I Heart James Marsden

I think that needs to be on a t-shirt or something.

James MarsdenIn a recent CNN interview, the actor who played Cyclops in the X-Men movies waxes on about how a guy’s clothes should never be wearing him and how sexy his wife’s neck is, but most especially about fatherhood, role models and how sex appeal is really about confidence not age:

What does your wife find sexy on you?

A button-front shirt with [baby] spit-up on the shoulder. That means a guy is taking care of the kids and is a good father — that’s sexy to a woman. The adult version of rose petals and champagne is if I let my wife sleep in and I get up to change the baby’s diaper, feed the kids, and do the dishes…

Who inspires you?

Paul Newman. My middle name is Paul, and my grandfather once said I was going to look like Paul Newman. That stuck with me. Beyond being a good-looking guy, Newman is a great actor with a long career, and he’s got a life. He’s married with kids and lives in Connecticut, sells popcorn and marinara sauce, and gives the money to charity…

Don’t you agree that guys have it easy — they are considered “distinguished” as they grow older?

I don’t think it’s guy-specific. As women get older, they become more comfortable with themselves. Susan Sarandon is the poster woman for that. A lot of guys fantasize about being with women who are in their forties or fifties.

I like that the interviewer asked not only what Marsden found sexy, but what the woman in his life found to be sexy — turning that gaze around for the audience.