Why These Celeb Hunks Are Still Single In Their 40s

Money? Check. Fame? Check. Everlasting love? Not quite cupid. For one reason or another, these celebs are getting older but still haven't found that special someone. Some, like Ben Affleck, have been in the public eye with high profile relationships. Voted the sexiest man alive by People in 2002 at age 30 and engaged to Jennifer Lopez, two years later, Bennifer broke up. Soon after, a high profile marriage to Jennifer Garner until their divorce in 2018, left the actor single in his 40s — until he linked up with Ana de Armas for a quarantine romance.

But not all these Hollywood studs are so lucky. That is, lucky outside of dating other big-time celebrities. Some are freshly single after getting out of a long-term relationship. Others keep their personal relationships rather secretive, while a few stay busy with kids from previous marriages.

Who will be the first to find love? Which of these super-studs would you pair up with? Time to find out why these celeb hunks are still single in their 40s.

Bradley Cooper is back on the market

The Hangover, a 2009 comedy about a wild Vegas bachelor party, gave Bradley Cooper his big break in Hollywood. And what's not to love, with his big smile, golden locks, and piercing blue eyes. After other roles, such as in Valentine's Day, Cooper earned a leading man performance in Limitless. Then in 2011, People named Bradley Cooper the sexiest man alive. At the time, Cooper considered himself a "single 36-year-old male" and said, "I think it's really cool that a guy who doesn't look like a model can have this [title]." Most people would beg to differ about the model comment. Regardless, he definitely has other endearing qualities to surely lock down a mate. 

According to the article, the "Georgetown grad can whip up dinner, take you for a spin on his motorcycle and whisper sweet nothings in French (he's fluent!)." Cooper's been seen with Renée Zellweger and Jennifer Lopez among other celebrities but eventually settled with Irina Shayk. The two began dating in 2015 and had a daughter together (via People). But in 2019, the couple split, leaving Cooper single and looking for love.

Zachary Quinto went from potentially hitched to definitely single

Science fiction lovers will immediately recognize Zachary Quinto. The actor first became popular for his role in the well-received NBC superhero series, Heroes. This before the MCU even started. Though the show ended after four seasons, Quinto joined the Starship Enterprise in J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot as the calculating Spock. Two years later, the actor publicly revealed his love for other men. 

As reported by People, Quinto declared: "that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it — is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality." And not long after, Quinto appeared to find just the man for him. 

Model and painter Miles McMillan and Quinto started dating in 2013, and two years later, the pair "moved into a New York City apartment together." Rumors of engagement sparked in 2017, but sadly the two would not live long and prosper together. In 2019, the couple split up after six years of dating.

Alexander Skarsgård keeps his love life on the DL

Vampires have a piercing way to grab your attraction, literally and figuratively. Alexander Skarsgård is a Swedish actor from a family of actors, including his dad Stellan Skarsgård. During the peak of the vampire craze, Alexander landed his breakthrough role as the non-human Eric Northman in the HBO series True Blood. The tall, blond-haired actor looks like a perfect mannequin, which earned him the "Sweden's Sexiest Man title five times," according to Mirror. "Every single day I walk up to that mirror and think, five times motherf***er, five times," Alexander joked about his titles, but also admitted, "it wouldn't do me any good if I was constantly looking at where I end up on that sexy list, or if I slipped down the list and stressed out about why that was." 

The actor left the list of single men when he paired up with British fashionista Alexa Chung. The two dated for a few years but parted ways, The Guardian reported. And having a famous father influenced Alexander's approach to relationships in the public eye. "Yeah, I don't talk about it much, and that's a way to protect it," he said, acknowledging that this was his father Stellan's approach. "The fact that he protected his private life so much, and protected my mum who is not an actor or a public figure," Alexander added about Stellan. Even with his occasional questionable hair choices, would you date Alexander?

Common couldn't maintain his famous relationships

Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn Jr, best known as Common, began his career as a rapper. He released his debut album Can I Borrow a Dollar? under the name Common Sense, per XXL. This started a long career in the music scene using his gifted wordplay and the love of his hometown, Chicago. In 2019, Common dropped his twelfth studio album, Let Love (via Hypebeast). And not just musically gifted, Common decided to start acting. Between 2003 and 2004, the star found himself in minor roles in front of the camera, but in January 2007, he made his big-screen debut with Smokin' Aces. As a star in so many forms of entertainment, Common surprisingly still hasn't mastered the art of the relationship. 

