Who's your heartthrob?

Congrats to Janie–you won the www.random.org virtual drawing for a copy of Anjali‘s book and Just Breathe! Very cool that you support the Humane Society because Anj totally does. See the bottom of this post for today’s drawing.

Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger
Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger

Interesting question posed by my friend Suzanne the other day:

Who did you lust after at age 14?
In literature, people. We’re looking for a heartthrob that went viral, starting with a book–like Edward Cullen in the Twilight books. Readers fell in love with Edward, and then they fell in love with Robert Pattinson in the movie.

In literature. We’re looking for a heartthrob that went viral, starting with a book–like Edward Cullen in the Twilight books. Readers fell in love with Edward, and then they fell in love with Robert Pattinson in the movie.
What character could you not stop thinking about?
Well, lessee. I came up with a few.
Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger, as played by Mark Lester and Jack Wild in the Disney musical “Oliver!” — I remember plastering their Tiger Beat posters all over my room.
And there was Ponyboy Curtis in THE OUTSIDERS. The movie didn’t come until years after the book and I can’t remember who played him. But I had a paperback version of The Outsiders with a photographic cover, and I was obsessed with the boy in the photo. I wanted to marry him.
Oliver Barrett (played in the movie by Ryan O’Neal) in Love Story
Louis & Lestat in Interview With the Vampire (1976)
Here are a couple from my mother’s generation:
Heathcliff (played in the movie by Laurence Olivier) from Wuthering Heights
and Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind.
But to me, the winner is the timeless object of lust, but especially as played by Colin Firth:
Fitzwilliam Darcy. I didn’t read the book until I was sixteen, but I swooned over that man, and when Colin played him, I knew I could die happy.
It’s hard to think of books that went viral like Twilight! Probably Outsiders.
music & film
Jackson Browne
the Beatles
Shawn Cassidy
David Cassidy
John Travolta
Michael Jackson
Donny Osmond
Bobby Sherman
Freddy Prinz
Robert Redford/Paul Newman (tho they’re older)
Andy Gibb
—– Original Message —–
From: Suzanne Selfors
To: susan Wiggs
Sent: Friday, May 01, 2009 5:53 PM
Subject: conference
I have to do a 20 minute thing about summer reading and I’m trying to figure out if there was an Edward (Vampire in Twilight) equivalent for my generation, in literature?
Mark Lester grew up and became a doctor.
Mark Lester grew up and became a doctor.

It took me a while to think of a parallel from the Ancient Past. But I came up with a few. Remember any of these?
Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger, as played by Mark Lester and Jack Wild in the Disney musical “Oliver!” — I remember plastering their Tiger Beat posters all over my room.
And there was Ponyboy Curtis in The Outsiders. The movie didn’t come out until years after the book and I can’t remember who played him. But I had a paperback version of The Outsiders with a photographic cover, and I was obsessed with the boy in the photo. I wanted to marry him.

C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy
C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy

70s sob story
70s sob story

Other contenders: Oliver Barrett (played in the movie by Ryan O’Neal) in Love Story
Louis & Lestat in Interview With the Vampire, later played by Tom and Brad.
Sorry, Robert P. Youve been out-vamped.
Sorry, Robert P. You've been out-vamped.

Romeo has been played by a couple of tasty morsels:

I think Zach Efron is their love child.
I think Zach Efron is their love child.

Leonard v Leo? How are we supposed to choose?
1996 version
1996 version

Here are some from my mother’s generation:
Heathcliff (played in the movie by Laurence Olivier) from Wuthering Heights
Cathy and Heathcliff, a fun couple
Cathy and Heathcliff, a fun couple

and Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind.
Rhett! Oh Rhett! We DO give a damn!
Rhett! Oh Rhett! We DO give a damn!

But to me, the winner is that timeless object of lust, especially as played by Colin Firth:
He must be in want of a wife.
He must be in want of a wife.

Fitzwilliam Darcy. I didn’t read the book until I was sixteen, but I swooned over that man, and when Colin played him, I knew I could die happy.
Your turn! Post your pre-teen crush (from a book that later became a movie) in Comments and you’re automatically entered in the drawing for Just Breathe AND a copy of the latest in Romeo & Juliet stories, Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors.

