Let's list persons who are beautiful but not sexy.

[AK84]

Sexy was something Nicole Kidman never did well. She is an amazingly beautiful woman, but sexy? Hard to see it.

Natalie Portman's beauty seems to be more because you see her and you see that you might actually enjoy her company. Kiera Knightly; not so much.

[SykoSkotty]

Agree with Jessica Biehl, and my pick would be Sandra Bullock. Beautiful but not in any way sexy at all.

[Ashley Pomeroy]

Originally Posted by SurrenderDorothy

Audrey Hepburn. She's really, really beautiful. Or she was. I suppose she's probably less attractive at the moment. But I wouldn't say she's sexy. She's like art.

Snap, I was going to mention her. She was very attractive, but even playing a prostitute in Breakfast at Tiffany's I never had the impression that she actually... did it, you know. I never had a sense that Audrey Hepburn felt lust

A lot of film stars from the past were attractive but not really sexy, although that might be because the photography and the films had to allude to sexiness without being too risque. In the modern era, er, Amanda Peet? Nice, but she looks like someone you'd take out to dinner or something wishy-washy like that, rather than the other thing.

Pam Dawber, from Mork & Mindy? Looked nice in jeans, always smiling, not really sexy. Sorry, if you're reading this. Lots of television actresses ditto.

[terentii]

Originally Posted by Slow Moving Vehicle

German? How on earth is she German? Her great-great grandfather Albert was from Germany, yes, but my great-great grandfather emigrated from Sligo; doesn't make me Irish.

The British Royal Family has been of German lineage ever since George I inherited the throne back in the early 18th century. (He spoke no English, as I recall.)

Even the Duke of Edinburgh, who was born in Greece, is of German and Danish descent.

[Silver Tyger]

Thinking of the last movie I've seen (The Avengers).

Samuel Jackson. Very attractive man, does nothing for me.
Chris Evans. Very classically attractive. No sex appeal to me. Compare him to Nathon Fillion, who has the same sort of look, but is much sexier.
Chris Hemsworth, same sort of look, same effect.

And then there's Tom Hiddleston, who isn't terribly attractive, but YUM.

[Max Torque]

Originally Posted by terentii

The British Royal Family has been of German lineage ever since George I inherited the throne back in the early 18th century. (He spoke no English, as I recall.)

Which makes me think of Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Very pretty girl, downright stunning sometimes, but I've never seen her in any context that suggests "sexy" to me.

[Rollo Tomasi]

Originally Posted by coolbyrne

I'd add Ralph Fiennes

See, Ralph Fiennes is kind of the opposite for me. I've never really considered him all that good-looking; there's something about his face that seems a little off. But he has a smoldering quality that is sexy as hell, even when he was playing a shy, introverted character in The Constant Gardener. There's a sensuality to him that's always bubbling beneath the surface, and I find that incredibly sexy.

Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett were the first two people I thought of. Lovely, but not particularly sexy, particularly Blanchett.

[Greekfreak]

Anne Hathaway.

Like Rachel McAdam, I find her cute beyond belief, but not necessarily sexy.

Scarlett Johanssen, on the other hand, I'd eat her shit with a knife and fork.

[Greekfreak]

Anne Hathaway.

Like Rachel McAdam, I find her cute beyond belief, but not necessarily sexy.

Scarlett Johanssen, on the other hand, I'd eat her shit with a knife and fork.

Sexy: (Play with time a little, here)


Jamie Lee Curtis
Sophia Loren
Ava Gardner
Mariska Hargitay
Jane Seymour
Dina Meyer
Greta Scacchi
Elizabeth Perkins
Helen Mirren
Lena Olin
Christina Hendricks

[u]Unsexy[u]

Drew Barrymore
Cameron Diaz
Halle Berry
Catherine Deneuve
Kelly McGillis
Elizabeth Taylor
Gwenyth Paltrow (completely sexless)
January Jones

[Ambivalid]

Originally Posted by Greekfreak

Gwenyth Paltrow (completely sexless)

I agree but I can't put my finger on exactly why. Can you?

[Clothahump]

Jennifer Lopez. Supposed to be super hawt. Nawt.

[Koxinga]

Originally Posted by Sage Rat

Watching Fringe, I was always impressed by how little sex appeal Anna Torv has, for being a very beautiful woman.

I was thinking exactly the same thing after having just finished season 1 of Fringe. There is one episode where she's sort of possessed in her dreams by the psyche of a guy, and it shows her character Olivia walking around as if she were him. She (he) goes into a strip club and starts leering at a pole dancer, and I've never seen an actress imitate a guy so well, from body language to the leering expression right up to the point where she starts making out with the girl. And it didn't do a single thing for me.

So far I've found Fringe unusual in that it gets me to care about the lead female character (in spite of all the silly situations) yet not have the slightest mental inclination to do her. It's almost like it's getting me to appreciate her as, like, a person or something. It's so manipulative that way!

