Hot Stuff: Inside TV Guide's Very, Very Sexy Party!

You won't find many wallflower types at a soiree celebrating TV Guide's Sexy Issue and the eye-candy actors aggregated within its pages. How did the "sexiest" react to their super-hottie status? Who do your favorite stars think should make the cut next time around? And what were the other hot topics on people's tongues? (Hint: Idol, fall pickups.) TVGuide.com hit the Wednesday-night bash at Bar Marmont on the Sunset Strip to soak up the sexiness, and here's who we saw and what we heard.

Ugly Betty's Eric Mabius was taking his inclusion in the sexiest-stars list in stride, explaining that no hard-core gym routine is to credit for the admirable arms on display in his TV Guide photo shoot. "No, I'm just a bit of a handyman," he said. "I like to work with my hands and make a lot of mistakes along the way. I've never understood the concept of going to a place [such as a gym] and inhaling other people's sweat. It kind of freaks me out. That's not me." Perhaps the bigger news for Betty's boss is the series' second-season pickup, announced just hours before the party. "It's a huge blessing," he smiled.

Speaking of da sexy, might Mabius' Daniel ultimately, some day, deem Betty a betty? "I'm going to throw some things out there," he teased, "and you can infer -- Cheers, Las Vegas, Remington Steele, Moonlighting.... " OK, gotcha.

Another Thursday-TV head-turner was next in our sights: The Office's Rashida Jones, who in her TV Guide pics is working a coy smile and curve-hugging shorts. Who would Jones -- the daughter of Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones -- nominate for next year's sexy list? "Rainn Wilson. He's got a sexy thing about him, he really does, the more people see him out of Dwight," she said. "He's got a sexy-nerd thing going on."

Wilson -- as well as Melora Hardin, and Steve Carell, and John Krasinski -- earned the vote of Office mate/TVGuide.com celebrity blogger Kate Flannery, who was delighted to see Jones repping Dunder-Mifflin in the special issue. Flannery shared that her hiatus plans include speaking at her high-school alma mater's Career Day. "I'm very excited!" she beamed. "A few years ago they probably wouldn't have wanted an actress/waitress to come and talk to [students]."

Speaking of "students," Joy Lauren was on hand and all smiles over Desperate Housewives' admittedly expected but nonetheless thrilling Season 4 pickup. "Nobody wants this train ride to end," she shared. "It's been a pretty amazing three years." On the topic of brotherly love, Lauren said TV sib Shawn Pyfrom deserves a "Sexy" nod next time. "He's like a brother to me, but all my friends find him very sexy!" As for her DH mom, Lauren told us that Marcia Cross was still on leave, basking in her double blessing: "She is just being at home with [the twins]; I wish that for her as long as possible. I hope she takes it easy."

Of course, being a Wednesday-night event, some folks -- most understandably Justin Guarini of TV Guide Channel's Idol Tonight and Idol Chat -- were abuzz about the contest's latest castoff. "I have to say, I was really shocked by Stephanie [Edwards] being voted off tonight," the Season 1 Idol alum opined. "I thought she went way too early. And since Idol's Paula just last week graced TV Guide's cover, Justin suspects that Simon might want some "Sexy" cred in the future. "I know he'd want to be on the cover, but maybe you could put him on the back page?" Justin quipped.

Ian Ziering gave a face to TV's other red-hot reality show, Dancing with the Stars, where he is fortuitously partnered with two-time champ Cheryl Burke. "I feel very lucky," he said. "She's a great teacher; she's got tremendous choreography; she's sweet; and she comes with a tremendous amount of discipline. And it's a great match for me."

Appropriately in attendance for this "sexy time" was Borat sidekick Ken Davitian, who will next show up on the big screen -- clothed, one must pray -- in the Steve Carell-fronted take on TV's Get Smart. (Davitian plays the henchman of KAOS boss Terrence Stamp.) "I was a big fan of the original," he said, "and the [movie] script is very similar; the flavor of the original is captured in it."

Crime-fighter Robert Gossett, of TNT's The Closer, shared with us that he just finished filming the third episode of the new season, and said that Commander Taylor will cop a new 'tude. "Yes, I think he has figured out that things roll down hill, so he's learned to think more astutely. He's become appreciative of Kyra [Sedgwick]'s character and her ability to bring people to justice."

Even daytime stars came out for this sexy night, namely a pair of General Hospital hunks. When asked which cast mate is worthy of the "sexiest" label, Josh Duhon (aka the ABC sudser's Logan) cast his vote for Kelly Monaco, who displayed her fine form on DWTS Season 1 -- "She really takes the cake," he raved -- as well as male peers Greg Vaughan and Steve Burton. Jason Thompson (Patrick), meanwhile, pitched us soap icon Tony Geary, saying, "He's so talented and has been around, and he's still a great-looking guy."

But who better to ask about future "Sexy" destinies than Ghost Whisperer co-executive producer and psychic James Van Praagh? Slipping on his seer's cap, he foresaw three things: a Season 3 renewal for the Whisperer ("I haven't heard officially, but being a psychic, I know that we will be picked up," he said), a 2008 "Sexy" honor for Jennifer Love Hewitt, and a jaw-dropping, cliff-hanger season finale on par with last year's. "Wait till you see it," he teased. "It's pretty amazing what happens."

See an extensive gallery of photos of TV's sexiest stars.