Frankly, I just wanted to put up a picture of Lee Pace in glasses for my girlfriend. And absolutely not for me!

I am shamed and saddened that Lee Pace wasn’t the first to be on my list of mancrushes, but, then again, that would make it kind of obvious that I have a crush on him, huh?  The good thing about this mancrush?  You don’t just have to take my word for it this time!  Check it out!

If you look up Lee Pace on IMDb and check out the user comments, you see thread after thread inquiring about his sexuality.  Personally, I don’t give a shit.  Honestly, do I care if the man who played Ned the Piemaker is straight or not?  Doesn’t detract from the performance one jot!  Amongst these threads, though, I discovered many a straight man (or, at least professed to be straight) who all have crushes on Mr. Pace.  I’m uncertain as to why this is.  Is it his talent as an actor?  I mean, I think Michael Caine is a fine actor, but I don’t have a crush on him.  Is it that he’s easy on the eyes?  Nope…plenty of better looking actors out there.  Is it the diverse, quirky roles he’s played?  Ah…now I think we’re on to something.

I, like many people first noticed Lee Pace in Wonderfalls, which I expounded on when talking about Tracie Thoms earlier this week, so I won’t go into the show much more.  Lee brought a kind of daffy sense to his part of a questioning, theology major older brother.  Though he and Caroline Dhavernas  and Amy Finneran look nothing alike, you buy that they’re all siblings.  That’s how well they worked together.  For his part in Wonderfalls, it was refreshing to see a character mention religion so much without being bogged down in Pro/Con zealotry.

He carries off two guns even with all that mascara! Manly!

After that, I was promised The Fall for some time, and while it took awhile for this magnificent film to make the rounds (indeed, to even get made), it was genuinely worth the years long wait.  Here, Lee plays the part of an injured actor who weaves himself into a story he tells a little girl.  While you despair for the reality of the movie, you await the fantastic parts of it with aplomb.  Or, at least, I did.  I’ve never wished more that I was in shape so that I could wear a Blue Bandit costume!

So, let’s get to the meat(pie) of it and discuss one of the best, most fanciful shows ever created, Pushing Daisies.  Here, along with future hot nerd crushes Kristin Chenoweth and Anna Friel (and not with more than a little help from Chi McBride), Mr. Pace’s character of Ned the Piemaker with the ability to ressurect the dead for one minute, is television that was truly worth watching.  When it was cancelled, for the first time, did I ever want to truly weep over the demise of a show.  Ned is understated, quietly passionate, fastidious, and a genuinely amazing person in this show about a man with fantastic powers who manages to convince everyone that they’re unique in some way.  He also added a bit of melancholy to the part that was much needed in my estimation.

He's so pretty I want to...oh, who am I kidding. I can't stay mad at that face.

Certainly, almost every role he’s played has been amazing.  There was Scottie in Soldier’s Girl.  There’s that Possession movie he was in with Sarah Michelle Gellar that we may or may not get to see some time in the future.  He has a score of films on the horizon.  Personally, I can’t wait to see what else he can offer us, what with what he’s done so far being so amazing.

So, as far as hot nerd mancrushes go, this one’s pretty hot.  Check him out, and you will in no way be disappointed with ANYTHING he’s done.  Trust me!

Now those are the biceps...sorry, acting ability. I meant acting ability of a real man!

As far as mancrushes go, this one’s a doozy.  Why, you ask?  Well, Firefly is one of my favorite shows of all time.  A big, big part of that was the Captain, Malcolm Reynolds, his fall from grace, and his handling of his very hectic lifestyle with a dark humor.  While I know that part was written with someone else in mind, I can’t see anyone but Nathan Fillion in the part.  Then I got to thinking about it.  I can’t see anyone other than Nathan Fillion in all of his parts.

I first noticed Mr. Fillion on Two Guys and a Girl, where he was stealing scenes from Ryan Reynolds.  I’ll say that again…HE STOLE SCENES FROM RYAN REYNOLDS.  Ryan Reynolds has been known to steal entire films from bigger stars, and yet he couldn’t hold his ground against Nathan Fillion as Johnny, the jukebox repairman, later building manager who managed to steal Traylor Howard’s heart.  After that, it seemed like he was in almost every movie I watched.  He was in Saving Private Ryan, he was in Blast From the Past (playing a cheeseball douchebag…He’s good at that, you’ve noticed?).  Come to find out, that of course he was in these movies before Two Guys and a Girl…you just didn’t really notice him.  He blended in, which is what the best character actors do.  But Nathan was built for better things.

Those pants are really, really tight!

As Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly and Serenity, Nathan Fillion showed the world the he was a leading actor to contend with, but he showed us something else as well.  He was gracious to his fans, he seemed to love going to conventions, and his mother confirmed that Nathan Fillion, is, in fact, a huge nerd.  He’s one of us!  And, he doesn’t shy away from it.  He hangs it out for all of us to see.  After the cruel injustice that was the cancellation of Firefly, Nathan turned up as creepy, seemingly indestructible preacher Caleb in the last season of Buffy (he had auditioned for the role of Angel when the show started).  After Firefly, it seemed, his fuse was lit, and soon he would be a household name, not just to nerds and dorks (and the occasional housefrau…he was a soap actor, after all), but to everyone!

