CelebsNews

The 2011 AfterEllen.com Hot 100

Yes, it’s that time again. It’s the day we reveal the results of your voting efforts for our annual AfterEllen.com Hot 100 list! Rounding up photos of 100 of the most beautiful women in the world is a tough job, but we’re always willing to take on the most challenging of tasks for our loyal readers.

Since we first invited you to vote in our Hot 100 poll back in 2007, your tastes have always been diverse and substantive, making for a far more compelling read than the Hot 100 list Maxim cranks out each year (which served as the original inspiration for this list).

Without revealing too much, we can tell you that many of the women in the top 10 this year were just barely on your radar last year. Most of them are best known for their television roles.

Musicians, many of them identifying as bisexual or lesbian, also made a strong showing this year. In fact, we’re happy to report that nearly one third of the list this year is comprised of out women, and one of those women makes her first ever appearance on the list by landing a spot in the top 10. (For the record, we consider celebrities to be out when they have spoken publicly about their attraction to and/or relationships with other women.)

As is often the case, many of the heterosexual celebrities who made the list this year are beloved for their portrayal of lesbian/bi women in film and television. Even those women who’ve taken on roles that only hinted at lesbian/bi subtext are consistently rewarded with your votes. Some of the television shows in which they appeared have been off the air for over a decade. If the Hot 100 list is any indication, the loyalty of lesbian and bisexual fans has no expiration date!

Peruse the list and let us know what you think. Did your fellow readers get it right this time around? Feel free to share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. If you feel moved sound off in the comments below, please don’t reveal the winner in the comment subject line, since some of our readers enjoy the element of surprise.

If you’re curious which guys our brothers over at AfterElton.com voted for, check out the 2011 AfterElton.com Hot 100.

Now on to the results! 100. Jessie J   99. Laurel Holloman

  98. Katja Nyberg   97. Meryl Streep   96. Paula Patton  

95. Penelope Cruz   94. Bridget McManus   93. Zoe Saldana  

92. Alyson Hannigan   91. Jodie Foster   90. Ani DiFranco  

89. Jill Jackson   88. Summer Glau   87. Megan Prescott  

86. Missy Higgins   85. Jillian Michaels   84. Rachel McAdams  

83. Cate Blanchett   82. Sofia Vergara   81. Gabrielle Christian  

80. Hayley Williams   79. Eva Green   78. Yvonne Strahovski  

77. Troian Bellisario   76. Piper Perabo   75. Cheryl Cole  

74. Holly Miranda   73. Elly Jackson   72. Ruby Rose  

71. Scarlett Johansson   70. Zooey Deschanel   69. Nadia Bjorlin  

68. Emma Stone   67. Lindsay Lohan   66. Brandi Carlile  

65. Jane Lynch   64. Ruta Gedmintas   63. Keira Knightley  

62. Stana Katic   61. Sasha Alexander   60. Emily Deschanel  

59. Kasia Borek   58. Pink   57. Michelle Rodriguez  

56. Mandy Musgrave   55. Nicole Pacent   54. Jessica Clark  

53. Eliza Dushku   52. Lady Gaga   51. Mariska Hargitay  

50. Megan Fox   49. Jordana Brewster   48. Angie Harmon  

47. Anna Torv   46. Emily Blunt   45. Freja Beha Erichsen  

44. Lisa Ray   43. Eréndira Ibarra   42. Renée O’Connor  

41. Kate Winslet   40. Crystal Chappell   39. Tucky Williams  

38. Angelina Jolie   37. Sheetal Sheth   36. Evan Rachel Wood   35. Natalie Portman  

34. Ellen DeGeneres   33. Emma Watson   32. Archie Panjabi  

31. Leisha Hailey   30. Chely Wright   29. Tina Fey  

28. Sarah Shahi   27. Kristen Stewart   26. Lucy Lawless  

25. Lucy Scherer   24. Brooke Vincent   23. Anna Paquin  

22. Rachel Maddow   21. Katherine Moennig   20. Portia de Rossi  

19. Mila Kunis   18. Heather Peace   17. Lena Headey  

16. Sacha Parkinson   15. Ellen Page   14. Kathryn Prescott  

13. Jennifer Beals   12. Tegan Quin   11. Sara Quin  

10. Lea Michele From a child actor on Broadway to the face (and voice) of the most popular television show in the world, Lea Michelle has already had one hell of a career in her young 24 years. Over the past two, Lea’s voice has become a household sound. We could pick it out of any line-up. And she uses her pipes for more than profit. Lea has performed for the Human Rights Campaign and for True Colors Cabaret, both charities that promote LGBT equality. She also landed on nearly every “best-dressed” and “influential celebrities” list in 2010. We think this Glee star has an EGOT in her future, and we’ll be with her all the way.

9. Lily Loveless Out of sight, out of mind? Not if you’ve won us over like the incomparable Lily Loveless. It’s been an entire year since Loveless shared a screen with Kat Prescott as one half of lesbian supercouple Naomily, but that doesn’t mean we’ve taken our eyes off of her. We rallied around her short film, Seven PM. We caught her guest performances on Combat Kids and Bedlam. And we cheered with a collective voice when we heard that her new series, The Fades, has been picked up by BBC and BBC America for release later this year. We’re also still holding our breath for the long-rumored Skins film. And we’ll keep holding our breaths, even if it kills us.

