12 Surprisingly Sexy Celebrities Real Men Can’t Resist

When YouBeauty asked men which female celebrities they find attractive, did they name the hottest supermodels gracing the pages of Sports Illustrated or the latest Victoria’s Secret catalog? Nope. Rather than rattling off a list of women who fit the mold of what society dictates as beautiful, they gushed over sexy stars who are not primarily known for their outer beauty. These men shared their celebrity crushes who come in all shapes and sizes and are intelligent, funny and confident women—and that is downright beautiful.

Find out which famous and fabulous female celebrities drive some men wild—and rightly so. Hey, Sports Illustrated, perhaps you might want to consider these swoon-worthy women for your next swimsuit issue!

1Amy Poehler

Forget food—the way to a man’s heart is through hilarity. Funny woman and “Parks and Recreation” star Poehler, 42, is a total dish, according to Gary*, 29.  “Amy Poehler is seriously funny, and humor alone is enough to make someone attractive. Moreover, it seems that her humor comes from a place of her being content, honest and confident with herself,” Gary swoons. “She looks like she would be a fun person to be around. She knows hip-hop. She can give and take a joke, which shows humility and understanding. She seems to enjoy life and that makes her so much more interesting than someone whose only strength is their looks. She’s also pretty hot, but that’s only a component of who she is.”

*Name has been changed

2St. Vincent

Annie Clark, better known as singer/songwriter St. Vincent, 31, has been in indie bands like Polyphonic Spree and backed Sufjan Stevens, but she strikes a chord all on her own with Eric*, 32, who said,I love her wild curly hair, strong cheekbones and almond-shaped face. She changes her look a lot, which is intriguing. She is a really fierce guitarist and original songwriter who works with other talented musicians. She’s really good at what she does and that is attractive.”

3Lori Petty

Actress Petty, 50, is best known for playing fearless females in “Point Break,” “A League of Their Own” and “Tank Girl.” As Karl*, 34, can attest, strong is sexy. Karl says he’s drawn in by Petty’s 90s film personas: “She was a badass, hot chick in a time when only typical girl next door types were considered hot,” he says.

4Carrie Brownstein

Riot grrrl rockstar turned comedian, Brownstein, 39, can also play on a man’s heartstrings. Chris*, 41, is awed by her creativity and ability to reinvent herself. “She is the epicenter of cool—she was in Sleater Kinney for god’s sake!” he says. “She also has beautiful lips and deep dark brown eyes, and through “Portlandia” has proven herself as an actor and comedian. Having all of these multiple talents—and being seemingly humble about it—is very attractive.” Adds Chris, “Oh, and her rocker girl hair is awesome.”

5Tilda Swinton

Androgyne actress Swinton, 53, has a raw magnetism of a rockstar to some. In fact, there is even an online Tumblr shrine devoted to the sexy similarities between her and glam god David Bowie. But Adam, 31, would argue that this fierce ginger is irresistible because she is her own woman. “She has her convictions and stands by them,” he says, “and honors her natural talents to a razor’s sharpness and uses them in the most badass way. She also has an acute awareness of the gravitas of her femininity.”

6Kristen Schaal

From “Flight of The Conchords” to “30 Rock,” nobody plays quirky quite as good as comedian Schaal, 36. And apparently, when a guy catches a glimpse of the woman behind the voice of Louise on the animated sitcom “Bob’s Burgers,” he’ll flip. Brett, 39, attests: “Obviously, the sense of humor is sexy as hell, but I think she’s adorable. The crooked smile, the soulful eyes…she’s got style, too. It’s all working.”

7Catherine Keener

Actress Keener, 54, has been nominated for countless awards for her roles in films such as “Capote,” “Into the Wild,” and “Being John Malkovich.” But apparently some men would have preferred if the movie were titled “Being Catherine Keener.” “She has a tough persona that makes me want to crack her wide open, and when I do, I will be rewarded by her warm and extremely private interior,” coos Yazan, 34.

8Christiane Amanpour

British-Iranian journalist Amanpour, 56, doesn’t shy away from danger, and she isn’t afraid to call it like she sees it. Amanpour is one of biggest names in television news, and according to Ben, 30, also one of the biggest babes. “Christiane Amanpour, in particular, is just incredibly, intoxicatingly gorgeous,” he admits. “Her intellect radiates through her dark, glimmering eyes in a totally knowing, self-assured gaze that I find totally entrancing.”

9Beth Ditto

The lead singer and songwriter of punk rock band Gossip, the curvy and courageous Ditto, 32, projects body confidence and even graced the cover of Love magazine wearing nothing but makeup. She has a powerful presence on and off stage, and it’s earned her plenty of admirers and even haters. “She’s talented and she’s hot, despite what we’ve been brainwashed to think is pretty,” Spyro, 45, argues. “I’m not going to get into some ridiculous weight conversation about it because if you can’t see this chick as hot, you’re an idiot.”

10Wanda Sykes

Comedian Sykes, 49, oozes a confidence that embodies the title of her HBO comedy special, “I’ma Be Me.” Hilarious and outspoken, Sykes has been doing her own thing for decades, and doing it well. And that is dead sexy to Steve*, 45, who says of his comedian crush, “She’s f***ing awesome. [That’s] all there is to it…. She’s got the best, most amazing bad attitude. And I love me a bad attitude.”

11Kristen Wiig

Despite Wiig’s one tiny hand, not to mention having a serious case of diarrhea in “Bridesmaids,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum’s hilarious stunts have made the 40-year-old comedian/actress all the more sexy to guys like Chris*, 41. Commenting on Wiig’s appeal, he said, “She has beautiful eyes and a lithe look…and I think she is the funniest female comic working today hands down. I always find funny as a barometer of cool. And cool equals attractive.”

12Maggie Gyllenhaal

Oscar-nominated actress Gyllenhaal, 36, never plays it safe when it comes to picking her roles. From an assistant into S&M in “Secretary” to a young journalist who falls for the troubled singer in her article in “Crazy Heart,” Gyllenhaal’s risks have paid off professionally and make her all the more appealing. As her fan Brian*, 40, can attest, “She strikes me as having intelligence and depth—she’d be someone you could have fun with but also a deep conversation with, and she’s very comfortable with who she is.”