By Jessica Wedemeyer
7:35am PST, Feb 9, 2021
To mark Nick Nolte's 80th birthday on Feb. 8, 2021, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at our favorite good-looking leading men of yesteryear when they were young. Keep reading to take a walk down memory lane, starting with this shot… It's been nearly five long decades since Nick starred in 1977's "The Deep." If only we could turn back time! Keep reading for more…
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Check out Clint Eastwood back in 1955, the same year he made his big-screen debut. Yowza!
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Speaking of Brad Pitt… When he appeared opposite Geena Davis in 1991's "Thelma & Louise," Brad solidified himself as a Hollywood heartthrob for decades to come.
Richard Gere has always been incredibly good-looking. The "Pretty Woman" star looks like a total hunk in this still from 1977's "Looking for Mr. Goodbar."
James Earl Jones looked H-O-T in 1963 opposite Diana Sands in "East Side/West Side."
Those eyes! That hair! Alec Baldwin looked gorgeous — and a little Ryan Gosling-esque — on the set of "Knots Landing" in 1985.
Howdy, cowboy! Tom Selleck raised temperatures on 1982's "The Shadow Riders."
We're not gonna lie: We've always had a crush on Benicio Del Toro. After seeing this pic of him as a young James Bond villain in 1989's "License to Kill," you'll understand why!
Let's be honest — Denzel Washington has always been a dreamboat! He's seen here during a photoshoot in the '80s. During that decade, the Academy Award-winning actor appeared in films like "Carbon Copy," "Power," "Cry Freedom" and "Glory."
Mel Gibson launched his acting career back in the late '70s, but he's been through so much since then that we often forget how he became such a huge star in the first place. Here's a reminder: Once upon a time — specifically in 1981's "Gallipoli" — Mel was a total hottie!
Let's just say Sean Connery wasn't cast to portray James Bond throughout the '60s because he was bad-looking. Here he is in 1957's "Hell Drivers."
No matter how old Harrison Ford gets, we'll always remember him when he looked like this in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde" — and when he portrayed two of pop culture's hottest heroes: Indiana Jones and Han Solo.
We've always wondered how Jon Voight spawned the beauty that is Angelina Jolie. After taking a look back at him in 1969's "Midnight Cowboy," we finally get it.
Back in the day, Al Pacino was a stud. He had a handsome-meets-broody thing going on in the 1971 drama "Panic in Needle Park."
Hello, Christopher Walken! The Oscar winner wasn't always known for his crazy hair and even crazier eyes. He was just crazy good-looking back in 1976's "Next Stop, Greenwich Village."
Robert De Niro was lookin' good in 1971's "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight."
Swoon! Now we know why a young Warren Beatty broke so many hearts early in his Hollywood career.
Kids these day may not understand why Johnny Depp was once considered the hottest man in Hollywood. Well, just look at those cheekbones circa 1990 when he starred in "Cry-Baby."
Back in 1975, Chevy Chase looked like the sexy yet silly love child of Harrison Ford and Andy Samberg. Yum!
Get a load of Martin Sheen opposite Sissy Spacek in 1973's "Badlands." He looks like James Dean, no?
Constant hard partying and binging on tiger blood did nothing for Charlie Sheen's looks. But boy, was he hot in 1988's "Young Guns."
After you've seen this still of Jack Nicholson in 1963's "The Raven," you'll understand why his list of alleged romantic conquests includes Anjelica Huston, Michelle Phillips, Janice Dickinson, Lara Flynn Boyle, Rita Moreno, first lady of Canada Margaret Trudeau, Angie Everhart, Julie Delpy, Joni Mitchell, Marg Helgenberger, Kate Moss and more.
Yes, Pierce Brosnan has always been gorgeous. He looked dapper in a promotional photo for "Remington Steele" back in the '80s.
How cute was John Slattery in the '90s? The "Mad Men" and "Sex and the City" silver fox is pictured here filming an episode of the series "Under Cover" in 1990. From his adorable round specs to his curly dark hair, what's not to love?
There was a time where Dustin Hoffman was thought to be one of the hunkiest men in Hollywood. Considering the way he looks in the iconic 1972 film "The Graduate," we definitely understand why.
William Shatner might be more silly than sexy these days, but there's a reason Captain Kirk was such a hit with the ladies!
Nearly 20 years before he won an Oscar for "The Silence of the Lambs," Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins looked young and handsome as he posed for a portrait in 1971 — just a few years after he made a name for himself on the London stage and in the film "The Lion in Winter."
We've absolutely adored Ian McKellen for a while now — even before we realized that back in 1974, he looked like this!
In addition to being a total inspiration, Sylvester Stallone was also a brooding hunk early in his career. When "Rocky" came out in 1976, the world got its first dose of the multi-talented actor.
Another undisputed '80s heartthrob? None other than Perry King. Best known for his work on the series "Riptide" and in the film "The Hasty Heart," which also earned him a Golden Globe nomination, Perry's suave look made audiences swoon.
If you've seen him in 1987's "Dirty Dancing," then you'll understand why Patrick Swayze was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1991. The late actor was undeniably talented and handsome — it's no wonder the "Ghost" star was one of Hollywood's most beloved romantic leads.
If only Mickey Rourke hadn't sustained injuries to his face during his stint as a professional boxer during the early '90s, he might still look like he did in "9 1/2 Weeks."
When we think rom-com, we think Hugh Grant. The English actor, who scored leading roles in notable romantic films like "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary," looked as charming as ever in 1994's "Four Weddings and A Funeral."
Who didn't have a crush on John Travolta as Danny Zuko in 1978's "Grease"?!
Don Johnson smoldered in a promotional photo for NBC's "Miami Vice" in 1984.
Back when he was a young man, Gary Oldman let loose his inner hipster in 1988's "We Think the World of You." And we liked it!
Jude Law's role as Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas in the 1997 Oscar Wilde biopic "Wilde" was an absolute success for the actor in more ways than one — while it launched him further into fame, it also established him as one of Hollywood's most dashing leading men.
While comedian Jon Stewart definitely looks good sporting silver hair nowadays, there was once a time when he rocked luscious brown locks! Pictured here at the premiere of "The Waterboy" in 1998, John looked super-handsome (and stylish).
It's been more than 30 years since we saw Daniel Day-Lewis in the 1988 film "Stars and Bars." The acclaimed actor was certainly easy on the eyes!