Along the way, Common dated big names like tennis queen Serena Williams, attorney Angela Rye, and fellow musician Erykah Badu, per BET. In an interview for The Breakfast Club, he talked about his failed relationships. "I wasn't ready to do the work," Common confessed. He continued that going to therapy helped him recognize a pattern of "love addiction" with these women. "The pattern I found myself in — and my therapist broke it down — was the feeling of being in love and that honeymoon period," the actor said. Even more, "I was addicted to that feeling," he claimed. With an improved mindset and fruitful career, this star may just find that special someone.

Milo Ventimiglia isn't yet the family man he plays on TV

The iconic series Gilmore Girls followed the mother-daughter relationship between Lorelai and Rory. In the second season, the audience was first introduced to Jess Mariano, played by actor Milo Ventimiglia. He charmed viewers so much that producers tried to set up a Jess-centric spin-off series, though it never went through. In addition to his charming onscreen romances, Ventimiglia stayed busy with his high-profile, real-life relationships — often with his co-stars. Among his famous girlfriends, the actor used to date Alexis Bledel — or Rory. The two even thought about marriage. Ventimiglia then starred in the series Heroes alongside fellow "40s and still single" member Zachary Quinto. This time, Ventimiglia fell for his co-star Hayden Panettiere and the two briefly dated. 

Looking back on the public dating experiences, Ventimiglia told Mr. Porter he would "never do it again." He added that "it wasn't until my mid to late twenties that the job wears on you, relationships wear on you." But as an older and wiser man, he mused, "from jobs to friendships to partnerships, everything has built me to who I am." 

In his 40s, Ventimiglia landed another major role in the popular series This Is Us. He told Esquire that even though the family show "hasn't inspired me to go have kids," the role taught him to value "not only the family you're born into but the family that you make and you create with your friends."

Dino Morea is hot in all languages

One of Bollywood's hottest actors, Dino Morea first started out as a supermodel. The son of an Italian father and Indian mother, the actor landed his first big role in the 2002 horror-musical-mystery film Raaz. Yes, you read that correctly. Though NDTV reported cute photos between Morea and the multi-talented, beautiful Shibani Dandekar, the two are just longtime friends. But this means the actor is still an eligible bachelor — not that he is sulking about the matter.

In fact, the ripped Morea has many passions, including his love for pets and an addiction to adventure sports. And outside of his celebrity lifestyle, Morea is an entrepreneur. In an interview with Entrepreneur, Morea talked about his drive to pursue additional projects. "I've just always wanted to do well and am very ambitious," the actor said. And when it comes to his philosophy in life, it's rather simple. "Just live in the moment," Morea said. What do you think, would this ambitious hunk be the perfect partner?

Colin Farrell gives new meaning to the term dad bod

Who wouldn't want to kiss this Irishman? Colin Farrell went to school for drama in Dublin and soon landed leading roles in the BBC series Falling for a Dancer and Ballykissangel. Then he made the jump to Hollywood appearing in "Tim Roth's directorial debut, The War Zone," according to Rotten Tomatoes. In his decades-long career, Farrell picked up an eclectic mix of roles, from cameos on Scrubs to indie films like The Lobster to blockbuster roles like Miami Vice. The actor stays busy with his two boys from previous marriages. As far as his love life goes, Farrell is a master at avoiding any questions. When an interviewer repeatedly asked how Farrell's love life is, he responded, "Oh, I love life," according to The Irish Times.

Farrell previously told Hello! (via Shape) that his ideal woman is kind with "a sense of adventure and humor." He added, "I truly find kindness and consideration for others to be the most attractive thing in anyone." He also linked up with the late Elizabeth Taylor, he explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "It feels like in my head ... the last kind of romantic relationship I had," he said. Farrell and legendary Taylor were close friends for years, talking on the phone until the late hours of the night. "I wanted to be number eight, but we ran out of road," he said, referencing her numerous husbands throughout the years.

John Mayer and his heartbreak warfare

John Mayer dropped out of the prestigious Berklee College of Music and relocated to Atlanta, where he used his boy-next-door charm to write love songsNone more significant than his Grammy-winning "Your Body Is a Wonderland" off his debut album Room for Squares. In the dating world, he briefly connected with Jennifer Aniston and fellow writer of love songs, Taylor Swift. According to Billboard, she and Mayor hit it off for a brief fling between 2009 and 2010. Though once the couple split, Swift wrote the song "Dear John," which became a fan favorite. And though she never admitted the song was about Mayer, she hinted that the subject should be rather obvious. Mayer recalled hearing the song to Rolling Stone, "I was really caught off-guard, and it really humiliated me at a time when I'd already been dressed down." Years later, Mayer responded with his song "Paper Doll," which is rumored to be about Swift.

