Chris Evans turns 40: All the reasons we love the actor

By Topher Gauk-Roger 5:52am PDT, Jun 11, 2021

Who doesn't love Chris Evans?! The charming, handsome actor has built a career as one of Hollywood's most treasured leading men over the last two decades. His work as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe cemented his spot as a box office heavyweight and also helped him amass an incredible following. In the years since, the Boston native has demonstrated time and time again why we can't get enough of him, from his winning smile to his varied career as well as his beautiful devotion to both his family and his dog. To celebrate the actor's 40th birthday on June 13, 2021, join Wonderwall.com as we run down just some of the reasons we adore him…

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To thank his fans for all the kind messages he received on his 38th birthday, Chris Evans decided to give them something as a treat. He took to social media to share a vintage headshot in which he was sporting a very of its time Sean John tracksuit. "This is the crown jewel In case you were wondering, yes, that IS a velour, Sean John track suit. It's amazing I'm even alive given my knack for making the absolute worst decisions imaginable," he captioned the snap, poking fun at his fashion faux pas. Chris is always seen taking photos with and signing autographs for his numerous supporters and proved he's also willing to share a good laugh with them too.

Chris Evans is a consummate gentleman who's been seen multiple times helping escort ladies to the stage during award shows. At the 2015 People's Choice Awards, the favorite action movie star winner was seated near industry legend Betty White and jumped into action to assist her up the stairs to accept her favorite TV icon trophy. Similarly, he gave Regina King a helping hand at the 2019 Academy Awards as she stood to claim the best supporting actress Oscar. When she paused to regain her footing after her heels got tangled in her dress, Chris swooped in and graciously offered his arm. He's more than willing to show off his Captain America chivalry both on and off the big screen.

As one of the silver screen's most stylish heartthrobs, Chris Evans looks just as good in a suit as he does donning his superhero costume. He regularly makes best dressed lists for his colorful array of fitted duds, such as the custom Salvatore Ferragamo teal velvet jacket he wore at the 91st Academy Awards. His stylist, Ilaria Urbinati, told People magazine she chose "this sort of fairy tale blue to go with his eyes," and it couldn't have worked more perfectly. In fact, Chris is routinely seen in various shades of the color when hitting the red carpet, ensuring we never miss his gorgeous peepers. His film breakthrough came with 2001's "Not Another Teen Movie," but when he auditioned, director Joel Gallen told Entertainment Weekly, Chris "lacked all fashion sense" — that has certainly changed in the years since. He's also known to favor a beard or mustache over a clean-shaven appearance and it has become his signature.

Chris Evans is extremely close with his family, often bringing them as his dates to Hollywood events. He's even referred to his three siblings as his best friends. He's taken sisters Carly and Shanna to different Academy Awards ceremonies and arrived at the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" premiere in 2015 with both them and mother Lisa on his arm. Chris honored his sisters and brother Scott Evans on National Sibling Day in 2019, tweeting, "Through siblings we practice trust, compassion, loyalty, creativity and love. I spent every waking second with mine creating the memories that I cherish above all others. Happy #NationalSiblingsDay to my first best friends."

Rounding out Chris Evans' family is his younger brother, Scott Evans, who's also an actor. He studied at New York University and made his acting debut with a main role on "One Life to Live," remaining on the long-running soap opera for two years. The equally as handsome star was more recently seen in a recurring part on the Netflix comedy series "Grace & Frankie" as well as in the Hulu horror film "Midnight Kiss." Scott is openly gay and has been outspoken about the support he's always received from his brother. "There are things he teaches me every day or things I teach him everyday," he tol AskMen. "We still will check in with each other and we're there for each other. There's no time for any sense of rivalry or competitive spirit… it's the complete opposite of a rivalry. It's more of just support and love."

Chris Evans' smile has the power to light up an entire room. But it might surprise many to learn that his incredible grin isn't a result of Hollywood magic — it's actually all thanks to his father. "I'm a very lucky guy, my father is a dentist," Chris said on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" in 2011. "So I was very lucky because I looked like the village idiot growing up, like my teeth were trying to escape my face." It didn't all come naturally for the A-lister, however, who — just like so many of us — also got clear braces as a kid.

