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Home • Love & Sex

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age

Eye Candy: Men Who Get Better With Age
By Essence · Updated October 28, 2020
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01
Prince Charming

Admit it. You doodled “Mrs. Fresh Prince of BelAir” on your junior high school book covers hundred of times. It’s okay, we all did. Will Smith (and his character) were gorgeous, funny and popular. What more could a girl want back then?

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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02
King of the Screen

Our prince grew up to be the king of the big screen — starring in more summer blockbusters than we can even count. One thing is for sure: Will Smith and the “Summertime” will always be the perfect combination of sexy and fun.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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03
Daydreaming

For eight years we drooled over and fantasized about Shemar Moore’s character Malcolm on daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. He was or husband in our heads and we loved it.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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04
Heat Wave

Moore’s fan base has grown and grown over the years — right along with his yummy six pack and biceps. If we didn’t know better, we’d swear he’s aging in reverse. Every single time we catch him shirtless and tanned to perfection on the Miami shores we just want more and more.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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05
The Ladies’ Favorite

Yes, it’s true. The ladies really do love cool James — especially the rapper’s smooth looks from the ’80s. He needed love and we give him all of ours.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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06
Upgrade You

The only thing that has changed on LL Cool J over the years is his signature hat style. That smooth skin, winning smile, and those kissable lips have all stayed beautifully in tact.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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07
The British Babe

Look what we dug up. It’s British actor Idris Elba looking rather enticing at a press event way back in early 2002. Fans got six seasons of weekly dates with Elba’s The Wire character Stringer Bell, and with each year that passed, their obsession with the chocolatey, hunky Brit only grew.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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08
Heartbreaker

Today, Elba is one of Black Hollywood’s most in-demand leading men and top choice on the ladies’ celebrity crush list. The best part: He’s totally humble; a trait not easy to come by in today’s sex symbols.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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09
Walk This Way

Do you remember exactly where you were the first time you saw model-turned-actor Boris Kodjoe laid across the pages of your favorite magazine donning Perry Ellis and Dolce and Gabbana undies? We do, and we won’t soon forget it.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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10
The Family Man

Boris still brings his flawless physique and perfect smile along on the red carpet when he promotes his latest movie projects, but his sexiest quality to date is his devotion to his wife, actress Nicole Ari Parker, and their two kids.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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11
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

In the late ’90s, when actor Michael Ealy launched his acting career in Barbershop, female fans got a glimpse of his steamy stare and knew right away that they were in big trouble. It was love!

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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12
The Perfect Combination

Exactly how much do we love Think Like A Man Too star Michael Ealy? Let us count the ways: 1. He’s über talented. 2. He’s got beauty and brains. 3. His boyish charm only gets more irresistible over time. We could go on and on, but there’s no need. This photo says it all.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
13
Oh, Baby!

When actor Blair Underwood brought headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins to life on NBC’s legal drama, L.A. Law, his female fans tuned in to get their weekly dose of his deliciousness for seven years. You know you cried when the show ended.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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14
Stud Muffin

Can you believe this man is 49-years-old? Yeah, we’re scratching our heads on this one, too. Blair just gets more debonair by the minute.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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15
“Boyz” to Men

Our teenage love affair with actor Morris Chestnut began when we crushed on his football star character Ricky in John Singleton’s 1991 classic Boyz In the Hood. He was smooth, charming, and always ready to dazzle us with that gorgeous smile both on and off screen. Little did we know, he had only just begun to shine.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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16
Bald and Beautiful

With less hair and more memorable onscreen roles in classic Black romantic comedies like The Best Man, The Brothers, Two Can Play That Game and The Best Man Holiday, Morris solidified his spot on our ultimate heartthrobs roster.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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17
Groovin’ Cutie

When Stella Got Her Groove Back, so did we. Taye Diggs used that steamy stare of his and those luscious lips to hold his own next to Angela Bassett (shower scene anyone?), and he went on to steal the show in role after role.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
18
Chocolate Crush

Taye makes our hot chocolate list every single year. Don’t you just love his grown and sexy swagger?

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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19
Our Soul Mate

Singer Maxwell’s smooth brand of Neo Soul was exactly what the doctor ordered to help beat the heat in the summer of 1996 when he released his debut album Urban Hang Suite, which with a little help from female fans, went on to sell over 2 million copies.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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20
Lighten Up

After taking several years off, Maxwell debuted a sexy new close-cut and released his latest album BLACKsummers’Night on July 7, 2009. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Albums Top 200 chart and he reemerged to reclaim his throne and permanent place in his loyal fan’s hearts.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
21
Love and Basketball

A shirtless, sweaty Omar Epps plus a game of one-on-one with Sanaa Lathan plus Me’Shell NdegéOcello’s “Fool of Me” equaled a love scene so romantic we cried, laughed and totally fell in love.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
22
All Grown Up

Omar’s not taking it to the hoops anymore on camera, but the Resurrection star has still got game. Hello cutie!

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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23
For the Cool In You

Back in the late ‘80s and early ’90s, there wasn’t anybody rapping who looked as cool as Common did doing it. His expert MC abilities only sweetened the pot.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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24
A Common Crush

We watched Common evolve from an underground rapper hungry for his big break to one of the most successful and praised hip-hop artists in the industry. (And a White House performance alum and actor as well.) Common, honey, you’ve matured so nicely. Keep dreaming and believing.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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25
The Ladies’ Man Arrives

After successfully shedding his youthful image by hanging with Diddy for a year, singer Usher Raymond reemerged on the music scene in the early 2000s with a sexy new persona his female fans went wild for and a string of sultry, hot singles.

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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26
The Number One Stunner

With one chart-topping album after the next, Usher’s star rose fast, and we watched him blossom into a debonair darling and the president of today’s Hollywood Gentleman’s Club. Who wants to get close to this “Good Kisser?”

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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27
A Rock Star Is Born

In 1989, rocker Lenny Kravitz grooved and grunted his way right into the hearts of fans worldwide by commanding the stage with his raspy vocals, sexy bad boy image and crazy guitar skills.

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28
Rock On Baby

Over 20 years later the ladies still go nuts over any mention of Lenny. He still has “the edge”, yet he’s only gotten smoother. Rock on, Lenny, rock on!

Eye Candy: Men Who Only Get Better With Age
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29
Jokes On Him

Remember when Eddie Murphy ruled the stand-up stage? Even then it was tough to keep our eyes off the funny man with a plan.

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30
Eddie, Eddie, Eddie

Eddie Murphy still looks as youthtful and engaging as he did the moment we first saw him emerge on the stand up stage.

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33
A Star In the Making

Usher’s plan to show the ladies

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34
The Family Man

Boris still brings his flawless physique and perfect smile along on the red carpet when he promotes his latest movie projects, but his sexiest quality to date is his devotion to his wife actress Nicole Ari Parker and their two kids.

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