While new release What Women Want may feature Mel Gibson as you've never seen him before - painting his nails, waxing his legs and getting down to Bitch by Meredith Brooks - this old timer won't be lighting the fires of younger generations. Even in his current disguise as a New Age man, Gibson doesn't quite fit the profile of lusted-after leading man in this era of pretty-boy stars. Moody-broody Stuart Townsend, young Irish star of About Adam, is more likely to tickle their fancy. And Brad Pitt and British actor Jude Law still reign supreme.

Gibson may still be the perfect romantic male lead for an older audience, but boyish rogue-style characters are favoured by younger movie-goers. The ideal man, as once played by Clark Gable, Robert Redford and Richard Gere, has been shoved. In Hollywood youth is king. The prominent rise of Leonardo Di Caprio highlights this trend; unfortunately this particular star appears to have lost all his street cred after playing the male lead in the epic-blockbuster Titanic.

Sizzling with sex-appeal and charisma, Pitt and Law are the new screen gods. With just the right hint of that bad-boy element, this potent duo are top of every casting director's wish list. Pitt and his Friends-star wife, Jennifer Anniston, have become Hollywood's new royalty.

So what about the current crop of actors from this side of the Atlantic? Hugh Grant may have enjoyed his moments of fame, but it seems he doesn't cut it as the male lead. Although Four Weddings and a Funeral was a big hit, he never developed a fan base among younger film-goers and didn't really manage to win over the American public. The Irish may be having a little more luck in this department. Stuart Townsend and Ballykissangel's former heart-throb Colm Farrell are the talk of Tinseltown - so watch out for our home-grown leading men.