Barely Legal: The 25 Hottest Women Under 21

It feels like just yesterday, the first time we saw 2004’s Man on Fire—the Tony Scott-directed action-thriller starring Denzel Washington—and finished the movie impressed not just with Denzel’s performance, but more so that of little Dakota Fanning. Only 10 years old at the time, Fanning was already a hot commodity amongst casting directors, having blown critics away in the 2001 drama I Am Sam and holding her own alongside a manic Mike Myers in the 2003 Dr. Seuss adaptation The Cat In The Hat. But, my, how the once-tiny girl has grown up.

First came the underwhelming flick Hounddog (2007), the one in which the then-13-year-old Fanning’s character suffered a brutal rape. Thankfully, her latest ascension into adulthood is much less disturbing—actually, it’s quite hot. On February 18th, the naturally pretty Fanning turned 18, ending the day-and-hour countdowns of guys who watched 2010’s The Runaways and uncomfortably thought, “Wow, that little girl from Man on Fire looks good.”

But why stop there? Now that we’re able to compliment Fanning on her exteriors, she joins a crop of young female celebs who make 30-plus men feel sinister for leering at with open mouths: The 25 Hottest Women Under 21. And here’s the best part: They’re all legal (or barely legal, rather), so it’s all good!

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Age: 19
Turns 21 on: July 26, 2014
Profession: Actress/Singer/Model

Yeah, we’re as much in disbelief over Taylor Momsen’s age as you are, pervy readers. Only a half-a-year past her 18th birthday, the former Gossip Girl regular has lived a gossip blog worthy of a much older paparazzi magnet.

Living up to the name of her rock band, The Pretty Reckless, Momsen has popped up on various gossip blogs for her provocative on-stage attire, which has included thigh-hugging black bottoms, a T-shirt emblazoned with “I Fuck For Satan,” Gothy black eye shadow, and unstrapped negligee. Makes us dread the thought of raising a teenage daughter, but since she’s not our little girl, well, you know…

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: May 13, 2014
Profession: Actress/Singer

Credit goes to the creative minds behind the Disney Channel’s sitcom Jessie for making its main character (a country girl working as a nanny in upper-class Manhattan) 18 years old. That, in turn, makes it much easier for us to watch strictly as an excuse to get nice, long looks at the show’s highly attractive star, Debby Ryan. Those who share our affinity for the Alabama native should avoid her IMDB page at all costs, though, because her first credit is 2007’s Barney: Let’s Go To The Firehouse. Yikes.

Age: 18
Turns 21 on: December 8, 2014
Profession: Actress

AnnaSophia Robb is a walking, talking testament to the power of a two-piece bikini. Prior to last April, the button-cute actress was just another familiar face in several kiddie flicks we’d watch with our younger relatives, movies like Because Of Winn Dixie, Bridge To Terabithia, and Race To Witch Mountain.

Then came the box office hit Soul Surfer, in which Robb starred as a swimwear-clad athlete who survives a horrific shark attack. Jaws it’s not, yet the inspirational drama left us with a “Whoa!” feeling similar to that of Steven Spielberg’s flick—except, with Soul Surfer, the impetus was the realization that Robb’s all grown up. And we like it.

Age: 18
Turns 21 on: February 23, 2015
Profession: Actress

Let’s call a spade a spade here: There’s really no way to wax flirtatious about Dakota Fanning because, well, she’s only two days over 18 as of the day this article goes live (i.e., today, unless you’re reading this tomorrow or beyond then). And, as a result, it’s still a bit awkward to ogle her via the written word, so we’ll just say that it feels damn good to be able to watch Fanning passionately kiss Kristen Stewart in 2010’s The Runaways without questions both our morals and dignity.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: February 18, 2013
Profession: Actress

Your boy Drizzy Drake isn’t the only Degrassi: The Next Generation participant that you should care about, haters of teenybopper soap operas. Beginning her current stint in 2008, Canadian stunner Melinda Shankar has given the lovesick series ample doses of confidence, sexual magnetism, and heartbreak as the problem-starter Alli. The question is, though, can she rap? If so, we wouldn’t mind seeing her give Nicki Minaj a run for Roman Zolanski’s Young Money throne.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: April 5, 2013
Profession: Singer

It’s time that Bieber Fever expanded beyond infecting teenage girls and ushered in a new wave of Canadian pop stars dominating stateside Billboard charts. That way, we’d have the chance to get to know Vancouver-born singer Emmalyn Estrada much better. Having already achieved success in the land of bacon with her hit 2009 single “Get Down,” Estrada has been itching her way back onto the charts—you know you’d gladly, um, scratch that itch if ever given the chance.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: May 4, 2013
Profession: Actress

Is it OK yet to admit that we like some of MTV’s original non-reality-show programming? Like the far better than expected Teen Wolf, a horror-drama that handles its characters with more depth and skill than most major network genre shows (we’re looking at you, producers of The River).

