Hot TV Dads From The ’90s Who Totally Made Us Realize We’re Gay

With the 1990s comeback in full swing, countless blog posts and articles have been written about the TV teen heartthrobs from the decade. Mark Paul Gosselaar. Luke Perry. James van der Beek. Mario Lopez. Many gay men who grew up in the ’90s have credited these guys for awakening their inner homosexuals. But what about all the hot TV dads from back then? We think they deserve a little credit, too.

Scroll down to see some of the hunky TV patriarchs from the ’90s who totally helped to turn us gay…

Charles Shaughnessy as Maxwell Sheffield on The Nanny

He was sexy, charismatic, and a successful Broadway producer. He lived in a mansion and always looked great in a tux. Although he was stern, he was also sensitive. He was stubborn, but could always be won over. Oh, and he had an accent. Need we say more?

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John Stamos as Uncle Jesse on Full House

Have mercy! Okay, okay, so technically John Stamos played an uncle not a dad, but that’s beside the point. Anyone who says they didn’t want to run their fingers through Uncle Jesse’s mullet while riding through the streets of San Francisco on the back of his motorcycle is lying. 

Patrick Duffy as Frank Lambert on Step by Step

He may have worn an alarming number denim shirts paired with white tennis shoes, but Frank Lambert more than made up for his lack of fashion sense with his dashing smile, tan skin, and salt-and-pepper hair. On top of that, he was an entrepreneur and ran a successful contracting company. Of course, this kept him busy. But he always managed to find time for his family.

John Wesley Shipp as Mitch Leery on Dawson’s Creek

While teenage girls were arguing over who was cuter, Dawson or Pacey, our hearts belonged to Mitch Leery, Dawson’s hunky dad. The man was a total stud muffin, always busting out of his oxford shirts, which he kept unbuttoned just far enough to give us a peek at his super sexy chest. His deep dimples and big, brown eyes sent us into a tailspin every Tuesday at 8/9 central until his untimely demise in season 5 when he dropped an ice cream cone in his lap while driving, swerved off the road, and died. That was truly devastating.

Alan Thicke as Dr. Jason Seaver on Growing Pains

Dr. Seaver. He was good-looking. He was practical. He was a careful listener. And, as a stay-at-home psychiatrist, he always gave great advice. In short, he was the perfect pop. Which is why it’s so bizarre that his fictional son grew up to be a total homophobe and his real one became kind of a misogynist. But whatever. He was still cute.

James Eckhouse as Jim Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210

Sure, he might have been a bit dorky, didn’t have the best sense of fashion, and his hairline was receding, but Brandon and Brenda’s dad on Beverly Hills, 90210 was still weirdly — well — hot. He sort of reminded us of a pervert you might catch frantically masturbating in a public bathroom or engaging in some other wildly inappropriate but secretly sexy behavior. He made us want to do filthy things.

Tony Danza as Tony Micelli on Who’s The Boss?

Tony Micelli. The Italian stallion with a heart of gold. His jet black hair and eyes, as well as his adorable Brooklyn accent, were perhaps his most charming features. Paired with the fact that he loved his daughter so much he gave up his professional baseball career for her, and Tony was, well, pretty much perfect. Oh, and let’s not forget his impeccable biceps.

Chris Meloni as Elliot Stabler on Law and Order SVU

The world changed on September 20, 1999 when Detective Elliot Stabler first graced television screens across America. The sexy father of five worked for the NYPD. He was tough as nails, he had a tattoo, and he closed every case. Now that’s a man you know you can depend on.