Sara and Melissa Talk About...Celebrity Crushes

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now into our sixth year!

This month, we are talking about our celebrity crushes. We'd love to know who yours are, so please don't hesitate to share in the comments!

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Melissa Amster:

I've had many celebrity crushes over the years. My first big one was Michael J. Fox. I enjoyed watching him on Family Ties but my crush got even bigger from seeing him in Back to the Future. Then I had a huge crush on Patrick Swayze after the first time I saw Dirty Dancing. I obviously loved the movie, but I couldn't take my eyes off him. And, of course, we can't forget my crush on Joey McIntyre during my New Kids on the Block obsession phase. I even got to meet him in 2004 when he was in Wicked! (I know this was long past my crush days, but still...)

L to R: Me, Joey, my sister

Since then, I've had many more celebrity crushes. Sara can attest to this. 😅 I will just share some of the bigger ones for now, as to not make this post go on forever!

Adam Lambert: When he was on American Idol in 2009, I didn't give much thought to him at first. Then he sang "Mad World" and I couldn't stop thinking of him after that. I know he's gay, but that didn't stop me from crushing on him, big time. I was also crushed that he didn't win that season, but he's gone on to do a lot of amazing things since then!

Chris Messina: I loved him on The Mindy Project. He was just so swoonworthy. The clincher was when he did the dance for Mindy at the Christmas party. (Start at 54 seconds in if you want to skip the dialogue.)

Santino Fontana: I know Rebecca was angling for Josh on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but I had my sights on Greg. He was so adorable and I loved his singing voice. I was sad when he left the show and then got replaced by Skylar Astin later on, instead of being brought back as himself. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda: During my Hamilton obsession phase, I would have passed out if Lin-Manuel was even in the same room as me. Clearly that never happened. I liked him when he was in In the Heights too and was sad I didn't get to see him as Usnavi when I finally got a chance to see the show. What I like him even more for is his writing and acting talent. (Oddly enough, my son texted me to tell me today that his best friend is at the Drama Bookshop and that Lin there at the same time. I told him I'd pass out if I were there. So I guess that still holds true.)

Daniel Levy: When I started watching Schitt's Creek during the pandemic, I never thought I would blush every time I saw David. (And yes, I know he's gay too.) There's just something so beautiful about him. Sara even got me a pillow with his face on it. 

Brett Goldstein: It's impossible to NOT have a crush on him! And when he talks in his regular voice instead of his gruff Roy Kent voice, then watch out! 

Courtesy of Observer

Cole Sprouse: Crushing on him after I first got into Riverdale means I can no longer watch Big Daddy without feeling inappropriate somehow. The crush has faded away, so maybe I'll be able to watch in the future. He was definitely occupying my daydreams for a while! (And he got into some of my nighttime dreams...) Sara fed this crush by getting me a Jughead Funko pop and a blanket with his face on it. 

Chad Michael Murray: He wasn't a crush for me when he was a teenager or anything. I know he was cute in Freaky Friday, but I didn't give it too much thought. I also didn't like his character on Riverdale at all. (That was intended though.) So when he showed up on Sullivan's Crossing, he suddenly had my attention. Definitely swoonworthy! He's also very much worth watching in The Merry Gentlemen, in case you want to celebrate Christmas in the summer...

And saving my latest for last...Asher Grodman: I just got into Ghosts this past winter and have never heard of Asher Grodman until that point. I must have been living under a rock this whole time! (Of course, I cast him in one of the books I was reviewing that needed a hot Jewish male love interest.) Now that I've seen him as Trevor, I can't take my eyes off him! I also love seeing pictures of him with his dog. Meltworthy! I also love pictures like this that are totally unrelated to him playing Trevor and show this rugged side to him. And then there's his voice. There's just something about it that makes him so easy on the ears too. I even bought a ticket to watch an improv show that was livestreaming the other night because he was going to be on it. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Sara Steven:

Over a decade ago, Melissa and I participated in a weekly blog group with friends. We’d take turns coming up with various topics, and one week I’d chosen a topic referencing a laminated top five list of celebrity crushes–a topic inspired by the TV show Friends. (See the blog post here.) 

The majority of my list holds true today, with a couple of changes and add-ons. Adam Levine and Peter Krause got bumped for Donald Glover, and I had to include Joshua Jackson, for obvious reasons. But in no particular order:

Mark Wahlberg: As mentioned in my 2012 blog post, I’ve been into Marky Mark since his breakout role in the movie Fear. I think he’s only gotten better with age. I admire his work ethic, the way he’s branched out into entrepreneurial endeavors, and I can appreciate how much he cares about his health–I think I’ve read somewhere that the man gets up around 3am most mornings in order to fit a workout into his busy schedule. He also appears to be a loving husband and family man; who wouldn’t like that?

Courtesy of Men’s Fitness

Sean Connery: Melissa and I recently conversed about how we’re both beginning to appreciate the more mature generation when it comes to crushes, but Sean Connery has been a crush of mine from girlhood into now. From his role as James Bond, to playing the quirky dad on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was pretty good, too. He maintained an air of subtle sensuality that easily appealed to people of every generation.

LL Cool J: Talk about a man with a lot of charisma. I love his music and I love watching him, too. He exudes confidence with every line he raps, or when he’s on screen, and when he bites his lower lip? I’m sure it’s just a habitual tick for him, but it drives us all wild when he does it! I also like the way he tends to roll up one pant leg and leave the other one down, because he does what he wants to and makes it fashionable. 

Donald Glover: I refer to Donald–or Childish Gambino–as Triple Threat, but I recently read an article that in theory, he’s really a Quintuple threat. (Can be read here.) He’s a rapper, writer, comedian, and actor. He’s so talented–and I think there’s not much he can’t do. Not to mention he’s easy on the eyes and I imagine a pretty funny guy to boot. I love a man with a great sense of humor! My oldest really likes Donald, too, so it’s fun (for me) to be able to have something in common when it comes to our interests. We both enjoy listening to Childish Gambino together, too. 

Courtesy of WSJ

Joshua Jackson: PACEY!!! I mean, from Dawson Creek days, when I was team Pacey, to watching him on Doctor Odyssey, it seems Mr. Joshua Jackson just gets better and better with the passing of time. Melissa sent this clip to me (seen here) of Jackson walking through the spirit tunnel on The Jennifer Hudson Show, and he’s just so freaking cute! I loved watching him in the show The Affair, and let’s be honest–Dr. Odyssey isn’t the most in-depth show, but I imagine the majority of the viewers watch it to catch glimpses of their favorite Gen Xer. And speaking of Gen X: This cracked me up, but it’s so, so true!

Who are your celebrity crushes?

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