He was in Waitress, a sharp, witty, dark, little amazing film.  He IS Bill Pardy, the sherriff with the unusually large bowel movements from Slither, and, he was cruelly ripped from the world of television again when Fox decided to pull the plug on yet another great Tim Minear show, Drive.  And, of course, the day needed his saving expertise as Captain Hammer, the singing cheeseball that thwarts the best laid plans of Dr. Horrible with car throwing. (As I’ve gushed over Dr. Horrible enough, I’ll not do it here…but, see Dr. Horrible the first chance you get.)  He was the voice of Vigilante on Justice League Unlimited, as well as Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman movie that debuted last year, and he brings to his voice work the same comedic touches that he does to his live action roles…Look at Halo 3, where he plays Sgt. Reynolds.  That’s just too funny to me!  (He returns in Halo 3:  ODST, by the way.)

Cheese has never looked better!

Right now, as of this writing, Nathan Fillion has his hands full playing Rick Castle on ABC’s Castle.  He plays the part of a mystery writer who tags along with the cops to help solve some crimes and get some inspiration for further books.  Trust me when I say that this show does not work without Nathan Fillion in it.

He’s a beautiful man, he’s a great actor and philanthropist (Kids Need To Read, as Nathan has pointed out.) And, he’s taken my picture more than once!  That’s right, I’ve met Nathan Fillion.  And, to make you even more jealous, I shook his hand.  That’s right…I’ve touched Nathan Fillion!  At Dragon Con, he snapped a picture of my two Horrible groupies (I was trying to get in frame, but I was drunk, and that Dr. Horrible costume is a bitch!), and again, when I went to get his autograph, he liked my Seymour Krelborn costume so much that snapped a picture of it! Wheee!

Alex Tully, Captain Hammer, Johnny, Mal Reynolds, Caleb, Rick Castle….I love you all!!!  (And, yes, I’ll post the link to the Castle episode where he dressed like a Space Cowboy…How could I not.  It was just so great to see him back in the Malcolm Reynolds costume!)

(And, of note for me, Nathan Fillion was in the Firefly panel that I proposed to my girlfriend at.  So, he was there when I asked ThatCostumeGirl to marry me.  He just doesn’t know it.  Also, if anyone out there is considering making a WKRP  movie…Nathan Fillion IS Andy the program director…got that?)

Alright! Everyone out of the pool...Except for you, Neil. Carry on.

When I asked ThatCostumeGirl whether or not it was weird that I was picking an openly gay man for one of my mancrushes, she gave me the perfect response.  She huffed, rolled her eyes, and left the room.  Pretty appropriate response, I thought.  So, here he is, scene stealer and hot nerd mancrush:  Neil Patrick Harris!

NPH was born in New Mexico in 1973.  Now, I’ve only ever flown over New Mexico, but I’ll say this.  There should probably be a statue to the awesomeness that is Mr. Harris on the very spot he was born.  You know…like in Rocky.  That way, whenever he feels down, he can drive up and chuck a motorcycle helmet at it dramatically.   The first film he turns up in is the Whoopi Goldberg vehicle Clara’s Heart.  It would be the next year, however, that he was ceremoniously dropped in our laps, so to speak, as the young doctor wunderkind Doogie Howser, MD.  Like many others, this was my introduction to Neil Patrick Harris, but beyond that…what a great show this was!  You got to see a fully credentialed doctor grow up in front of you!  We saw him lose his virginity, save some lives, and give his girlfriend a pelvic exam!  He was living the dream, man!  The dream!  (Okay, that’s not the dream, nor should it ever be…but, it was a cool show.)

After that, Neil removes himself from the public eye a bit.  He finishes high school in California, and goes to hone his craft (shit…I can’t believe I just typed that…forgive me english language…And Neil!) onstage.  Most fantastic was his performace in Rent, in 1997, something he is still remembered for today!  He returned to the bigscreen to play Commander Carl in Starship Troopers, damn near stealing the entire show from the principles.  The principles being huge CGI bugs that were “AFRAID!!!” of Carl.  He had very little screen time in the movie Undercover Brother (Seeing him once again with his Starship Troopers costar Denise Richards), but he damn near takes the entire show.  Honestly…did you ever think in your life you’d see Neil Patrick Harris crush someone’s skull?  I didn’t, but, thank you Undercover Brother.  Thank you for providing me with the oppurtunity! 

Oooh...Butch!