[D-bear]

Do a Google image search on "Young Maggie Smith." Some of the pics returned are stunningly beautiful, but I can not find a sexy "young Maggie Smith."

[Greekfreak]

Originally Posted by Ambivalid

I agree but I can't put my finger on exactly why. Can you?

Well, for me she's just milquetoast. I don't care for blondes to begin with, but then she opens her mouth and that lifeless yammer comes out.... she sounds like she'd be rather having tea instead of bumpin' uglies.

The rest of my "sexy" list suggest a bit of danger, and/or are European.

[Superdude]

Originally Posted by Greekfreak

[u]Unsexy[u]

Drew Barrymore

I am prepared to fight you to the death for this comment.

[Greekfreak]

Originally Posted by Superdude

I am prepared to fight you to the death for this comment.

Don't get me wrong, I used to think she was sexy, but she hasn't aged very well, and it's only going to get worse. Me and Drew are the same age, but I look good.

[Koxinga]

When she was younger she was always too much of a cute kid sister type girl for me.

[Krokodil]

The prototype for "pretty, not sexy" was Billie Burke, a.k.a. Glinda.

[Robot Arm]

Originally Posted by Greekfreak

Gwenyth Paltrow (completely sexless)

Originally Posted by Ambivalid

I agree but I can't put my finger on exactly why. Can you?

Originally Posted by Greekfreak

Well, for me she's just milquetoast. I don't care for blondes to begin with, but then she opens her mouth and that lifeless yammer comes out.... she sounds like she'd be rather having tea instead of bumpin' uglies.

The rest of my "sexy" list suggest a bit of danger, and/or are European.

Gwyneth Paltrow seems like she would talk endlessly about how great it is to play strong, assertive female characters instead of actually playing her characters as strong and assertive. I really want to like her in something, but when she should be doing something, she's just looking hesitant and pensive while she thinks about what she should be doing. There was a scene in the trailer for Iron Man 2 where Tony is about to jump out of an airplane and asks Pepper (Paltrow) for a kiss. She kisses his helmet and then throws it out of the plane. Even that looks awkward for her. If you're gonna tease the guy, then really sell it. Look like you're enjoying it. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was the same way; too much thinking, no enough doing.

Her mother, on the other hand, yowza!

[Love Rhombus]

Katherine Heigl...no. Fun to look at but unsexy.

Imogen Poots: terrible name, not at all traditionally hot or my type usually, but seeexxxy.

And as a straight guy, I can totally see why ladies fall over Tom Hiddleston. I'll admit it, he has lovely eyes.

[FordPrefect]

Originally Posted by Koxinga

I was thinking exactly the same thing after having just finished season 1 of Fringe. There is one episode where she's sort of possessed in her dreams by the psyche of a guy, and it shows her character Olivia walking around as if she were him. She (he) goes into a strip club and starts leering at a pole dancer, and I've never seen an actress imitate a guy so well, from body language to the leering expression right up to the point where she starts making out with the girl. And it didn't do a single thing for me.

Awesome! Torv is all mine then... Her character as Olivia is sexless, but Faulivia, drips hot sexy sex with every saucy step, smile and hip swing...

[Tangent]

Originally Posted by Love Rhombus

Imogen Poots: terrible name, not at all traditionally hot

She's actually a pretty good example of "traditionally hot."

[Tangent]

Originally Posted by FordPrefect

Her character as Olivia is sexless, but Faulivia, drips hot sexy sex with every saucy step, smile and hip swing...

You got that right. When Fauxlivia was introduced, I gained a new appreciation for Torv as an actress.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by Tangent

She's actually a pretty good example of "traditionally hot."

Holy crap, it's Ayla! (Or at least, Ayla how she looks in my head.)

[Evil Captor]

I'll chime in on Jessica Alba as beautiful but not sexy. She has a beautiful body, she knows how to pose it in ways that look sexy, but she does not project sexy. She seems like a really nice person, actually, when she was younger, a "sweet kid." Decent and all. But not sexy.

[Superdude]

Originally Posted by Greekfreak

Don't get me wrong, I used to think she was sexy, but she hasn't aged very well, and it's only going to get worse. Me and Drew are the same age, but I look good.

While I agree that she has taken some unflattering photos lately, I think that she's still extremely friggin' sexy.

Okay, the first photo isn't from this year, but damn....

[Larry Borgia]

Originally Posted by Skald the Rhymer

I'll start with Cobie Smulders from How I Met Your Mother. Quite lovely, but not even a little sexy. I don't know why; she just doesn't do it for me.

Man, different strokes, I guess. That pic pushed buttons I didn't know I had. If I saw her in real life I would forget my own name.

[simple homer]

Originally Posted by Krokodil

The prototype for "pretty, not sexy" was Billie Burke, a.k.a. Glinda.

Wow, she was 53 when she played Glinda the good witch. Amazing.