There’s also the straightforward drama series Awkward, the breakout hit that's centered on a 16-year-old girl who’s coming of age after an incident that her peers deemed a suicide attempt. It’s particularly heavy stuff for a channel most known for Jersey Shore; thankfully, leading lady Ashley Rickards commandeers the anguish with both skill and hotness.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: July 3, 2013
Profession: Actress

The word “Nickelodeon” typically conjures up thoughts of upbeat, kid-friendly sitcoms and harmless animated shows, but in 2011, the network shook things up a bit by premiering the darker mystery series House Of Anubis. Set in a creepy boarding school, the supernatural plot follows a group of students who gradually uncover the building’s freaky history; of all the plagued youngsters, Nina, played by hottie Nathalia Ramos, is the most sympathetic, for obvious reasons.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: March 13, 2013
Profession: Actress

Forget about MTV’s short-lived, controversial, and altogether ineffective series remake, which died a small-screen death early last year—over in the U.K., Skins has been going strong for five years now, with some of the best teenage drama out there. One of the show’s most memorable characters has been Kaya Scodelario’s Effy, a manipulative troublemaker who, during her four-season run, frequently broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the audience. We’d rather not tell you what we day-dreamed about her Effy saying to us.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: February 26, 2014
Profession: Actress

Only one of the two young stars of Robert Rodriguez’s goofy 2005 kids action flick The Adventures Of Sharkboy & Lavagirl In 3D has gone on to reach pop culture ubiquity, and, sadly, it’s Taylor Lautner, the poorly acting, charisma-deficient dude from the Twilight films. The world would be a much better place for men, though, if Taylor “Sharkboy” Lautner’s on-screen partner, Taylor “Lavagirl” Dooley, was currently starring in a bank-breaking movie franchise—she’s too damn cute to be so out of the spotlight.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: July 26, 2014
Profession: Actress/Singer

Who doesn’t love a snarky, take-no-prisoners bad girl? On the popular Nickelodeon series Victorious, Elizabeth Gillies plays the humorless, competitive, and vindictive Jade, the show’s resident attitude-supplier. Delivering every cold-blooded line with her inherent good looks, the fiery New Jersey native is a submissive man’s dream come true.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: August 26, 2014
Profession: Actress/Singer

One of last month’s biggest surprise hits, the feel-good musical Joyful Noise has pulled in an impressive $30 million on a humble budget, and, chances are, some of those theater receipts belong to dudes. For the older gents, the biggest hook could’ve been Dolly Parton’s ageless knockers, those twins that remain young and vibrant as their owner grows older; for the younger men, though, spunky starlet Keke Palmer gave them plenty of eye candy to snack on as the flick’s bubbly songs and cheesy vibes repeatedly smacked them in the brain.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: October 8, 2014
Profession: Actress

Procedural shows on networks are, at their worst, inconspicuous and interchangeable; it’s impossible to discern between one cop show and another, or Grey’s Anatomy from Private Practice. And yes, we’ve watched both of those shows enough to have sufficiently tried—want to fight about it?

ABC’s Castle, thankfully, is one familiar-looking cop series that doesn’t call for a defensive stance from viewers such as us; with its sharp writing, lively humor, and good sense to give the underrated Nathan Fillion a leading role, Castle is quality television. Not to mention, as of last October, it’s home to the now-legal Molly C. Quinn, prime-time television’s cutest redhead.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: May 14, 2014
Profession: Actress/Singer

When pre-teen girls watch Nickelodeon’s hit show iCarly, they’re tuned in to laugh at all of the hijinx; when their older brothers and/or fathers view along with them, the older guys in the room are wishing that they were in high school again just so they could fantasize about star Miranda Cosgrove without feeling like grade-A creeps.