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  1. Yes, Mr. Darcy – he’s my pick. Colin Firth (although I don’t think the most recent Mr. Darcy in film was too bad). I’ve read the book and keep the audio book on my iPod for when the mood calls for it 🙂

    PS I think Zac Efron is the love child of Rob Lowe. Really, google and compare, lol.

  2. Yes, Mr. Darcy – he’s my pick. Colin Firth (although I don’t think the most recent Mr. Darcy in film was too bad). I’ve read the book and keep the audio book on my iPod for when the mood calls for it 🙂
    PS I think Zac Efron is the love child of Rob Lowe. Really, google and compare, lol.

  3. Wow – that’s a hard question. At age 13, I read John Grisham’s The Firm and Tom Cruise was on the cover. That did it for me. I would pretend to kiss the cover and everything! But I must redeem myself and say that Tom no longer does it for me. I have to put in a plug for my current TV heart throb, Colin Ferguson on the SciFi channel’s show, Eureka. He’s not typical heart throb material, but my heart quickens and I start drooling when I watch the show. Google him; you won’t regret it.

  4. Wow – that’s a hard question. At age 13, I read John Grisham’s The Firm and Tom Cruise was on the cover. That did it for me. I would pretend to kiss the cover and everything! But I must redeem myself and say that Tom no longer does it for me. I have to put in a plug for my current TV heart throb, Colin Ferguson on the SciFi channel’s show, Eureka. He’s not typical heart throb material, but my heart quickens and I start drooling when I watch the show. Google him; you won’t regret it.

  5. Harrison Ford… actually… I wasn’t allowed to have a crush on Harrison Ford, cause one of my older sisters did.

  6. Harrison Ford… actually… I wasn’t allowed to have a crush on Harrison Ford, cause one of my older sisters did.

  7. My favorite guy was Corey Haim!! My room was covered in his posters and I loved his movies. It was sad to see how his life turned out (on Two Coreys).

  8. My favorite guy was Corey Haim!! My room was covered in his posters and I loved his movies. It was sad to see how his life turned out (on Two Coreys).

  9. When I was 14 I hadn’t yet been introduced to some of literature’s finest men so my choices are limited. (If I knew then what I know now! haha)

    I did read The Outsiders around 12 or 13 and instantly fell in love with Sodapop Curtis…the middle brother who was in love with a girl he couldn’t have. And of course, once I finished I had to see how the movie (which came out the year I was born) compared and was pleasantly surprised to see a gorgeous Rob Lowe playing my favorite character.

    Then a year or so later I fell for Sonny from Rocket Boys (October Sky).

    Since then there have been too many too count! That’s the beauty of being a romance reader…you get to fall in love with a man every time you pick up a book. 😛

    1. Great ones! I had no idea Rob Lowe played Sodapop. Did you know SE Hinton’s name is Susan? And she was 16 when she wrote THE OUTSIDERS.

  10. When I was 14 I hadn’t yet been introduced to some of literature’s finest men so my choices are limited. (If I knew then what I know now! haha)
    I did read The Outsiders around 12 or 13 and instantly fell in love with Sodapop Curtis…the middle brother who was in love with a girl he couldn’t have. And of course, once I finished I had to see how the movie (which came out the year I was born) compared and was pleasantly surprised to see a gorgeous Rob Lowe playing my favorite character.
    Then a year or so later I fell for Sonny from Rocket Boys (October Sky).
    Since then there have been too many too count! That’s the beauty of being a romance reader…you get to fall in love with a man every time you pick up a book. 😛

    1. Great ones! I had no idea Rob Lowe played Sodapop. Did you know SE Hinton’s name is Susan? And she was 16 when she wrote THE OUTSIDERS.

  11. That’s a hard choice. I totally had a crush on Michael Keaton but only when he was in the batman suit. Val Kilmer was super hot in Tombstone, loved him as Doc. Holiday.
    But I have to say Keanu Reeves was, and honestly still is, my pre-teen crush.
    Now that I am older, I am fully under the sway of Colin Firth. Yum!

  12. That’s a hard choice. I totally had a crush on Michael Keaton but only when he was in the batman suit. Val Kilmer was super hot in Tombstone, loved him as Doc. Holiday.
    But I have to say Keanu Reeves was, and honestly still is, my pre-teen crush.
    Now that I am older, I am fully under the sway of Colin Firth. Yum!