While he may not possess superhuman strength, Chris Evans does have the muscles to do almost as much as Captain America can. In 2016's "Captain America: Civil War," his character has to stop a helicopter with his bare hands. And while the machinery was fake, everything about Chris was 100% real. "That's all Chris Evans," co-director Anthony Russo told Mashable. Added co-director Joe Russo: "The guy gets so ripped to play that part. I think the whole group gathered around when we shot it and were marveling at him, just like, 'I can't believe how big his guns are.'" In "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Chris effortlessly snapped a log in half while arguing with Tony Stark. In a 2017 Wired autocomplete interview in which he responded to Google searches about himself, he answered the burning question: "Did Chris Evans rip a log in half?" He said with a sly grin on his face: "I mean…yeah. You know, I mean, was it made out of Styrofoam? I don't know, that's nobody's business."

There's nothing more appealing than a guy with a good laugh, and Chris Evans has one that's contagious. He does so with such energy and conviction that it's near impossible not to laugh along with him when you see him break into a fit. The star throws his entire body into his boisterous chuckling, and it wins over more fans each time. It's become so known that fans made a meme (see it here) with a scale for how hysterical he finds something based on how far back he throws his head, how wide he opens his mouth and whether he places one hand or two on his chest.

Chris Evans is no stranger to giving back to the less fortunate. He's a major supporter of the Boston charity Christopher's Haven, which provides housing to families affected by childhood cancer, and he's taken part in fundraisers to benefit the organization. He also turned his friendly 2015 Super Bowl competition with Marvel co-star Chris Pratt into a worthy bet, getting the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star to visit those helped by Christopher's Haven with him while clad in a New England Patriots jersey as well as his Star-Lord costume. On top of that, in 2020, Chris E. organized a virtual fundraiser involving his "Avengers" co-stars to benefit the organizations Feeding America, Meals on Wheels, World Central Kitchen and No Kid Hungry.

The most prized thing in Chris Evans' life is his beloved dog, Dodger. He adopted the mixed-breed boxer rescue while filming the movie "Gifted" in 2016 and has regularly shared adorable content with his pooch all over social media ever since. In fact, while shooting "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," Chris posted countdowns to the day they would be reunited. He went on to reveal the heartwarming moment they came back together in a clip on his Twitter account with the caption, "After 10 long weeks…" You would be hard-pressed to find anything sweeter than the sight of Captain America gleefully rolling on the ground with a precious pup as he was smothered in kisses.

Even in his first film, it was clear Chris Evans wasn't someone who took himself too seriously. One famous scene in "Not Another Teen Movie" found the actor hilariously wearing nothing more than whipped cream in a failed effort to woo the object of his affection. "At the time, you're just so happy to be on a job. I just looked at it and said, 'Who cares? I'm earning my stripes,'" he told ELLE of the experience. Chris, who's a massive Disney fan, shared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that he knows all the lyrics to the songs from "The Little Mermaid." His mom confirmed the news to GQ in 2011, calling him "kind of a big dork" and adding, "at 30 he still knows all the words to songs from 'The Little Mermaid.'"

While he's best known for his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Evans has shown his versatility as an actor throughout his career. He displayed his ability to handle slapstick humor in 20001's "Not Another Teen Movie" and romantic comedy in 2007's "The Nanny Diaries" and 2011's "What's Your Number?" The star also proved he is able to tackle drama in projects like 2005's "Fierce People" and 2017's "Gifted." He's also been in critical favorites like 2013's "Snowpiercer" and 2019's "Knives Out" and cult classics such as 2010's "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" and 2007's "Sunshine." He made his directorial debut in 2014 with the indie romantic-drama "Before We Go," showing there's almost nothing he can't do.

To top it off, the handsome star can model as well as he acts. In 2011, Chris Evans and actress Evan Rachel Wood were chosen as the faces of Gucci's Guilty fragrance and starred in a number of steamy commercials and ads for the luxury scent that saw the two cuddling in a number of seductive poses without their shirts. "I was happier about this than most movie jobs," he told Men's Health at the time. "A lot of fragrance campaigns involve people running around splashing water on each other. With [director] Frank Miller, it felt like a film. We talked about backstory. We talked about character. I liked feeling like an actor. The worst thing would have been showing up the first day and feeling like a model." He also told the New York Daily News that it was the "easiest paycheck I've ever had." It doesn't hurt knowing that smelling good is also a priority for Chris.

