Our Favorite TV Heartthrobs
Some characters just take over the screen the moment they walk in, whether they are leading a fantasy epic, chasing down a case, or trying to make sense of everyday life. The names below became fixtures in living rooms everywhere thanks to strong arcs, memorable dialogue, and stories that kept viewers coming back week after week.
Each entry highlights the role that made the actor a must watch presence and the details that cemented their place in television history. You will also see where the shows aired, since the networks and platforms behind them helped bring these performances to audiences around the world.
Kit Harington as Jon Snow
On ‘Game of Thrones’ he portrays a member of the Night’s Watch who rises from an outcast recruit to a central figure in the struggle for power across Westeros. The series aired on HBO and featured him across all eight seasons with extensive location shoots and large scale battle episodes.
Harington’s arc includes major revelations about his character’s family line, leadership at the Wall, and alliances with key houses. He also headlined episodes that combined political strategy with action, and he received multiple award nominations tied to this role.
Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
On ‘The Vampire Diaries’ he plays a centuries old vampire whose return to Mystic Falls sets off a chain of conflicts involving family, romance, and supernatural politics. The series ran on The CW and followed interconnected storylines that spanned eight seasons.
Somerhalder’s character anchors plots about brotherhood, redemption, and town history while crossing over with other characters from the same universe. He also directed episodes, adding behind the camera contributions to a show known for fast paced twists.
Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester
On ‘Supernatural’ he tracks monsters and demons with his brother while driving a classic car that became an icon for the series. The show aired on The CW and completed fifteen seasons with a mix of standalone cases and mythology heavy arcs.
Ackles’s character is linked to storylines involving angels, alternate worlds, and ancient lore. He frequently leads episodes that blend action with dark humor, and he returned to the franchise in a narrator role for a prequel series.
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson
On ‘This Is Us’ he plays a devoted father whose life story unfolds across multiple timelines that interweave past and present. The series aired on NBC and organized each season around family milestones and interconnected episodes.
Ventimiglia’s performance anchors arcs about adoption, military service, and career setbacks, while the character’s influence carries through to later generations. He received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for this role and appeared in key flashback installments that structure the show’s narrative puzzle.
Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey
On ‘White Collar’ he portrays a con artist who partners with an FBI agent to take down high level criminals while navigating his own complicated past. The series aired on USA Network and ran for six seasons with stylish heist plots and art world capers.
Bomer’s character is central to cases involving forged masterpieces, financial crimes, and international theft rings. The role features recurring arcs about a long running adversary and a quest for freedom, and he appears in crossover events within the network’s programming blocks.
Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar
On ‘Lucifer’ he plays the Devil who consults for the LAPD while exploring questions about identity, family, and free will. The show began on Fox before continuing on Netflix, expanding its run with additional seasons and musical set pieces.
Ellis’s character partners with a detective on cases that weave supernatural elements into procedural formats. The series deepens the mythology with storylines involving celestial politics, and the role includes episodes where he performs music that ties into character development.
Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset
On ‘Bridgerton’ he portrays the Duke of Hastings, whose pact to avoid marriage collides with high society rules during a London season filled with reputation and family pressure. The series streams on Netflix and adapts novels with lavish production design and orchestral pop covers.
Page appears in the first season as a romantic lead whose storyline intertwines with the Bridgerton family’s social maneuvering. His character’s background includes formative experiences with guardianship and inheritance, and he returns in references and ensemble moments that sustain continuity.
Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin
On ‘The Mandalorian’ he plays a bounty hunter who becomes guardian to a mysterious child while traveling from planet to planet on dangerous assignments. The series streams on Disney Plus and uses cutting edge virtual production to create expansive environments.
Pascal’s character connects to wider galactic events and shows up in crossover chapters with linked titles. He leads episodes that balance quiet character beats with action set pieces, and the role extends into guest appearances within the same franchise.
Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia
On ‘The Witcher’ he portrays a monster hunter who takes on contracts while navigating politics, prophecy, and a found family bond with a young princess and a sorceress. The series streams on Netflix and structures its early seasons with interwoven timelines that converge later.
Cavill performed signature sword choreography and starred across three seasons before the role continued with new casting. The character’s journey covers Witcher training, Continent wide conflicts, and alliances with mages and bards, with episodes often centered on specific folktale style contracts.
Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg
On ‘You’ he plays a bookstore manager and later a professor whose obsessive behavior drives him from one city to another as he tries to control every aspect of his life. The show premiered on Lifetime before moving to Netflix, where subsequent seasons expanded the story’s scope.
Badgley’s character narrates episodes that track his steps through shifting identities and social circles. The role features recurring elements such as glass cage set pieces, elaborate cover stories, and story arcs that end with sharp location resets.
Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd
On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ he plays a neurosurgeon whose career and relationships are central to hospital storylines that mix medical cases with personal stakes. The series airs on ABC and remains a long running staple with new residents and attendings joining over time.
Dempsey appears across eleven seasons with later special appearances that tie into milestone episodes. His character’s arc includes surgical innovations, conference storylines, and leadership roles, and he participates in crossover events with related titles set in the same universe.
Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery
On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ he portrays a plastic surgeon from a prominent medical family who advances through the hospital ranks while navigating complex professional expectations. The series airs on ABC and features multi episode arcs that connect surgical cases with character growth.
Williams joined in season six and later departed with a storyline that set up new philanthropic directions for the character. He returned for guest appearances tied to key events, and his arc intersects with board decisions, mentorship roles, and medical innovation plots.
Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson
On ‘Glee’ he plays a performer who transfers schools and becomes a central vocalist and leader in choir competitions that span regional and national stages. The series aired on Fox and featured reimagined pop hits alongside original numbers.
Criss’s character participates in episodes that highlight show choir rules, coaching changes, and rival team dynamics. He also anchors storylines about mentorship and school transitions, and his performances are featured on multiple soundtrack releases linked to the series.
Tyler Posey as Scott McCall
On ‘Teen Wolf’ he portrays a high school student turned werewolf who protects friends and family while dealing with hunters, alphas, and supernatural threats in his town. The series aired on MTV and combined coming of age plots with monster of the week challenges.
Posey leads an ensemble through six seasons, and the franchise later continued with a follow up film available on streaming. His character’s arc includes pack leadership, lacrosse team storylines, and alliances with banshees, kitsune, and other mythic figures.
Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
On ‘Bridgerton’ he plays the eldest Bridgerton sibling whose duty to his family collides with matters of the heart during London’s social season. The series streams on Netflix and each season centers on a different couple while maintaining ongoing family subplots.
Bailey steps into the primary lead position in the second season and continues in later chapters with evolving responsibilities. His character’s arc involves estate management, sibling guardianship, and strategic courtship rules, with episodes that explore the formal structure of balls and house visits.
Share the TV heartthrob you would add to the list in the comments.
