People SpecialThe Sexiest Men Alive

JAMES MCAVOY

The Scottish actor has fans swooning with his portrayal of Robbie Turner, a lovesick WWII soldier pining for his childhood sweetheart Cecilia (Keira Knightley) in Atonement. "He doesn't want anything else," says the Scottish actor. "It's a passionate, sexy thing." Indeed. "The director gave us instructions like, 'Pull the leg up, Keira, now grab his hair. Unbutton your flies. James, kiss her on the neck,'" recalls McAvoy of a love scene with Knightley. "It's never comfortable. But I did have a good partner to do it with."

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