The 11th Sexiest Woman Over 50: Sela Ward

Sela Ward presents an award at the 57th Annual Emmy Awards in 2005. Getty Images.

11. Sela Ward
Born July 11, 1956

Why She Sizzles: Ward is beautiful and compassionate: in 2002, she opened an emergency shelter for children needing placement in foster homes in her hometown of Meridian, Mississippi.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) walks with actress Sela Ward at Hope Village for Children March 31, 2008 in Meridian, Mississippi. (Photo by Marianne Todd/Getty Images North America)

When We First Fell in Love: We loved to watch her kick up the melodrama as alcoholic artist Teddy Reed on NBC’s long-running Sisters (on the show’s pilot, she tried to ruin her sister’s wedding with a shotgun).

Ward was a cheerleader at Alabama.

Career Highs: Sisters, House, Once and Again

Actress Sela Ward arrives at the AmberWatch Foundation (AWF) Launch Party held at the Globe Theater Universal Studios on April 25, 2006 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images Entertainment)

Career Lows: Ward turned down the role now played by Teri Hatcher on Desperate Housewives.

“Work”: No Ma’am. Sela produced a TV documentary called The Changing Face of Beauty in which she said, “We live inauthentically and do violence to ourselves when we lie about how old we are.”