Hayden Christensen

Men of the Moment

UPDATED 06/27/2005 at 01:00 AM EDT • Originally published 06/27/2005 at 01:00 AM EDT

Hayden CHRISTENSEN

AGE: 24
RIGHT NOW: He's starring as a nice Jedi kid who becomes black-helmeted Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith.

1. "More handsome is he than many in the galaxy—the skin and the hair, as well, glow with the dewy sheen of youth. Better is this sex appeal than even the Force. Bottled it could be, and sold at men's cosmetics counters."
—YODA, FASHION STYLIST

2. "And yet there is the allure of the bad boy waiting to express himself, particularly in the eyes. If I were to change anything about this young man, it would be to tease out a little more of that dark side. That would be sexy."
—PALPATINE, EVIL EMPEROR AND MAKEOVER EXPERT

Jesse METCALFE

AGE: 26
RIGHT NOW: On break from Desperate Housewives gardening duties, he's shooting the teen comedy John Tucker Must Die with Brittany Snow.

They say life imitates art. Here's how Jesse measures up to Wisteria Lane's fantasy hedge-trimmer, John.

Ever gardened?
"I did landscaping for my stepfather for a few years, so I'm pretty skilled."

Can you fix things?
"Not really. I've replaced outlets and other little things. But for major remodeling, I hire people."

Do you prefer older women?
"Older women are generally a little more mature, a little more direct, a lot less drama."

Education: Spent three years at NYU and favors college grads.

Wilmer VALDERRAMA

AGE: 25
RIGHT NOW: He stars in FOX's That '70s Show and has roles in two upcoming films, Darwin Awards and El Muerto.

He's been linked with Lindsay Lohan, Ashlee Simpson and Mandy Moore. Here are Wilmer's Rules for Dating in the Public Eye:

1) Behave: "I don't do anything I'd regret or that makes me wonder if someone is watching."

2) Dress to dazzle: "I love wearing suits. In fact, I do it on purpose."

3) Avoid the "scene": He prefers California Pizza Kitchen, "away from the mayhem but fun—and I love pizza."

4) When you run into an ex, "there are no rules. You just go and mind your own business. I rarely leave my table the entire night. I'm really there for the people I'm with."

Mike EPPS

AGE: 34
RIGHT NOW: He's starring in this month's remake of The Honeymooners, playing sewer worker Ed Norton. He's got another film coming out this year, and he'll play Richard Pryor in a biopic about the legendary comic.

When I was a kid, I had a crush on..."the Oil of Olay lady, but nobody knew it."

In high school..."I was always in trouble. I was mischievous. I was the class clown, big time."

My girlfriends meet my mom when..."I ain't got that kind of mom. My mom don't look at it like that. She'll meet them one day."

Women love to..."laugh. From the first date on, we're laughing. We got to laugh in life."

My ideal vacation spot is..."Dubai. I like it hot, man. That place is bakin'."

Zach BRAFF

AGE: 30
RIGHT NOW: In July the star of NBC's Scrubs and the writer/director of Garden State begins filming the romantic comedy Fast Track opposite Amanda Peet.

"I'm probably a little more confident than [his Scrubs character] J.D., but when you meet the right girl, everyone becomes a little bumbling," says Braff. "You just say really stupid things." His ideal woman would be wise to:

Books: "I once went to a girl's house and she had every book that you're supposed to have read. I looked at the spines and not a single one of them was cracked. It was like jewelry."

Music: "I'd pause if she was really listening to gangsta rap. My favorite kind of music is Coldplay-esque."

Painting: "My perfect date? Paintball. Put her in some thermals and make her run."

Ryan SEACREST

AGE: 30
RIGHT NOW: Besides hosting American Idol (season 5 auditions start this summer) and two radio shows, he's launching a clothing collection called The R Line in July.

"I'm shy in my personal life," says the obsessive foodie, who once considered culinary school. "Some people meet people in the grocery store, but I get my tomatoes and I'm out." A savory date includes:

Melted cheese: "One of my favorite things to cook is fondue. I'm Swiss. It's a great social meal."

