Think about the competition. In 2010, the "ones to watch" list included Jon Hamm, who was mid-way through his Mad Men peak, and Kellan Lutz from the Twilight craze. Even Drake made the list back then. But Reynolds had this specific cross-demographic appeal. Moms liked his politeness; guys liked his humor in Van Wilder; and the industry liked that he could carry a franchise.
His reaction to the title became the blueprint for every winner since. He famously told People that his family would never let him hear the end of it. "You can now say 'Sexiest Man, take out the garbage,'" he joked. That specific brand of Canadian humility became his calling card. It’s what allowed him to survive the box office disaster of Green Lantern a year later and eventually pivot into the Deadpool phenomenon.
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The "Almost" Winners of 2010
It's easy to forget who else was in the running during that 25th-anniversary issue. The 2010 Sexiest Man Alive list was actually quite diverse in terms of "vibe." You had:
Jon Hamm, who was the epitome of the 1960s throwback. He represented a more traditional, rugged masculinity that felt slightly out of step with the burgeoning digital age. Then there was Matthew Morrison from Glee. Remember Glee? It was at its absolute zenith in 2010. Morrison represented the "song and dance" man, a archetype that People has always had a soft spot for.
Robert Downey Jr. was also in the mix. He was fresh off Iron Man 2 and the first Sherlock Holmes. If the vote had happened six months later, RDJ might have taken the crown. He had the "comeback kid" energy that the magazine loves to reward. But 2010 belonged to the younger, fresher face.
Interestingly, 2010 was also the year People celebrated "Sexy at Every Age," highlighting guys like Jeff Bridges and Robert Redford. It was an attempt to broaden the appeal, but the cover remained firmly with the man from Vancouver.
The Green Lantern Curse and the Pivot
The irony of the 2010 Sexiest Man Alive title is that it hit right as Reynolds was entering the most difficult phase of his career. Being the "Sexiest Man" is often a double-edged sword. It puts a target on your back. When Green Lantern crashed and burned at the box office in 2011, critics weren't just attacking the CGI; they were attacking the "Sexiest Man Alive" for being "just a pretty face."
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He spent years in the wilderness after 2010.
The Change-Up, R.I.P.D.—these were not the hits People predicted when they put him on the cover. But here is where the expertise comes in: Reynolds used that 2010 momentum to build a production company. He realized that being "Sexy" was a temporary currency. He started leaning into the "Deadpool" test footage, which eventually leaked and saved his career.
If he hadn't reached that peak of mainstream visibility in 2010, he might not have had the leverage to keep the Deadpool dream alive during the lean years. The title gave him a "bankability" factor that lasted just long enough to get him to his next act.
Behind the Scenes of the People Shoot
People Magazine doesn't just pick a name out of a hat. There is a massive PR machine behind this. In 2010, the "campaign" for Reynolds was subtle but effective. He was married to Scarlett Johansson at the time—a true Hollywood power couple. The magazine thrives on these narratives. They want someone who is aspirational but feels like they’d be fun at a backyard BBQ.
The photoshoot itself was iconic. It wasn't the typical "shirtless on a beach" vibe. It was more "rugged woodsman meets urban sophisticate." He wore a simple grey t-shirt. He looked comfortable. That comfort was a shift from the highly staged, oiled-up covers of the 1990s.
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Critics at the time, like those at Gawker and The Huffington Post, pointed out that the list was becoming a bit predictable. They argued it was a "White Guy in a Suit" list. While that criticism was valid, the 2010 issue did include more variety in the inner pages than previous years, featuring actors like Justin Russo and various athletes, signaling a slow change in how the magazine defined "sexy."
How to View the 2010 List Today
If you go back and look at the 2010 issue now, it feels like a time capsule. You see the dawn of the Marvel era. You see the tail end of the "Indie Sleaze" aesthetic. Most importantly, you see the birth of the "Social Media Star." While Reynolds wasn't the Twitter king back then that he is now, his 2010 win was the first time the title felt like it belonged to the internet.
He was the first winner who really "got" the meta-nature of the award. He didn't treat it like an Oscar. He treated it like a weird, fun thing that happened to him.
Actionable Takeaways for Pop Culture Fans
To really understand the impact of the 2010 Sexiest Man Alive win, look at these three things:
- The PR Cycle: Watch how winners today (like Patrick Dempsey or Michael B. Jordan) use the exact same "humble-brag" strategy Reynolds pioneered in 2010.
- The Career Trajectory: Observe how the title often precedes a major "flop" before a massive "reinvention." It’s a recurring pattern in Hollywood branding.
- The Evolution of Masculinity: Compare the 2010 list to the 2024 list. You'll see a massive shift from "Action Hero" to "Multi-hyphenate Creative."
The 2010 win was a transitional moment. It moved the needle away from the untouchable gods of the silver screen toward the witty, self-aware stars who dominate our feeds today. Ryan Reynolds didn't just win a title; he set the tone for the next decade of celebrity culture.
To explore more about this era, look up the 2010 "Sexiest Man" video interviews. You can see the exact moment the "Deadpool" persona started to form in the way he handles the awkwardness of the title. It’s a masterclass in modern branding that still works sixteen years later.