2005's Sexiest Men Alive

It's a feast for the eyes: 14 of PEOPLE's sexiest men of the year, including cover star Matthew McConaughey, Patrick Dempsey and more

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DENIS LEARY

The star of the FX firefighter series Rescue Me knows how to generate his own heat: "No matter what anybody says, relationships are based on physical attraction. The first time I saw my wife, it was pure animal whatever," he says. But he's a tough guy with a soft heart – the 48-year-old actor has raised $5 million since 2000 to benefit fire departments across the country.