  13. Books – I mostly read sf then, so I fell for John Carter of Mars, and then for Lord Peter Wimsey.

    Actors – Gene Barry in The War of the Worlds, probably. I went to see that movie every chance I got (it played locally for years in Saturday afternoon sci fi marathons). It’s a good world-smersher and if there’s one thing a frustrated teen wants to do, it’s smash the world to bits as thoroughly as possible and show all those adults that they’re not as important as they think they are 🙂

    Janice

  14. Books – I mostly read sf then, so I fell for John Carter of Mars, and then for Lord Peter Wimsey.
    Actors – Gene Barry in The War of the Worlds, probably. I went to see that movie every chance I got (it played locally for years in Saturday afternoon sci fi marathons). It’s a good world-smersher and if there’s one thing a frustrated teen wants to do, it’s smash the world to bits as thoroughly as possible and show all those adults that they’re not as important as they think they are 🙂
    Janice

  15. I had two posters on my walls–one of Jim Morrison of the Doors, but of course he was no longer living by then, so my fantasies involved him having faked his death. The other poster was of Harrison Ford in the first Indiana Jones. Harrison did it for me in the Star Wars movies, and by the time he played Indiana Jones, I was a complete and utter gonner.

    1. Oh, I’m an idiot – started staring at all the pictures of those hunky actors and completely missed the whole “in literature, people” line.

      Heathcliff. Brooding, dark Heathcliff, who enthralled me so much when I read Wuthering Heights in seventh grade that my mom had to order me to stop reading and go to bed.

      1. It’s easy to get distracted by the pics. I was secretly in love with Luke Skywalker but I knew people would make fun of me so I didn’t tell anyone.

  16. I had two posters on my walls–one of Jim Morrison of the Doors, but of course he was no longer living by then, so my fantasies involved him having faked his death. The other poster was of Harrison Ford in the first Indiana Jones. Harrison did it for me in the Star Wars movies, and by the time he played Indiana Jones, I was a complete and utter gonner.

    1. Oh, I’m an idiot – started staring at all the pictures of those hunky actors and completely missed the whole “in literature, people” line.
      Heathcliff. Brooding, dark Heathcliff, who enthralled me so much when I read Wuthering Heights in seventh grade that my mom had to order me to stop reading and go to bed.

      1. It’s easy to get distracted by the pics. I was secretly in love with Luke Skywalker but I knew people would make fun of me so I didn’t tell anyone.

  17. Is the crush supposed to be on the book character or the movie actor?

    When I was a girl, I was desperately in love with Laurie from Little Women and when I was (ahem) a grown up, I was pleased to see Christian Bale (hmm…I’m sensing a Batman theme here) play the role.

  18. Is the crush supposed to be on the book character or the movie actor?
    When I was a girl, I was desperately in love with Laurie from Little Women and when I was (ahem) a grown up, I was pleased to see Christian Bale (hmm…I’m sensing a Batman theme here) play the role.

  19. earliest heart throb from book (since I wasn’t much of a reader as a pre-teen) – Alexander Solarin from the Eight.

  20. earliest heart throb from book (since I wasn’t much of a reader as a pre-teen) – Alexander Solarin from the Eight.

  21. You said “from a book,” right? That has to be Holden Caulfield. If I had met him back in high school, we would have run away together. Instead of being in a mental institution in CA, we would have been hitchhiking from one outdoor concert to another in CA and other parts of the West. When his parents finally accepted that he married a girl from the other side of the tracks, we would go back to NY and maybe buy a bronstone and have a couple of kids.
    He is such a profound think; that’s the sexiest thing in the world. Forget ALL these actors. They don’t even compare! Except MAYBE Johnny Depp.

  22. You said “from a book,” right? That has to be Holden Caulfield. If I had met him back in high school, we would have run away together. Instead of being in a mental institution in CA, we would have been hitchhiking from one outdoor concert to another in CA and other parts of the West. When his parents finally accepted that he married a girl from the other side of the tracks, we would go back to NY and maybe buy a bronstone and have a couple of kids.
    He is such a profound think; that’s the sexiest thing in the world. Forget ALL these actors. They don’t even compare! Except MAYBE Johnny Depp.