The man has done so many things throughout his career, and done them all so well, that’s it’s hard not to have a mancrush on him, truly.  He was the voice of Peter Parker in Spider-Man.  He played…well, Neil Patrick Harris (honestly, check the credits.  It doesn’t say Himself, as most credits would…it says Neil Patrick Harris, and on IMDb, is credited with an entirely new character named after him.) in both Harold and Kumar films, and robs the movies from the title characters!   He was on Sesame Street….okay, it was as a shoe fairy, but it was still awesome!  And, speaking of awesome, let’s get to the big two, shall we?

In 2005, How I Met Your Mother premiered, and introduced the world to Barney Stinson.  Man’s man, ladies’ man…tailor’s man.  With his custom tailored suits and penchant for casual sex and awesomeness he became a role model to several impressionable young men.  Granted, they probably haven’t all lived that long after adopting his lifestyle, but I bet they all had fun going down.  And, of course, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog.  With his heartbreaking portrayal of a young supervillain in love, Neil manages to sneak off with the show from spotlight hog Nathan Fillion before all is said and done. 

Barney Stinson IS The Naked Man. Works 2 out of 3 times!

In the end, I guess you could say he’s a mancrush because I’m just so damned jealous of the man.  First off, he looks the way he looks!  He sings the way he sings, and he acts the way he acts.  He’s not in the least afraid to make fun of himself as he has on SNL and HIMYM.  Throw in the fact that he’s been in a stable relationship with the same person for several years now, and yes, he can proudly say “I’m the guy all the girls want…and all the guys too!”

Also, of note, and I’ll post video for it below, on Batman:  The Brave and the Bold, he’s playing a villain called The Music Meister, and while I’ve always been impressed with his singing (I mean, come on…how many award shows did he host last year?  And he sang at least one song for all of them!) I’ve never been more impressed with his range and vocal acrobatics as I have been in this role.

So, there it is.  I’m straight, and I’ll fully admit to having  a big crush on Neil Patrick Harris.  The question you should ask yourself is…why don’t you?

Finally, a man I can bring home to Mom! Wait...what?

Alright, I’ve hit this subject back and forth with ThatCostumeGirl all week.  See, here’s the thing.  I’m confident in my straight sexuality, certainly.  But, I have to say that there are some damn attractive man nerds out there, and hey, I can say another man’s attractive without wanting to sleep with them…mostly!

With that in mind, let’s have a look at ManWithPez’s first Mancrush feature, Alexis Denisof!

First off, I’ma let him finish, but he’s married to one of the hottest women of all time!  Of ALL TIME!  That’s right, Hot Nerd Crush #1 Alyson Hannigan.  But, that’s not enough for a mancrush, no!  It should be…but it isn’t!  He’s also a skilled actor and former music video star!

Born in Maryland in 1966, young Alexis was raised in Seattle (the one in Washington) where his mother teaches Drama.  I’m supposing that she gave some lessons to her boy.  That, or he’s just a freakish mutant actor, born with all that talent.  He put it to good use in his first major public appearance, as a boy trying to get the girl in George Harrison’s “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You” video.  No, not the one that looks like it was shot on the set of Evil Dead 2!  The other one with the ballerina in the arcade!  I’m not certain, but this could’ve been when he was studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic art.  Or after…I couldn’t be bothered to look it up.  He did live in London for 13 years before returning to a real country…I’m sorry…I meant the United States.  Hey!  I kid…I kid because I love.  When he came back to America, he was in Noah’s Ark with Ted Dansen and Mary Steenburgen (Steenburgen will, more than likely be a Hot Nerd Crush later on.  Hold your horses.)  who let him bum it up on their couch.  So, in the end, you can say they actually contributed something worthwhile to history besides Made in America or Elf.

Soon after, he was cast as horrible Watcher, but better rogue demon-hunter Wesley Wyndam-Pryce!   Sure, he had the hots for a teenager, and he was an awful Watcher for Faith, but he wasn’t in his element.  After Buffy, he headed over to spinoff Angel, where he would become the most dynamic character in any of Joss Whedon’s works.  Wesley goes from ineffectual nerd to kickass demon killer nerd who is a believable enemy to all powerful foe lawfirm Wolfram and Hart.  Also, he eventually got That One Girl, in the form of Winifred Burkle (Did he keep her?  I won’t tell, but I will say this is a Joss Whedon show, so you do the math.)  After that, he turns up in his wife’s series How I Met Your Mother, diversifying what we’ve seen of him by playing an emptyheaded news reporter named….no shit…Sandy Rivers. 

So, let’s get down to it.  Okay…he’s easy on the eyes.  Even mine.  And not in an overly or underly manly way.  That’s why he was voted the third sexiest man in the Buffy/Angelverse.  See, it wasn’t just straight women and gay men who were voting for him.  Straight men, like myself, who can say Alexis is a sex machine without wanting to bed him, also got him that…uh…third place.  Look at it this way.  He’s played a nerd, nerds (men and women) love him…and he’s putting the shoes to Alyson Hannigan.

The bastard.  The pretty, pretty bastard.

Sigh.