Most Beautiful People 2004

Although as a teenager “I never felt beautiful, ever,” these days, Aniston, 35, tries not to stress when it comes to her appearance. She isn’t into Botox (though, she says, “Hey, anything is possible”) and prefers her naturally wavy hair unstyled. “She has an intelligent sexiness about her,” says Friends costar Matthew Perry.

“He has the kind of eyes you just want to sink into,” says actress Kelly Hu of the Lord of the Rings star, 26. The British actor, who held his own alongside Johnny Depp in last year’s Pirates of the Caribbean, stays fit by snowboarding and surfing and is dating actress Kate Bosworth.

“She was our only choice for Marissa,” says The O.C. executive producer McG of 18-year-old Barton’s role on the FOX drama. “The depth and size of her eyes … a delicate nose and soft flowing hair – (she has) all the highlights of history’s most beautiful women.”

The New York Yankees paid $252 million for the 28-year-old, 6’3″ baseball god, the crowd-pleaser with eyes greener than the infield grass. How much do fans love A-Rod? “We’re 400,000 tickets ahead of where we were last year,” says Yankees assistant general manager Jean Afterman.

Though the dainty, 5’3″ Liu has kicked butt on screens big and small, that’s not what she’s really about. “I try to keep my personal life private,” says Liu, 35, “because then I can be whatever I am supposed to be on film. People have said, ‘Wow, you are such a bitch!’ and I say, ‘Thank you.’ “

This is Caviezel without the thorns, the prosthetic nose and the movie blood that transformed him into Jesus in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Married since 1997, Caviezel, 35, is outspoken about his deeply held religious views. A few years ago, out of respect for his wife, he declined to do a nude love scene with Jennifer Lopez.

Models Alexandra (left), 17, and Theodora, 19, may look familiar because Dad is Rolling Stone Keith Richards and Mom is ’70s supermodel Patti Hansen. Beauty flashback: Growing up, “we had this plastic blow-dryer, fake lipsticks and polish,” recalls Alex. “Theodora was drying my hair, getting it stuck and twisted, telling me, ‘You look dazzling.’ “

“He’s handsome, sweet and a great basketball player,” says his Las Vegas costar Molly Sims. “Definitely not a bad onscreen love interest, and he’s tall!” Now engaged to actress Kristy Pierce, Duhamel, 31, recently starred in the movie comedy Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!

“I’m not the guy that takes care of the skin and hair. I like to be very natural,” says the 28-year-old Brazilian actor, who played Laura Linney’s love interest in Love Actually. His weakness? “I love ice cream, especially when mixed with chocolate.”

Her career’s on fire, but Mean Girls’ Lohan is very much a teenager. “I’m still growing a little,” says the 17-year-old star of last year’s Freaky Friday. “My doctor says I have an inch or maybe two inches to go – now I’m 5’5″ or 5’6″.” She likes her nose, and “I love my red hair. I would never cut it.”

Canned on The Apprentice’s finale, Jackson, 30, is weighing several job offers – and has more time to work on his physique. “I love to exercise,” he says. “I think my arms are my best feature.”

What’s not to love about the MTV News correspondent and host of the network’s documentary series My Life (Translated)? “I have what my mom calls the rice belly,” says Pak, 28. “I’m pretty thin and then bloop, it just pops out a little. Britney ruined it for all of us because I suddenly need to have the non-carb-eating, strictly-protein-diet belly.”

What do you need to know about 29-year-old Earnhardt, besides his skill at racking up NASCAR wins driving for the company founded by his legendary dad? “I’ve been told my chiseled jaw is my best feature,” he says. Plus, if he didn’t have to have a clean-cut image for NASCAR, “I would probably have four or five tattoos.”

When fans spot Watanabe, 44, in his native Japan, he says they “think I look scary. My features are strong, and they make me look unapproachable.” Watanabe, who earned a Best Supporting Actor nod for his work in The Last Samurai, is focusing his formidable mug on the next Batman movie, due in 2005.

The star of Showtime’s edgy new series The L Word is “as stunning now as she was in (1983’s) Flashdance,” says costar Laurel Holloman. She’s also comfortable with the idea of aging – without plastic surgery. “You can’t beat time,” Beals, 40, says. “Time will win.”

In high school, Andre Benjamin, 28, one-half of hip-hop’s OutKast, “wasn’t the ugly duckling, but I just wasn’t in the cool, hip in-crowd.” To get there, he honed his style. “Sometimes what you have on can change your whole attitude,” he says. “You can have on a normal outfit, but put a hat on top of it, and all of a sudden you’re cool.”