The book I’m working on right now has a blond hero.
Those of you who have read The Season will remember that my very first hero–the boy of my heart, Gavin, Lord Blackmoor–is a blond. And he’s charming and funny and based, loosely, on a collection of boys who I grew up with (and one whom I married), who were all blondes.
But this time, I’m writing about a man. And he’s golden-haired and beautiful and all man. But here’s the thing: There aren’t that many gorgeous, manly blonds out there to serve as muses for this hero. I don’t really need them right now, because he’s gorgeous and real in my mind and I’m half-in love with him (and if all goes well, will be fully in love with him before the month is out), but there’s a line from Weeds that keeps popping into my head: one character says about another (who happens to be played by my first blond crush, Matthew Modine), “What grown man has hair that color?”
It’s not easy to come up with a list of blond hunks…why is that?
So, who are your favorite blond male-muses? I’ll go first:
The dreamy Paul Bettany, who won my heart in that incredible leather coat in
A Knight’s Tale, and never gave it back.
(Fun fact: He lives in my neighborhood, and yes…
I have gone mute in his presence at the Indie Bookstore.)
The original blond hunk, Mr. Robert Redford, who still has it after all these years.
But my hero, right now, looks like a much-blonder version of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (star of New Amsterdam, a short-lived TV show that I’m pretty sure I was the only person who watched):
I am missing a bunch, I’m sure…but…who?
May 7th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
For rugged: country singer Trace Adkins. Daniel Craig, Anthony Michael Hall
For pretty boy: Simon Baker, Matt Czuchry (Logan on Gimore Girls), Chad Michael Murray, Jude Law, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt when he showers.
Kiefer Sutherland fits in there somewhere, too.
And no, you weren't the only one who fell in love with Nikolaj on New Amsterdam. I want some of that…furniture.
May 7th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
My favorite(when he chooses to be blonde) is Max Beesley. YUM!!!!!
May 7th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
The perfect blonde hunk = Gabriel Aubry.
May 7th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
I think most adults don't stay blond. They grow out of it – unless your Scandinavian of course.
I lurve the Paul Bettany & Jude Law recs. They're my fave too.
May 7th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Alexander skarsgard from true blood
May 7th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Have we met your golden haired hero in 9 Rules perchance?????? Here's hoping……
I love Sebastian in Devil in Winter
Matthew McCougney (sp check!) when his hair is not too long AKA Wedding Planner and I loved him in the glasses (smart men are so sexy)
May 7th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Leonardo DiCaprio is my favorite blond.
May 8th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
I don't know if it's my Swedish background, or my own blonde hair, but I love golden-haired guys!
I'm with VictoriaP – the hottest blond ever? Sebastian from Kleypas' Devil In Winter. *swoon* As far as real-life men, Rupert Penry-Jones, Cary Elwes (when he was younger), and Jude Law are all beyond gorgeous.
I can't wait to read about another blond hero of yours!
May 9th, 2010 at 10:04 am
oooh…jude law & matthew mcconaghey are good ones! how did i forget them?
and, of course, Lisa Kleypas's Sebastian…yum yum. The first romance hero I actually fantasized about in real life.
May 9th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Daniel Craig is one of the most manly man blondes.
And you are definitely not the only Nikolaj Coster-Waldau fan out there from New Amsterdam. His Virtuality TV series went no further than a movie of the week, but I am thrilled that he landed a big role (Jamie) in the upcoming HBO series Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin's fantasy books.
I'm devouring Nine Rules this weekend, and I've laughed and cried. You're a wonderful writer, and it's killing me that I have to wait till October for the next one!
May 10th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
All the ones I could think of were mentioned already.
I married a true blonde–blonde hair, blue-green eyes :) His dad's side of the family is Danish and all of his aunts and uncles are blonde too.
May 10th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
I'll play!
Viggo Mortensen
Sean Bean
Sigh
And add me to those who think Sebastian is the best Kleypas hero ever.
May 22nd, 2012 at 10:25 am
Tall, dark and handsome is such a literary cliche. Why do women prefer it in books, when in real life, what women would truly blow off a gorgeous blond or brown-haired hunk. Redford is a classic example, More recently Skarsgard (blond) or over-forty,but hot Timothy Oliphant (lighter brown) would never be kicked to the curb in real life.