Johnny Depp sexiest man alive: People

(AFP PHOTO/CHRISTOPHE SIMON)

"Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp is the sexiest man on the planet, according to People magazine Wednesday.

Depp, 46, headed a list of 15, catching People's attention not so much for his swashbuckling antics in the "Pirates" franchise, or his freakish charm in "Edward Scissorhands," but his softer side as a family man.

The "star has had women swooning since his days as a teen detective on 21 Jump Street. Yet it's his devotion to his family that really makes the actor so endearing," People gushed.

Depp's companion is French singer Vanessa Paradis and he is the father of Lily-Rose, 10, and Jack, seven.

The slightly built actor who often sports a whispy goatee beard and floppy hair beat out 33-year-old actor Ryan Reynolds, costar in "The Proposal," and Jake Gyllenhaal of "Brokeback Mountain."

Depp also won the magazine's "Sexiest" honor in 2003, making him, George Clooney and Brad Pitt the only three male stars to win the title twice.

Last in the top 15 list is "New Moon" vampire heartthrob Robert Pattinson.