8. Dianna Agron This year, Dianna Agron made her big-screen debut in the sci-fi thriller I Am Number Four, but it is the small-screen role of Quinn Fabray that keeps nudging her up our Hot 100 list. The soft-spoken Agron has a shockingly powerful voice, which she has proven over and over again during Glee‘s second season. Most recently, her “I Feel Pretty/Unpretty” mash-up with best buddy Lea Michele had our iPods stuck on repeat. Agron is a vegetarian and a vocal animal rights supporter, and if there’s anything we love more than a gorgeous gal, it’s a gorgeous gal holding a puppy.

7. Shay Mitchell If you’d told us last summer that Pretty Little Liars was going to have us swooning over its lesbian character, and shouting at the TV over its absurd drama, we would have laughed at you – but that was before we met Shay Mitchell. Mitchell’s portrayal of Emily Fields is pitch-perfect; she is the emotional anchor of ABC Family’s breakout drama. Off-screen, Mitchell has been a vocal supporter of the LGBT community, offering advice and support for teens who are coming to terms with their sexuality, and attending various charity events. She even reached out to Glee‘s Naya Rivera over Twitter, suggesting a lesbian love story cross-over between Santana and Emily. We approve!

6. Amber Heard The 25-year-old out actress from Texas may be having the best year ever. She starred in the big budget action flick Drive Angry opposite Nicolas Cage, was named the new face of GUESS? and was cast as the star of NBC’s provocative new pilot The Playboy Club. Heard was active in equal rights campaigns, including the boycott of Target for its donation of funds to an anti-gay politician. She also chose a GLAAD event to be the place she officially discussed her sexuality on the record. A stunning beauty with acting chops and something to say, we couldn’t be more proud to have Heard in our top 10.

 

5. Olivia Wilde Last year’s Hot 100 list topper may have slipped a few notches, but it’s not because we love her any less. The House star took a break from television this year to work on films like Tron Legacy and Cowboys and Aliens and to grace the covers of several women’s magazines, proving that the world at large finally knows what we have since we first saw her on The O.C.: Olivia Wilde is hot. For the record, it’s not just her eyes or her smile (or her banging body), we also appreciate her philanthropy and willingness to stand up for causes she believes in, especially the education and health of Haitians. And the good news is she’ll be back for the eighth season of House in the fall.

 

4. Sara Ramirez We’ve been lucky enough to see Sara Ramirez play Callie Torres every Thursday night since 2006, and it didn’t take long for us to fall for them both. As Callie on Grey’s Anatomy, Ramirez plays a doctor with strong convictions in both her personal and professional lives. In reality, she’s a woman who supports her character’s bisexuality, and dazzled us with her singing talent on her debut EP this year. But it is on the ABC show that Ramirez really shines, with recent musical and wedding episodes focusing on her and her on-screen wife (played by Jessica Capshaw). Her performance of Brandi Carlile‘s “The Story” on Grey’s Anatomy gave us chills, and turned out to be one of the most lesbian moments ever seen on TV.

 

3. Jessica Capshaw It’s hard to believe we met Dr. Arizona Robbins just three years ago. Maybe it’s because we were struck by Jessica Capshaw’s enigmatic and sexy persona on The L Word only a short time before, and couldn’t get her out of our consciousness. The 34-year-old blonde renewed our hopes in Grey’s Anatomy and Callie’s love life, stealing her heart (and ours) when we needed it most. For that, we thank series creator Shonda Rimes, but mostly Ms. Capshaw herself, who plays one of the most captivating lesbian characters ever seen on primetime television.

 

2. Heather Morris Was it her quirky portrayal of Brittany S. Pierce that secured Heather Morris’ spot on our Hot 100 list this year, or was it her sexy remake of Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U” and “Me Against the Music” that did the trick? Both, probably. Heather’s comedic timing has us guffawing at Brittany’s one-liners every week on Glee. And her killer dance moves (and abs!) have us tripping over one another to get to Tumblr for recap images after each episode airs. This year, Heather became a Celebrity Style Ambassador for FLIRT! Cosmetics, and posed for the cover of Women’s Health. She also was promoted to a series regular on Glee. From our lips to Ryan Murphy‘s ears – finally our prayers are being heard!

1. Naya Rivera When Glee‘s writers penned their little bicurous throwaway joke – “Having sex is not dating.” “If it were, Santana and I would be dating.” – they had no idea it would launch the Good Ship Brittana, or that it would set Naya Rivera on a trajectory to the top of our Hot 100 list. Glee‘s lesbian fandom flame (stoked often by Naya, herself) would not be quenched, and in the second half of the show’s sophomore season, the writers finally decided to define Santana’s sexuality, making her the highest profile lesbian on primetime TV. And boy, has Naya Rivera sold it. Whether she’s wowing us with her vocals, or wooing us with her million-watt smile, or warming our hearts with her commitment to Santana, or waxing poetic about the LGBT community as host of the GLAAD Media Awards, we just can’t get enough. Lucky for us, Naya Rivera’s career has only just begun.

What do you think of the Hot 100 list this year? Did your favorite women make the cut?

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button