After four weeks, seven rounds, 64 competitors, 12,000 Facebook likes, 8,000 blog comments and 1.5 million votes, the winner of the 2011 Alpha Male Madness tournament is...
Congratulations to Jensen Ackles! The star of the CW's Supernatural—playing beleaguered but oh-so-pretty hunter Dean Winchester—is this year's champion. The actor retains his 2009 title, from the first year we did this tournament.
So what makes Jensen so great? Here are just a few testimonials about Jensens's appeal from the fans who voted for him!
Family Don't End With Blood: "Jensen Ackles [is] amazingly talented and very humble and down-to-earth and gracious. His portrayal of Dean Winchester speaks to me in ways I can't really explain...He's the eldest sibling who feels he falls short, devoted family man, and if you want to get into a 'cause,' SPN is very much based on the fact that 'family don't end with blood.' Surrogate family is just as much family as blood family. For Dean, family comes first, even when it's not his own family. Jensen himself has been an inspiration to me in acting. He can give even the most ridiculous or mundane dialogue and scene meaning. His work ethic is incredible, and I admire the man as much as I've admired any actor...And yes, watching DVDs of his shows, or convention videos of his singing and Q&A's makes me smile."
Melody J: "Alpha Male = when something has to be done, no matter how hard or the personal cost to himself, he is going to get it done and protect everyone else in doing so. I don't watch Glee, but I have watched Supernatural since the very first episode. The character of Dean Winchester as portrayed by Jensen Ackles is the Alpha Male on TV right now. His being 'supernaturally' hot is just an amazing bonus."
sympathyforthedragon: "Here's the deal. Darren Criss is wonderful. He has achieved success through his talent both onscreen as Blaine and in his real life. He is an incredible man, and if he were up against anyone else I would vote for him without any conscious thought. But. Jensen Ackles is not only a supernaturally gorgeous man with a voice that could melt the Arctic (both speaking and singing, gals; he's got it all) but he's a supremely talented actor who doesn't get nearly enough credit for his work. As Dean Winchester, Jensen has had to go from kicking paranormal ass one minute to pulling out a heart-wrenchingly emotional scene the next. He's been to hell and had to deal with the aftermath...and we all suffered with him. Jensen is above and beyond the better actor (nothing against Darren, he just hadn't had much of an opportunity to showcase his talents yet), has remarkable directing talent, and is warm and welcoming to fans. Jensen Ackles gets my vote."
Got anything you want to add about the appeal of Jensen Ackles? Hit the comments with your congratulations to the champ!