  23. My 14 year old self did not read (gasp!) and Scott Baio was my TV crush for most of that year. Much, much later (after I came to my senses and started reading again), I thought that Jason Gedrick was pretty cute from Ken Follet’s “The Third Twin” novel made into a movie.

  24. My 14 year old self did not read (gasp!) and Scott Baio was my TV crush for most of that year. Much, much later (after I came to my senses and started reading again), I thought that Jason Gedrick was pretty cute from Ken Follet’s “The Third Twin” novel made into a movie.

  25. Kirk Cameron! He was such a heart throb! I was so in love with him that I did a report on the country Cameroon because it was close to his name! Ahhhhh…..

    Tami.winbush @ gmail.com

    1. Oh geez, Just realized it was from a book. I don’t know that I had a teen heart trob from a book…..darn.

      Tami

  26. Kirk Cameron! He was such a heart throb! I was so in love with him that I did a report on the country Cameroon because it was close to his name! Ahhhhh…..
    Tami.winbush @ gmail.com

    1. Oh geez, Just realized it was from a book. I don’t know that I had a teen heart trob from a book…..darn.
      Tami

  27. Hands down – Romeo and Juliette – Len. Definitely NOT Leonardo. No comparison is there? AND Rhett Butler! Swooning now. AND YES, YES, YES – Colin Firth.

  28. Hands down – Romeo and Juliette – Len. Definitely NOT Leonardo. No comparison is there? AND Rhett Butler! Swooning now. AND YES, YES, YES – Colin Firth.

  29. This will probably make you laugh, but I used to love the Tarzan stories. Therefore, I was thrilled when the Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller were made.

    My other pre-teen crush is even funnier: Silas Marner.

  30. This will probably make you laugh, but I used to love the Tarzan stories. Therefore, I was thrilled when the Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller were made.
    My other pre-teen crush is even funnier: Silas Marner.

  31. At age 14 I read “Love Story” and was so in love with Oliver Barrett the IV. I didn’t see the movie until I was much older, and didn’t like Ali McGraw. She didn’t feel right for the Jennifer part in the book. In college I was a music major, but there was no hockey team at my college in Nebraska. So… I married a football player.

  32. At age 14 I read “Love Story” and was so in love with Oliver Barrett the IV. I didn’t see the movie until I was much older, and didn’t like Ali McGraw. She didn’t feel right for the Jennifer part in the book. In college I was a music major, but there was no hockey team at my college in Nebraska. So… I married a football player.

  33. So excited to be a winner! That helps soothe that fact that I am so much older than most everyone else for Rhett Butler would have to be my choice.

  34. So excited to be a winner! That helps soothe that fact that I am so much older than most everyone else for Rhett Butler would have to be my choice.

  35. Mine is Bill Clinton, who sort of counts because he wrote a book. Dave and Hillary better hope that I never meet him in person, because I don’t know if I could resist (and yes I know that’s weird, but something about that man…growwwwl).

  36. Mine is Bill Clinton, who sort of counts because he wrote a book. Dave and Hillary better hope that I never meet him in person, because I don’t know if I could resist (and yes I know that’s weird, but something about that man…growwwwl).

  37. OMG, I can’t remember that far back, but I would have to say “Oliver Barret”, that last seen in the movie makes me cry everytime I see it, when she asked him to hold her and she tells him “Love means never having to say your sorry”, I get blubbery just thnking about it.

  38. OMG, I can’t remember that far back, but I would have to say “Oliver Barret”, that last seen in the movie makes me cry everytime I see it, when she asked him to hold her and she tells him “Love means never having to say your sorry”, I get blubbery just thnking about it.

  39. I had to think back to what I was reading at 13, and actually, that is when I picked up Michael Crichton for the first time, with “Jurassic Park”. So, technically, being the ever scientific minded artist, guess who stood out in *that!* book!? Ian Malcolm, who is protrayed by Jeff Goldblum in the film! (smiles) I wouldn’t actually go so far to say I was crushing on the guy, moreso, I was happy that the science of the story was loosely contingent on the theory of Chaos, which first started to get me into the footdoor of quantum physics! (smiles)

    However, I will say, I have followed nearly all of Goldblum’s films and works since, so I can say I appreciate his acting! I think I skipped this phase though. I really didn’t “crush” on people, but I have always found people/characters who are intellctually stimulating to be very interesting in general! Let’s face it, I even liked Sean Connery ever since I saw “Medicine Man” which was another science based film!

