ANDOVER - It's been called one of the most-anticipated magazine releases of the year.
The widely read list often includes major Hollywood celebrities known for their heartbreaking good looks - George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio.
But ladies of the Merrimack Valley, take note - this year's edition of People magazine's "100 Sexiest Men Alive" also includes three locals.
Among those considered sexy enough for the list is Michael Chiklis, an Andover native and star of the television show "The Shield." Plum Island's Keith Ablow, 45, and West Newbury native John Cena, 28, a fledgling movie star and World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler, are also included in the magazine spread.
Chiklis, an Emmy Award winner, once played for the Andover High School football team. Now 43, he plays Vic Mackey, an LAPD detective with questionable morals, on the gritty police show. In the early 1990s he played "The Commish" and more recently starred as The Thing in the "Fantastic Four" movie.
Chiklis was named, among several other celebrities, in the "Sexy Surprises: Bald and Beautiful" category.
The widely read list often includes major Hollywood celebrities known for their heartbreaking good looks - George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio.
But ladies of the Merrimack Valley, take note - this year's edition of People magazine's "100 Sexiest Men Alive" also includes three locals.
Among those considered sexy enough for the list is Michael Chiklis, an Andover native and star of the television show "The Shield." Plum Island's Keith Ablow, 45, and West Newbury native John Cena, 28, a fledgling movie star and World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler, are also included in the magazine spread.
Chiklis, an Emmy Award winner, once played for the Andover High School football team. Now 43, he plays Vic Mackey, an LAPD detective with questionable morals, on the gritty police show. In the early 1990s he played "The Commish" and more recently starred as The Thing in the "Fantastic Four" movie.
Chiklis was named, among several other celebrities, in the "Sexy Surprises: Bald and Beautiful" category.
Also named in the same category was Ablow - author and host of the "Dr. Keith Ablow Show," which airs weekdays on Fox 25. He was praised for making "hairless hot."
"I was very surprised," Ablow said. "I was glad I was competing against the bald men."
Ablow was flattered to be included in the magazine's top picks but admits he won't be sending copies of People's newest issue - which hit newsstands Thanksgiving day - to his family and friends.
"I think my mother's going to take care of that part," Ablow said with a laugh. Just in case he didn't pick up his own copy, his talk show producer made sure to deliver several copies of the issue to his dressing room, Ablow said.
Ablow joined the talk show circuit last fall, filming segments from New York City's Rockefeller Center. On a show just a few weeks ago, Ablow poked fun at his bald look during an episode that discussed the attractiveness of bald men. Often referred to as the next "Dr. Phil," Ablow gently spoofed him by superimposing TV couch-psych Dr. Phil McGraw's trademark receding brown hair and brown mustache over his own picture.
Apparently Dr. Phil's distinctive half-bald look didn't cut it with People - he wasn't included in the 100 sexiest men list.
Ablow said his family and friends have taken his newest title in stride - after all, they're still getting used to seeing him on television and in the public eye.
"They think it's fun," Ablow said.
And his wife, Debbie, wants the credit for his appearance. She was the one who first suggested Ablow shave his head. He started shaving his head about eight years ago - only 20 years after he lost his hair while in medical school.
And his mother's reaction to his son's newest honor?
A typical "doting and adoring mother," (who has never missed one of his shows, he learned over Thanksgiving dinner), she was quick to remind him, "I always told you how handsome you were," Ablow said with another laugh.
Meanwhile, Ablow is approaching his honor by People with good-natured humor.
"We're not deluged with calls or letters or offers of maidens," he said. "We're looking forward to next year and doing battle with men with hair."
Cena, a WWE champion and actor with his own rap CD, is lauded for his "sexy" eyes. In addition to his spot in the magazine, a video clip of Cena is now running on People.com, where the wrestler shares his best date ever and discusses his luck with women. Cena stars in the new movie "The Marine," now in theaters.
Cena plays John Titan, a Marine who returns home from Iraq with an injury, only to embark on a new mission when his wife is kidnapped. He couldn't be reached for comment.