Mouthwash: "I always pack a mini bottle of Scope in the glove compartment. If I have Italian food, I'll use the Scope and then offer it to whomever I'm with. I'm obsessed with fresh breath."

Silverware: "The worst dating disaster I've had was when I was out with a woman and we got to dessert—it was cake—and she started eating it with her hands, without a fork. I was waiting for her to make a joke about it, but she didn't. I couldn't get past that."

John LEGEND

AGE: 26
RIGHT NOW: After touring with Alicia Keys, the singer—and Penn grad—is promoting his CD Get Lifted.

Before becoming Kanye West's protégé, he was a management consultant. "I needed a job, and it was a very prestigious entry-level job. I was making $50,000 a year."

His last name is really Stephens. "I was working with Kanye, and this poet came into the studio and started calling me 'The Legend.' It's just a stage name, but I do have a trademark pending."

Owen WILSON

AGE: 36
RIGHT NOW: Beginning July 15, he stars in the comedy Wedding Crashers.

What makes you happy?
"There's nothing like riding a bike to put you in a good mood. It's hard to be depressed when you're riding a bike."

Are you a good dancer?
"I'm a very poor dancer."

What kind of wedding would you want?
"Medium-size, but traditional. Like a church wedding."

Robert GANT

AGE: 36
RIGHT NOW: He plays Ben Bruckner on Showtimes's hit series Queer as Folk; he and two partners are lining up projects for their production company, mythgarden.

Now that he's moved into a new place in the Hollywood Hills..."I bought a whole set of pots and pans because I'm dying to learn how to cook. It would be fun to do it with a boyfriend."

"I'm planning to get a dog, a chocolate Lab. I'm going to do the whole puppy thing. I love cats, but I'm allergic to them. I guess I could get shots, though, so cats wouldn't be a deal breaker if somebody had them."

Dhani JONES

AGE: 27
RIGHT NOW: The Philadelphia Eagles linebacker also hosts the ESPN2 show Timeless, writes for ESPN.com, designs bow ties, paints, writes poetry and plays the piano, sax and bass.

Portrait of the football player as an artist: At the University of Michigan, Jones created his own major—"self-representation: how people represent themselves through creative works. I wanted people to look at my drawings and learn about me."

"Writing is my passion. I did a piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and ESPN saw it and wanted me to write for them."

"There's a bow-tie revolution going on," says Jones, who designed his own line, Five Star Ties, and launched it last July. (Find it on Fivestarties.com.) A favorite look? "Maybe a bow tie, some shorts, flip-flops or Birkenstocks. I am with the bow tie."

Carson DALY

AGE: 32
RIGHT NOW: The host of NBC's late-night Last Call with Carson Daly is moving the show from New York City to L.A., where he grew up.

How the left coast is making a new man of Daly, who recently lost 30 lbs. running, biking and swimming:

•"In New York, I can only carve out an hour or an hour and a half to go a gym or a pool," he says. "In Los Angeles, I do the California regimen. Here I'm up at 7 and out the door. I went on a 30-mile bike ride this morning."

•Instead of hailing a taxi, he drives a vintage Jeep with the top down.

•His new California healthiness has affected his social life. "The produce department is the best place to meet somebody," he says. "The Whole Foods store has the best produce department."

John STAMOS

AGE: 41
RIGHT NOW: He'll start filming season 2 of ABC's Jake in Progress later this summer.

"I never expected to be a bachelor at 41," says Stamos, whose divorce from Rebecca Romijn was finalized in March. His new dating code:

Number of days to wait before calling: "There's a number of minutes that I wait. I think it's about four—as I'm driving away. And she'll say, 'I just gave you my number!' And I'm like, 'I know. I wanted to talk to you!' "

Sending flowers: "Mandatory. I love sending them. I know it may not be the most creative or new thing, but it's dead-on traditional and I dig it."

Commitment: "There's that month of dating, and then it's like, this deserves to grow into something more important or it's best that we move on so we can meet other people."