I think a lot of us are at an age where we’ve probably had about a million and one crushes, a lot of those coming from movies and TV shows that populated our childhoods. It’s likely that many of our unrealistic expectations started with these boys, but would we really take it back if we could?
1. Jason Dolley
It doesn’t get much more adorable than Jason. He was a Disney Channel staple with stints on the shows Cory in the House and Good Luck Charlie, as well as appearances in the movies Read it and Weep, Minutemen and Hatching Pete. I don’t know about you, but I could never get enough of his floppy blonde hair and sweet smile with every role he played.
2. Tom Welling
Can we just talk about Tom as eldest brother Charlie in Cheaper by the Dozen? Holy heck, what a babe in a baseball cap (although, sorry, couldn’t quite believe he was supposed to be a hick). Not gonna lie, one of my favorite parts of the second movie was when he got involved with Anne Murtaugh and teased her about her lower back tattoo. How stinkin’ cute is that?
3. William Moseley
Hey look! Another cute older brother! Although Peter was constantly bossing around his siblings in Narnia, I didn’t really care at age eight; all I saw was a cute blonde British boy there to save the day. Most recently appearing in The Royals, this hunk has only gotten finer with age.
4. Freddie Highmore
His name is even adorable. This dark-haired Brit has a large repertoire of work that you’ve probably forgotten about. From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to August Rush and The Spiderwick Chronicles, it was hard not to be totally endeared by this sweet boy’s face and precious little ears that stick out.
5. Sean Faris
Sean is probably most recognized for the cute mole right at the corner of his lip. Like Tom Welling, he is best known for playing a brooding older brother in a big fam in Yours, Mine, and Ours. He was also the homecoming king in Sleepover who wooed his way into our hearts (and Julia’s cute treehouse).
6. Max Thierot
This blondie was another to grace the screen in some of our favorite childhood movies. He played alongside a young Kristen Stewart in Catch That Kid and was a misunderstood theater nerd in The Pacifier. Regardless of his role, he charmed us with his quiet, nerdy self. Now he frequents horror films. What’s up with that?
7. Golan Yosef
Dance. With. Me. Cheetah Girls 2 was probably all we ever saw him in, but that was enough to reel us in. With a suave accent and dance moves, I was hooked from the first moment he opened his mouth and kissed Dorinda’s hand. Can he be in more movies please?
8. Luke Benward
Luke is another boy who was in a large amount of our favorite childhood movies, including Minutemen alongside Jason Dolley. He was also in How to Eat Fried Worms, and while you may have thought he was a gross boy with cooties at the time, it would be worth your while to see what he looks like now. Seriously, take the time to look him up ASAP. *hella heart eyes*
9. Oliver James
This British bad boy was a 2000s movie staple. From Raise Your Voice to What a Girl Wants, Oliver would reassure his leading ladies that there was nothing better to be than yourself. We could all use a guy like that in our lives.
10. Michael Rady
Kostos is pretty unforgettable, so he’s on this list just in case you needed a reminder. Michael’s performance in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants as the hot foreign boy who sees Lena makes up for the fact that he’s not Greek in real life (although he was in the show Greek for a time).
Regardless of your taste, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all had a crush on at least one of these guys. And luckily, they’re all still hot or got even hotter since the early 2000s. Which of your childhood crushes did I forget about?