    [I agree with Colin Firth, for conversation bits here,… but I have yet to see him play Darcy (for shame, I know!), and although, I know I’m going to love the film, I didn’t have any qualms over Keira’s version! I truly liked the Darcy in it, even! I had finally (FINALLY!) been able to read through Pride & Prejudice so it was a special treat to see a version of it on the big screen!]

  40. I had to think back to what I was reading at 13, and actually, that is when I picked up Michael Crichton for the first time, with “Jurassic Park”. So, technically, being the ever scientific minded artist, guess who stood out in *that!* book!? Ian Malcolm, who is protrayed by Jeff Goldblum in the film! (smiles) I wouldn’t actually go so far to say I was crushing on the guy, moreso, I was happy that the science of the story was loosely contingent on the theory of Chaos, which first started to get me into the footdoor of quantum physics! (smiles)
    However, I will say, I have followed nearly all of Goldblum’s films and works since, so I can say I appreciate his acting! I think I skipped this phase though. I really didn’t “crush” on people, but I have always found people/characters who are intellctually stimulating to be very interesting in general! Let’s face it, I even liked Sean Connery ever since I saw “Medicine Man” which was another science based film!
    [I agree with Colin Firth, for conversation bits here,… but I have yet to see him play Darcy (for shame, I know!), and although, I know I’m going to love the film, I didn’t have any qualms over Keira’s version! I truly liked the Darcy in it, even! I had finally (FINALLY!) been able to read through Pride & Prejudice so it was a special treat to see a version of it on the big screen!]

  41. Ryan O’Neal from Love Story as the character Oliver Barrett as well as Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind…it is a toss up between the two 🙂

  42. Ryan O’Neal from Love Story as the character Oliver Barrett as well as Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind…it is a toss up between the two 🙂

  43. I went to London when I was 14 with my family and my mom bought me Pride and Prejudice from Harrod’s. It was leather bound with gold on the edge of the pages. It was pretty to look at, but when I read it. Ahhhh… I was in love with Mr. Darcy. Still am. At the time the version of Pride and Prejudice that was available in movie form was an old black and white with Sir Laurence Olivier. The poor man was before my time, but still wonderful. Thank you Mom for buying me great literature!

  44. I went to London when I was 14 with my family and my mom bought me Pride and Prejudice from Harrod’s. It was leather bound with gold on the edge of the pages. It was pretty to look at, but when I read it. Ahhhh… I was in love with Mr. Darcy. Still am. At the time the version of Pride and Prejudice that was available in movie form was an old black and white with Sir Laurence Olivier. The poor man was before my time, but still wonderful. Thank you Mom for buying me great literature!

  45. This is probably gross. But my honest first book-to-movie crush was Charlton Heston as Moses.

    But my all-time, no-holds-barred, he’s-mine-and-stay-back is Quint as played by Robert Shaw in Jaws.

    I like big, interesting men.

  46. This is probably gross. But my honest first book-to-movie crush was Charlton Heston as Moses.
    But my all-time, no-holds-barred, he’s-mine-and-stay-back is Quint as played by Robert Shaw in Jaws.
    I like big, interesting men.

  47. Easy. Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe’s sidekick. Archie is all man and he’s all mine. As to the movie/TV actor protraying him, my choices would be: Lionel Stander (aka Max from Hart to Hart), Lee Horsley (aka Matt Houston) or Timothy Hutton (currently on Leverage). So of those three, Hutton has to win this one. He made a very effective Archie against Maury Chaykin’s most excellent Nero Wolfe.

    And of course, talking about Tim leads to the second character–played by his father (taken from us far too young), Jim Hutton, the quintessial Ellery Queen.

  48. Easy. Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe’s sidekick. Archie is all man and he’s all mine. As to the movie/TV actor protraying him, my choices would be: Lionel Stander (aka Max from Hart to Hart), Lee Horsley (aka Matt Houston) or Timothy Hutton (currently on Leverage). So of those three, Hutton has to win this one. He made a very effective Archie against Maury Chaykin’s most excellent Nero Wolfe.
    And of course, talking about Tim leads to the second character–played by his father (taken from us far too young), Jim Hutton, the quintessial Ellery Queen.

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