After relationships with Jessica Simpson and Katy Perry, Mayer entered his 40s. He confessed to his Instagram Live talk show Current Mood (via Billboard) that his luck with the ladies wasn't as easy as before. Mayer called himself "PR poison" to prospective dates and said, "I find people not being into me brings a real level of reality into my life." The singer revealed a particularly humbling experience that proved times were changing. "Not so long ago, I gave a girl my number and she said, 'I probably won't use it,'" Mayor claimed.

Adrian Grenier couldn't match his onscreen prowess

A young Adrian Grenier's first major role came as the title character in the 1999 indie film The Adventures of Sebastian Cole. Though most of the world got to know Grenier as the male lead alongside Melissa Joan Hart in their romantic comedy Drive Me Crazy. And apparently, love was in the air on set. According to Hart, the romantic couples in the movie began dating offscreen "halfway through" filming. "I think he ended up dating Ali Larter [Dulce]," Hart told Us Weekly. "And then there were like four other couples that came out of that movie," she explained. Plus, "There was always a lot of hormones," she remembered.

Later, Grenier landed the role of a lifetime as Vincent Chase on the HBO series Entourage. In the series, he played a rising actor and all-around playboy. According to Us Weekly, rumors in real-life of flings with Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton never were substantiated, but he was officially "linked to Australian actress Isabel Lucas." And later, girlfriend Jordan Roemmele. And never one to back away from drama, rapper Azealia Banks claimed in 2020 that she once hooked up with Grenier. But the big surprise? She claimed that "Grenier is keeping his sexuality a secret" (via Complex).

Daniel Henney wants someone without a criminal mind

You may recognize Daniel Henney from his roles in X-Men Origins: Wolverine or from Criminal Minds, or maybe just from his voice. Henney voiced Tadashi from the Disney animated movie and TV series Big Hero 6. The actor comes from Michigan — his father is American, and his mother is from South Korea. There has only been speculation and rumors on potential girlfriends, but he is hopeful for that someone special. 

A CNN interviewer asked if the actor was dating anyone in 2009. "No, I wish I was. I think I'm gonna start," he said. But humbly adding, "I don't know how." Henney said his ideal mate would have "a good sense of humor, who's game to go out and do anything, who doesn't mind just hanging out and drinking a beer." And perhaps most importantly, "She has to be laidback if she's going to date someone with a job like mine." Especially with such a busy schedule. He told Asia Pacific Arts that his work on Criminal Minds was a lot of work. He planned on "just grinding it out until Christmas" so he could go back home to Michigan. 

The eligible Henney seems laidback himself, aspiring to spend the holidays at home "to sit around that fireplace and open presents."

The gifted Andrew Scott lost a long-term partner

Sexy priest. Among Andrew Scott's many successful roles, his role on Fleabag may have the most surprising title. The Irish Scott rose to fame for his role as the wicked Jim Moriarty on the BBC series Sherlock, going toe-to-toe with his BFF Benedict Cumberbatch. The Moriarty character earned Scott a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor, BBC America reported. Then spinning away from his evil character, Scott joined the cast of Fleabag for its second season as "The Priest." The superb writing and acting from the entire cast helped earn the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2019.

Scott's intense connection with co-star and creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge was strictly onscreen since Scott was already in a relationship. In 2019, The Times reported that Scott "was for a long time in a relationship with the writer Stephen Beresford." And reportedly, Scott talked to his partner about marriage as "just an option. But it's about having the same options as everyone else. So now a gay person has a right not to get married," he added.

Jeremy Renner went through a nasty breakup

Jeremy Renner has many amazing qualities aside from the fact that his last name is a palindrome. He appeared in the movie S.W.A.T. with another member of the single and 40s club, Colin Farrell. Then in back-to-back years, Renner showed off his serious acting chops. He earned an Academy Awards Best Actor nomination for The Hurt Locker, followed by a Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Town, per IMDb. The following year, he joined the MCU as Hawkeye in The Avengers. He even capitalized off the role through a Jeremy Renner app, The New York Times reported. And things seemed only to be going up as he married Sonni Pacheco in 2014. Sadly, the two divorced the following year after just ten months together. Renner and Pacheco continued with a tumultuous public divorce. And both parties engaged in a "battle royale for custody of their 6-year-old daughter, Ava," as revealed by TMZ.

As a single man, Renner uses music as another creative output. In 2020, he released his first EP called The Medicine. In an Instagram post about the album, Renner said, "I've always found music to be one of the few things that unite people in a pure way. Common ground can be hard to find in today's world, but music has remained a constant for me. To feel deeply, to dance fervently, and live together is more present now than ever." Maybe Renner can serenade his way into his next partner's heart.