Brosnan Named 'Sexiest Man Alive'

Nov. 15 -- Things are looking up in the Bond market. People magazine has named Pierce Brosnan the "Sexiest Man Alive."

"We thought that people really wanted to escape this year and who better than James Bond," People editor Liz Sporkin told ABCNEWS Radio. "Pierce Brosnan, of course, carries on a tradition,"

The 48-year-old Irish actor is scheduled to begin shooting his fourth James Bond movie in January. He joins the ranks of such celebrities as George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

‘Nothing Annoying About Him’

People magazine has chosen so-called bad boys for the title Sexiest Man Alive, but Sporkin says it just wouldn't seem right this year. Brosnan was chosen because "he's intelligent, captivating and his real beauty emanates from the soul. And, like a fine wine, he's aging beautifully."

Rene Russo, Brosnan's co-star in The Thomas Crown Affair, says the actor is, "genuine, gorgeous and … also funny."

Jamie Lee Curtis, who appeared with Brosnan in The Tailor of Panama, says there's a lot of arrogance in Hollywood and Pierce "seems to have none of that."

Brosnan married Keely Shaye Smith, the mother of his two youngest children, this past August. The actor's first wife died of cancer several years ago.

"He sounds too good to be true," Sporkin says. "You can't find a flaw in this guy and yet he's modest. He's perfect and yet there's nothing annoying about him."

People's growing list of beautiful people includes the Sexiest Latin Singer, the Sexiest Politician, the Sexiest Comedian, the Sexiest Race Car Driver, the Sexiest Athlete, the Sexiest Soap Star — even the Sexiest Comeback.

ABCNEWS Radio and ABCNEWS.com's Buck Wolf contributed to this report.