# Sexy male scientists in film
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 12, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579 "2001-06-12T18:23:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/1 "2001-06-12T18:23:47Z")
So, female scientists on tv and in the movies are almost always hot, aren’t they? Like, a woman can’t be a theoretical physicist unless she’s totally hot, has her thesis on index cards tucked in her bra, and is too young to be eating solid food, much less to have the higher degrees she’s supposed to have. She may be slightly nerdy, but at some point the birth-control glasses come off and she unpins her stern hairdo and turns into a supermodel.
But your dude scientists aren’t typically hot. Most male scientists are old(er), totally obsessed with their work, and quite unattractive, except to the nice girl who’s awkward and a little ugly, so that you can tell within the first three minutes of the film that they’re going to end up together in the last three minutes of the film–or, just to spice things up, maybe the scientist has a beautiful young blonde wife who for no obvious reason only has eyes for her beloved Dr. Heisenwhatsis.
I can only think of a few exceptions off the top of my head.
One is Dr. Clayton Forrester in the original _War of the Worlds_\*. He’s a sexy physicist from Pacific Tech, into fly fishing, _and_ quite the competent square-dancer. Even before he appears on-screen he has garnered the respect of all the townspeople, and, more to the point, he sweeps the movie’s love interest off her pretty little feet.
The other is Val Kilmer in _Real Genius._
Oh, yeah, and Val Kilmer in _Real Genius._
And, um, who was it? Oh, yes, Val Kilmer in _Real Genius._
(Sorry. I just like thinking of Val Kilmer.)
Hey, Chris Knight is from Pacific Tech, too! Coincidence?
Anyway, prove me wrong. Tell me about more sexy male scientists in the movies! (Or just bash the 23-year-old astrophysicist babe who is introduced as the Director of the United States Observatory, and likes to work in her bikini.)
---
### Author:  [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/2 "2001-06-12T18:35:29Z")
Howzabout Jeff Goldblum in “The Fly”. He managed to get his groove on with Geena Davis. That should be worth something.
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/3 "2001-06-12T18:43:56Z")
Cary Grant as Dr. David Huxley in Bringing Up Baby.
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
Patrick Stewart as Professor X in X-men.
---
### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/4 "2001-06-12T18:44:56Z")
Wasn’t Indiana Jones technically supposed to be an archeologist or some such?
There’s also Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, if they’re your cup of tea.
---
### Author:  [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/5 "2001-06-12T18:45:59Z")
How about Jeff Goldblum in **Jurassic Park**? Just an all-around cool guy there.
---
### Author:  [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/6 "2001-06-12T18:47:11Z")
ARGH! Damn simulposts!
---
### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/7 "2001-06-12T18:49:34Z")
Well, Russell Crowe is going to play John Forbes Nash, Jr. I’m sure he will be nerded up some. Pierce Brosnan as a volcanologist.
---
### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/8 "2001-06-12T18:54:00Z")
Jeff Goldblum is uh, I guess, kinda sexy, in that nerdy-friend-of-your-brother kinda way. Mmm, and he does have big hands . . . But he’s no supermodel.
I dunno, archeaologist-as-scientist? I might make a special exception, seeing as it’s Harrison Ford and all. He does do the tweedy-professor bit. . .
> [@](#):
>
> Well, Russell Crowe is going to play John Forbes Nash, Jr.
_Pant!_
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/9 "2001-06-12T19:40:31Z")
Liam Neeson in Darkman.
Buckaroo Banzai and all his crew!
---
### Author:  [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/10 "2001-06-12T19:55:52Z")
Peter Graves in [_The Beginning of the End_](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0050177), as the studley scientist helping to battle the threat of giant locusts, which he had, of course, created. Great MST 3k treatment of that one. A Burt I. Gordon film.
And I second Buckaroo Banzai. Yow.
I always thought the Professor on Gilligan’s Island was the hottest one on the island, but what can I say, I was a weird kid.
Oh. And Keanu Reeves, in that one kinda-thriller about the exploding stuff and things… oh yeah. _Chain Reaction_.
And did somebody mention Val Kilmer in Real Genius?
