Colin Firth: The Thinking Ladies' Leading Man

Object of Desire
In an age when most women believe that chivalry is dead, Colin Firth has cemented in our minds a fleeting image of a modern knight in shining armor. Although he has expressed discomfort with being called a sex symbol, his popularity on both sides of the Atlantic is undeniable. Unfortunately for women, he is married to a beautiful Italian, Livia Giuggiolli, and in a recent interview on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, Firth professed his commitment to his wife of 15 years: "It does help to actually realize that however stunning the person who is, you know, fluttering eyelashes at you, she doesn't do anything to match up to your wife."

• 2011 TIME 100: Colin Firth