In the fading days of each calendar year, Decider writers are asked to create lists celebrating their favorite things from the past year. I decided in 2020 to just write about my favorite male body parts of the year on screen. In my defence, 2020 was a bad year historically, leaving many people’s heads broken. The problem was that this list found a receptive audience. See I had found my people. I had discovered my niche. It would be my calling to repeat this unholy task year after year, until death’s stranglehold tears me from this world. I finally had a purpose in this world.
So here we are again, friends. It’s time for me to revisit the ears, lips, thighs and thumbs I’ve seen on screen throughout 2022. Which actor blinded me with a twitch of his forehead and which one moved me with his elbows? To my shock this year, I was tied up by an armpit! I didn’t know armpits could be hot until I watched the romantic romp fire island this summer.
The actors and body parts on this list are here because, yeah, sure, I was hooked. More importantly, all of the actors revealed something about themselves when they brought those specific body parts to the screen. In some cases – as in Everything everywhere at once‘s Ke Huy Quan’s eyes – it was about using the outside to give the audience a nuanced inside. In others, like Theo James’ ever-present bum (as seen in both The wife of the time traveler and The White Lotus), it’s a celebration of an artist using every part of himself to tell the story. Then there’s the euphoric thrill of watching an extremely fit man like Glen Powell smash a soccer ball on a beach Top Gun: Maverick. This list packs a lot when it comes to honoring their types.
In from Jonathan Bailey’s enchanted nose Bridgeton to the intricate forms of Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson Interview with the vampiree, here are the 10 most important male body parts of 2022…
1
Jonathan Bailey’s bewitched nose in Bridgerton
Bridgeton‘s Jonathan Bailey was honored for the first time on this list in 2020 for a photo in which his character Anthony Bridgerton served up great romance in the bar. in the Bridgeton Season 2, Bailey had to take the reins as the show’s romantic lead and he definitely swooned us. One of his most underrated moments of Season 2 was in Episode 7 “Harmony”. Okay, yes, sure, he and Miss Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) eventually ran into the gonads in the Bridgerton backyard, but this scene wouldn’t have been nearly as explosive without a build-up. Although he tries to keep his distance from Miss Sharma, Anthony is intoxicated in her presence. Capture the moment when Kate walks past him and he is infatuated with her scent. Bailey’s nose knows where his heart is.
2
Ke Huy Quan’s extremely expressive eyes in Everything, Everywhere at Once
One of my favorite performances of 2022 came from Ke Huy Quan in explosive good Everything everywhere at once. Returning to acting after decades of working behind the scenes, Quan not only had to shed the traps of his iconic child star roles, but also play multiple versions of the same character. He often didn’t have the luxury of a costume change to tell the audience which version of Waymond he was at any given moment. He did it with pure physicality. In particular, Quan’s eyes darted from the steely warmth of Alpha Waymond to the confused sweetness of the laundromat version of the character. You knew exactly who he was by his extremely expressive eyes.
3
Conrad Ricamora’s erotic armpit in Fire Island
Most headlines about Hulu’s fire island stressed the fact that it was a Jane Austen adaptation, reimagining her most famous love story through the lens of queer men, or that several Asian actors starred in key roles. Missing from that discourse was how the film destigmatized the armpit. All my life I’ve been told armpits are gross. However, Conrad Ricamora’s armpit is an object of beauty. It’s healthy and beautiful and I want to stare at it all day. I think Michelangelo would have struggled to nail his ephemeral quality in marble. It’s so good from an armpit. (And fire island Director Andrew Ahn deserves similar credit for crafting this shot.)
4
Theo James’ ubiquitous bare bottom in The Time Traveler’s Wife
If there’s one thing Theo James likes to share with the world, it’s his bare bottom. Except for the fact that he once outraged PBS viewers when he dived naked sand toneJames went in naked two HBO shows this year. During his daring scene of undressing The White Lotus got more press, he almost always showed up oh of course in The wife of the time traveler. James read the part of the script that said his character had arrived at new places in the timeline in the buff and was like, “Yup. Got it!” While there’s been plenty of bums on screen this year, no specific Derriere has done more for us as a society than Theo James’s.
5
Ram Charan’s radical abs in “RRR”
RRR damn rips. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, bookmark this page and get your Netflix account! It’s one of the most entertaining movies of all time, thanks in part to starring NT Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan. The film imagines a fictional friendship between Indian freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and A. Rama Raju. One where they rescue children from absurdly dangerous situations, dance every English asshole in town and squat with the other on their shoulders. Just buddy stuff. Anyway, both actors are incredible, but Ram Charan’s abs are next level. Every MCU brother wishes they had this level of tone and definition. Also, every MCU brother wishes they could beat CGI tigers.
6
Charlie Vickers’ fantastically talented foot in The Lord of the Rings: The Power Rings
One of the most frustrating parts of watching Prime Video Season 1 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is that I saw the semi-rim is Sauron reveal a mile away. My suspicions were already piqued in episode 1, but when Halbrand casually just threw a sword off the ground for no reason, I was 100% sure this was the Dark Lord. Coincidentally, the most magical part of this incarnation of Tolkien’s villain wasn’t his iconic eye, but his foot. This move is so smooth, so attention-grabbing, and so sexy, I knew only Sexy Sauron could pull it off.
7
Tenoch Huerta’s super-powered bulge in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
You would think there would be at least one superhero body on this list. An ode to Chris’ biceps, or the physical transformation of a comedian-turned-MCU guy. There’s one Marvel character on the list this year, but it’s him Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Antihero Namor. Tenoch Huerta was so captivating in the film that I was rooting for him to kill all the Wakandans. The character simply had swagger. Turns out too much bragging! It has since been revealed that Marvel used VFX to shrink the Mexican actor’s bulge. That’s a scandal! Let the man be a man! Let Namor have his penis!
8th
Glen Powell’s picture perfect pecs (and traps) (and everything else) in Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick understood that in order to make a sequel to the legendary 80’s flick, they had to both honor what made this film great and improve on the original. Enter the beach football scene. While many probably swooned over Miles Teller’s punch-intoxicated dance moves, mine was all about scene thief Glen Powell’s power pose. So much so that I actually watched a YouTube video interview with Powell’s trainer. He revealed they specifically rehearsed him jabbing and yelping and bending over the ball?!? This dedication to the craft is what pushes Powell’s shirtless shenanigans over the edge. Thank you for your service hard work at the gym, hangman.
9
Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson’s body together in “Interview with the Vampire”
Sharing my ninth and tenth place this year are the co-stars who shared the most glowing chemistry this year: Interview with the vampire‘s Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson.
Skeptical that two relatively unknown actors can match the performances of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt? Well, Reid and Anderson each blew their minds. Sam Reid’s Lestat is a finicky fellow, a terrifying monster, and a deeply romantic soul, all wrapped up in one seductive package. Jacob Anderson’s Louis is a miserable, self-loathing, deeply wounded heart determined to find love (and give love!) even as it destroys everything else around him. Together, these two actors resonate on a wavelength that’s nothing short of magical.
Whether they’re holding hands, strutting the streets of New Orleans, or tearing each other apart, Reid and Anderson let their bodies reveal their characters’ emotions. They have an electrical connection and the kind of chemistry that’s going to be legendary.
So, yes, I’ll give them my last two places of honor on this list of lists.