(writing and reporting by Syantani Chatterjee)

People magazine’s top pick this year for its “Sexiest Man Alive” is Australian star Hugh Jackman, who won over the magazine’s top editors with his down-to-earth personality as much as his bulging biceps.

The magazine’s executive editor, Jess Cagle, told the “Today” show on NBC that Jackman was a “surprising choice.”

“What’s unique about Hugh Jackman is that he is this nice man, devoted to his wife, not affected by Hollywood — a nice Aussie bloke, as Nicole Kidman put it,” Elizabeth Sporkin, People’s executive editor told Reuters.

James Bond star Daniel Craig, second on the list, said his favorite Bond girl was the “girl on my arm,” his longtime girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell. And Jon Hamm, the 37-year-old ‘Mad Men’ star, who was No. 3, said he tries to be “a good person.”

“I’m loyal and I’m trustworthy — I’m kind,” Hamm told People.

Others who made the list also followed the decent-guy path laid down by the top three sexy men. Soccer sensation David Beckham and Olympian Michael Phelps freely admitted to being mama’s boys, and television star Blair Underwood said he didn’t undertsand why women found him irresistible.

“It’s like the face of what is attractive has changed,” said Robert Pattinson, another hunky man on the list who is also the star of vampire-thriller “Twilight.”

Pattinson may be on to something — certainly People’s editors think he is. But we sort of miss Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Russell Crowe. Only a few years ago, they were considered pretty hot, then came a sex tape (Farrell), a nasty breakup (Law) and a telephone throwing incident (Crowe). Ahh, the good old days.

That said, we wonder if, in fact, nice is the new sexy. So anyone out there who wants to weigh-in, let us know.