---
### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/11 "2001-06-12T20:30:21Z")
What, no one noticed tall, sexy, deep-voiced, handsome, and brainy **Cal Meacham** from **This Island Earth**? Why do you think I _chose_ this name, anyhow? (Rex Reason, a scientist’s name if ever there was one, played Cal.)
Russell Johnson, the Prof. from “Gilligan’s Island”, also played a scientist in TIE. He also played one in **Attack of the Crab Monsters** and in an episode of **The Twilight Zone**. No wonder they chose him as The Professor for Gilligan’s Island. He was also in **It Came From Outer Space** , but not as a scientist.
---
### Author:  [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/12 "2001-06-12T20:33:00Z")
And what about …
Rex Reason in _This Island Earth_ (physicist)
William Hurt in _Altered States_ (medical researcher)
Jeff Bridges in _Tron_ (computer scientist)
---
### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/13 "2001-06-12T20:59:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by goboy \*
> Jeff Bridges in _Tron_ (computer scientist)
Jeff Bridges is hot. And aren’t we forgetting Bruce Boxlietner? Straightlaced, but sexy enough. However, they’re not scientists, they’re programmers, or hackers, or whatever they called themselves in the early Eighties. A “computer scientist” isn’t a scientist unless (s)he has a PhD and has published scholarly papers. The old guy working on the digitizing laser–now, _there’s_ a scientist, albeit not a hot one. Though he did have the hot young love-interest lab-assistant scientist babe at his side. (I just watched _Tron_ the other night, or I would never have remembered that.)
---
### Author:  [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/14 "2001-06-12T21:29:53Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by cher3 \*
> **Wasn’t Indiana Jones technically supposed to be an archeologist or some such?**
Not to mention his father. Hubba, hubba! 😉
So, Podkayne, does thinking about Val Kilmer impair your vB capabilities? 😉
---
### Author:  [@BobbySuezQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobbySuezQ)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/15 "2001-06-12T21:47:03Z")
Lost in Space - William Hurt … He’s still yummy for an old guy. 😃
---
### Author:  [@pink\_kitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pink_kitten)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/16 "2001-06-12T22:11:38Z")
I have to add that Jeff Goldblum also played a scientist in Independance Day, and was very hot and very nerdy.
As for a supermodel, don’t most women prefer interesting facial characteristics over All-American Perfect Looks?
---
### Author:  [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/17 "2001-06-13T03:29:23Z")
Jeffrey Combs in **Re-Animator**. Then again…
---
### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/18 "2001-06-13T04:42:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Podkayne \*
> \*\*Jeff Goldblum is uh, I guess, kinda sexy, in that nerdy-friend-of-your-brother kinda way. Mmm, and he does have big hands . . . But he’s no supermodel.
>
> \*\*
Oh please. Jeff Goldblum is incredibly hot in The Fly. The nerdy exterior only makes him that much sexier when he actually takes his shirt off. Of course then he turns into a bug. The cute ones always do.
Ok, how 'bout Tim Curry in Rocky Horror Picture Show 😃 .
---
### Author:  [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2001, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/19 "2001-06-13T05:27:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Podkayne \*
> **I dunno, archeaologist-as-scientist? I might make a special exception, seeing as it’s Harrison Ford and all. He does do the tweedy-professor bit. . .**
Ooh! This gets my goat. Archaeologists are **too** scientists! And hell yeah, Indy gets my vote.
Jeff Goldblum. Jeff Goldblum. Jeff Goldblum. I’m totally not into Hollywood or movie stars, but if I could have my way with one actor/actress, it would be Jeff Goldblum. Dunno what it is about him, but hells yea.
James Spader as an archaeologist in _Stargate_ was kinda cute… ok, I’ll quit while I’m ahead. 😉
I see **betenoir** and **pink kitten** are backing me up here!
---
### Author:  [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2001, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579/20 "2001-06-13T06:09:02Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by betenoir \*
> \*\*Ok, how 'bout Tim Curry in Rocky Horror Picture Show 😃 . \*\*
Mmm. Tim Curry… I don’t know that Dr Frank N Furter could REALLY be called a scientist, though.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexy-male-scientists-in-film/68579.md?page=2)