Are These Actors “Ugly Hot” Or Actually Hot?

A guy who is “ugly hot” isn’t conventionally attractive, but something about his personality makes him hot, usually being that he’s funny, charming, or talented. This is different from guys who are traditionally handsome, like Zac Efron, Henry Cavill, and Michael B. Jordan.

We put out an Instagram poll asking our readers about their favorite "ugly hot" actors in Hollywood, and here are the results.

Pedro Pascal

It’s safe to say that everyone has been talking about Pedro Pascal since The Last of Us premiered, which created the debate as to whether or not he’s actually hot. He’s no Michael B. Jordan, but many think Pascal’s personality (and accent) make him hot. This one is a toss-up because he’s not ugly by any means, but he leans more on the ugly hot side of the spectrum.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Adam Driver

Who doesn’t love Adam Driver? He’s hilarious, an incredibly talented actor, and seems like one of the most grounded celebrities in Hollywood. Despite his positive attributes, he’s no Henry Cavill (which is okay), putting him in the ugly hot category.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Pete Davidson

If anyone is the epitome of the ugly hot phenomenon, it’s Pete Davidson. Despite not being conventionally attractive, he’s dated some of the most beautiful women in the world and many find his sense of humor irresistible. 

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Leonardo DiCaprio

Though some think he’s gotten less attractive as he’s gotten older (I believe most of us can agree that he was a dreamboat *pun intended* in Titanic), possibly putting him in the ugly-hot category, he’s still attractive to many, so it’s safe to say he’s actually hot.

Verdict: Actually Hot

Miles Teller

I was surprised when I saw how many votes Miles Teller got on our Instagram poll. Still, I think he fits into the ugly-hot character in the early days of his career when he was in the Divergent series and The Spectacular Now, but he has aged like fine wine in his recent projects like Top Gun: Maverick and The Offer. In short, Miles Teller is hot.

Verdict: Actually Hot

Ryan Gosling

This is another one that I was surprised to see on our Instagram poll. I get that some of us have different tastes, but Ryan Gosling is as classically handsome as they come. He’s hot, ladies!

Verdict: Actually Hot

Benedict Cumberbatch

This one is interesting. You could argue that he’s handsome because he seems very posh, but he’s not conventionally attractive. It likely comes down to the British accent and his sense of style, but I’ll have to settle on ugly hot for this one.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Jake Johnson

This one definitely has to do with his character Nick in New Girl being a fan favorite of many. He’s funny, has a good personality, and seems like a nice guy, but that’s the limit of his charm. You could argue he’s cute, but not hot.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Owen Wilson

This boils down to his sense of humor and personality. He’s hilarious in movies like Zoolander and Wedding Crashers, but he’s not conventionally attractive, which puts him into the ugly hot category by default.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Vince Vaughn

The important distinction with this one is whether we’re talking about Vince Vaughn now or Vince Vaughn from the 2000s, when he played the lead role in romantic comedies alongside beautiful actresses like Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Vince Vaughn in the 2000s was hot, but Vince Vaughn now is ugly hot.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Jack Black

Similar to Jake Johnson, most of this comes down to a single role he played in the past. His character in The Holiday alongside Kate Winslet might be the sweetest guy ever, and it also helps that he’s hilarious, so ugly hot it is.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Rami Malek

I think most of us can agree that he’s as talented as he is charming, and it helps that he seems to be down to earth despite his massive success in Hollywood. He has charisma and doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, so we’re going ugly hot with him.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Michael Cera

He was the adorkable romantic lead in 2000s movies like Juno and Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, but the keyword is “adorkable.” He’s awkward to the point where it’s cute and has a good personality, but he isn’t conventionally hot.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Timothée Chalamet

Don’t get me wrong, he has the potential to be hot, but he also somewhat resembles a Victorian child. He’s funny, talented, and seems to have a great personality, but I can’t call him hot, and I don’t care if it gets me canceled.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Evan Peters

This one is tough. He’s a talented actor and seems like a genuinely nice guy (which is impressive since so many of his roles are creepy), but he’s not a heartthrob. He’s not the worst-looking guy in Hollywood, but he’s also not the hottest.

Verdict: Ugly Hot

Closing Thoughts

From Pete Davidson’s dating escapades to social media dubbing Pedro Pascal as "the internet's Daddy," ugly hot actors are thriving in Hollywood. Though we can debate all day as to if they’re actually hot or ugly hot, it’s safe to say that there’s something undeniably attractive about a funny man with good character.

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