It would be convenient to compare the greatest sex symbols to Greek Gods and some actually looked like them, especially a younger Jude Law, but a keener truth seems to be that we desire our love gods deeply flawed. Or at least involved with spitfire actresses more troubled than themselves.

The major difference though between the modern sex symbol and the old-school matinee heroes is that some of the very new ones are actually less dimensional and more driven by image. Many of them really do just look good, you can’t smell them onscreen, you don’t really dream of them when the credits roll, they’ve got no griffe or signature or hallmark. Close your eyes and think of Clark Gable’s baritone, Brando’s drawl or Errol Flynn’s thrust and parry then try and think of what Robert Pattinson sounds like or a legendary line from Justin Timberlake or Jake Gyllenhaal. Um, silence? OK, so this is why there is always room for raging bulls like Javier Bardem and film roles with conscience as well as danger as a driving force.

Our list of Young Guns caters to many tastes and doubtless will lead to many debates. Is a sex symbol a hard man, a smart man or simply a dumb, solidly built load of alpha DNA? Is it the sullen smirk or the clear blue eyes? Is it the James Bond Scotch on the rocks charm or the rough as guts Gladiator grunt that we want so badly? Possibly a bit of both with plenty of rough trade and smooth lines folded into the blend.