1. George Clooney, Actor and Activist, 51. Surprise, surprise. Clooney is the rugged type that appeals to both sexes (well, mostly women). An anti-military type, Clooney launched and funds Satellite Sentinel Project, which monitors military movements against civilians.
2. Antonio Banderas, Actor, 51. Another easy choice, Banderas is sexy and charming and has starred in numerous highly-acclaimed acting roles. The Spanish-born star is married to actress Melanie Griffith.
3. Denzel Washington, Actor, 57. Washington is suave and confident. He has starred in numerous Hollywood blockbusters. Winner of two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes, Washington was a member of the TV cast, St. Elsewhere for 6 years.
4. Jon Bon Jovi. Rock Star, 50. Okay, he's handsome. But the 130 million records sold worldwide with his band, Bon Jovi, shows his true worth. He and bandmate, Richie Sambora, have been inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame. Alas, he's been happily married to his high school sweetheart, Dorothea, since 1989.
5. Samuel L. Jackson. Actor, 63. His stellar role in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction brought him to global acclaim by critics and moviegoers. He hasn't stopped since, appearing in over 100 films (man, this guy's a hard worker). He's teamed up with Tarantino on Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 2 and Inglourious Basterds. Jackson is the highest grossing film actor of all-time. Pretty sexy.
6. Yo-Yo Ma. Cellist, 56. Ma is an elegant musician, a father of two, who began playing cello at the age of 4. He values deportment, comportment, grace, spunk and character. He has won many Grammy Awards and the National Medal of Arts. Ma has played symphonic pieces, Baroque, tango, and bluegrass.
7. Mario Van Peebles. Actor and Director, 55. Rugged good lucks, a whack-full of talent and persistence have made Van Peebles into an iconoclastic Hollywood figure. He's made his name as an actor and a director. His acclaimed films BAADASSSSS! and Watermelon Man have put him in the forefront of black-conscience filmmaking.
8. Liam Neeson. Actor, 60. In the blandness of Hollywood, Neeson's Irish roots have propelled him through a remarkable movie career. An Oscar nominee for Schindler's List, and a star in other films, Neeson was ranked at number 69 on Empire magazine's 100 greatest movie stars of all time in 1997.
9. Brian William. NBC Nightly News Anchor, 53. Williams is quoted by AARP: "All guys wake up and expect to see an 18-year-old in the mirror. But there's nothing you can do about it. Just live your life and realize it may be true that the only guy who really looks good with three days' growth is George Clooney."
10. Viggo Mortensen, Actor, 53. The studly actor's career is a study in persistence. Best known for his starring role as Aragorm in The Lord of the Rings trilogyy, Mortensen has gone on to work with Canadian director David Cronenberg in A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, and A Dangerous Method.
See the entire list of AARP's The 21 Sexiest Men Over 50