Despite keeping his love life as private as humanly possible, Chris Evans has shown that he is a super-supportive boyfriend. One of his exes, "Gifted" co-star Jenny Slate, tweeted about her "dreamy" boyfriend back in 2017. "My boyfriend does many dreamy & generous things but number 1 in my mind right now is how he celebrates my new turtlenecks/lets me show him my online shopping spoils & cheers me on," the actress wrote in the now-deleted post celebrating her former cheerleader of a beau.

Never one to hold back, Chris Evans has been outspoken about his struggles with anxiety and depression, helping to erase the stigma surrounding both issues. He discussed the destructive impact it had on his acting career with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining, "I started having mini panic attacks on set. I really started to think, 'I'm not sure if this [acting] is the right thing for me, I'm not sure if I'm feeling as healthy as I should be feeling.'" He admitted he was hesitant to take on the Marvel films, afraid it would render his anxiety unmanageable, but thankfully, that didn't happen. "It was nice having Chris Hemsworth around because he was going through it too. Hemsworth and I were very new and we also had the stand-alones and so I think we shared in our anxiety, and at least that made it a little bit more comforting," he added.

Chris Evans is incredible at cracking a joke and making fans laugh. More than that, he always seems ready to make people smile. He has a biting sense of humor that shines in interviews as well as on social media. Chris has previously joked about losing his hair and how his aging would affect Captain America. "The fear is this [role as Captain America] can span 10 years so I can be doing this character until I'm 40," he told E! Online. "I'm supposed to be like this superior human. He can't be balding… How horrible would it be if this superior man has male pattern baldness?" In 2018, he had to sport a mustache for his work in the Broadway play "Lobby Hero." But the actor was less than thrilled when "Entertainment Tonight Canada" tweeted out a mustachioed photo of him from the play's opening night while announcing one of his new projects instead of using a clean-shaven snapshot. "This is clearly an act of aggression. There are literally hundreds of photos to choose from. What did I ever do to you, Canada?" he teased on Twitter.

Fans of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" might know that Chris Evans has skills as a tap dancer too — he showed them off during a 2017 visit to the talk show (watch here). His mother was a dancer and trained him well, using his childhood home as a practice location with a tap floor in the basement. "I'm OK. I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm Gene Kelly, but I'm OK," he said on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" about his tap skill level. "My mom gave us lessons when we were all kids. So I'm alright." He has continued taking private lessons for fun as an adult. "It makes me feel like I'm a part of the music," he told The New York Times. "If you walk down the street and you see someone tapping, you stop in your tracks, because it's awesome."

It will come as no surprise that Chris Evans has made a substantial amount of money, in large part because of his essential role in the numerous Marvel films, of which he has appeared in 11. Celebrity Net Worth estimated that he was worth $80 million in 2021, a significant jump from his net worth in 2019, which Forbes estimated to be $43.5 million. The action-film veteran was reportedly paid around $20 million for the most recent "Avengers" film in 2019, a far cry from the $300,000 base salary he allegedly earned for his first "Captain America" film in 2011.

Despite moving to Los Angeles after graduating from high school to pursue his acting career, Chris Evans' heart has always remained firmly in his hometown of Boston. While he does have a multimillion-dollar home in the Hollywood Hills, he spent most of the global coronavirus pandemic in the Massachusetts capital, where he also owns an apartment. He was able to shoot his most recent projects, "Knives Out" and the Apple TV+ series "Defending Jacob," close to his East Coast home, explaining on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" that "if I could shoot everything in Boston I'd be thrilled." Chris is also a big supporter of New England athletic teams such as the Patriots and the Red Sox and has said he will always be a resident of the City on a Hill. "Boston will always be home. I certainly hope so, anyway. I can't really imagine wanting to live anywhere else right now," he once told ShortList.

Chris Evans almost passed on the chance to be Captain America because he didn't want to become "can't-go-outside famous." In an interview with Esquire, his mom shared that she had to convince him to take the role that would change his life forever. "His biggest fear was losing his anonymity," she recalled. "He said, 'I have a career now where I can do work I really like. I can walk my dog. Nobody bothers me. Nobody wants to talk to me. I can go wherever I want. And the idea of losing that is terrifying to me.' I said to him, 'Look, you want to do acting work for the rest of your life? If you do this part, you will have the opportunity." Never one to put his ego first, this story makes it clear Chris was never hungry for fame and is truly invested in the work when it comes to his career.