Well, Carly lovers, the good news is that the multitalented Cosgrove turned the big 1-8 last May; meaning, getting all hot and bothered while watching new iCarly episodes is all good. Doing so over the reruns she filmed years ago, however, is a problem.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: June 26, 2014
Profession: Actress/Singer/Dancer

Nickelodeon’s performing arts school sitcom Victorious isn’t fun to watch if you’re someone who’s prone to hating yourself over lusting after jailbait. Being that the show’s setting is a high school, it’s implied that all of the main characters are younger than 18, and, unfortunately, each of the female leads is a young beauty, especially Ariana Grande. On Victorious, Grande plays the naïve and lovably innocent Cat, whose aw-shucks attitude makes her all the more attractive. And that June 1983 birthday makes her all the more legal. Crisis averted.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: August 3, 2013
Profession: Model

Standing at a towering 6'1", runway walker Karlie Kloss is one tall glass of gorgeous, not to mention People’s choice for “best model” in 2008. So why isn’t she all over the gossip sites and tabloids like most of her industry peers? Because the Chicago-born Kloss keeps it strictly business, focusing her energy on her red-hot career and avoiding unfashionable drama. And that’s just one of two reasons why we’re so high on her. The other? Redirect your eyes to above photo, please.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: November 15, 2012
Profession: Actress

The film world is currently swept up in Academy Awards fever, but, as is the case every year, the list of acting nominees is missing a ton of worthy, snubbed performers who delivered some of 2011’s best performances.

One such un-nominated scene-stealer is Shailene Woodley, who went toe-to-toe, and often outshined, George Clooney in the wonderful Best Picture contender The Descendants. Since she’s not about to win a golden statue, we’re at least hoping that Woodley breaks out of the ABC Family circuit (where she stars on The Secret Life Of The American Teenager) and strong-arms Hollywood casting calls. How about a “final girl” role in a quality slasher flick? It worked for current Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (see: 2010’s dreadful A Nightmare On Elm Street remake).

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: March 23, 2013
Profession: Actress/Singer

We’re calling “bullshit” on the Canadian TV series My Babysitter’s A Vampire, and not for its presentation of a world in which undead bloodsuckers actually exist. No, the cause of our discontent is the show’s notion that babysitters come as beautiful as Vanessa Morgan, who plays the titular vamp. The only times sitters look that good, we’re watching a movie or, yes, even a television program.

Admittedly, this animosity stems from the fact that our parents used to hire chubby, sweaty chicks to look after us, in hopes of curbing our adolescent hormones. Not that we’re bitter.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: July 22, 2013
Profession: Singer/Actress

There are numerous reasons why the common man should envy the hell out of Justin Bieber: He’s a multimillionaire, beloved by the industry’s most powerful people, a gifted singer, and blessed with the ability to bag any chick he wants. As for that last characteristic, though, Bieber isn’t all that concerned with his attractiveness nowadays, thanks to his positive relationship with fellow under-21 celebrity Selena Gomez.

Therein lies another reason to hate on the kid; a talented songbird, witty and full of personality in front of the camera, and, most importantly, all kinds of hot, the former Wizards Of Waverly Place star seems like the ultimate in wifey material. Some Canadian-born pop stars have all the luck.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: February 12, 2013
Profession: Model

Finally, an under-21 hottie we can eyeball without feeling creepy whatsoever, and we have Hugh Hefner and his wonderful Playboy magazine to thank for that. At the ripe age of 20, Jessica Workman, along with her all-natural 34D twos, has already shown it all for the Bunny rag; do yourself a favor and seek out those back issues, because this Cleveland native is working with some heat, fellas.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: November 23, 2013
Profession: Actress/Singer

To put it bluntly, Miley Cyrus just doesn’t give a fuck, and that’s why we love her. Despite the fact that her core fan base is barely out of grade school, let alone high school, the former Hannah Montana star has regularly kept the gossip mill churning.

Leaked pictures of her smoking reefer, skimpy outfits worn during nationally televised awards shows, and ditzy interviews that most likely send her publicist into panic attacks have kept Cyrus atop tabloid reporters' most-wanted lists. Just wait until she turns 21—folks like Perez Hilton will have to wave their little white flags.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: February 19, 2013
Profession: Actress

On ABC’s frustratingly safe horror series The River, Paulina Gaitán does a commendable job giving her thankless character—that of a non-English-speaking girl who does nothing but lay out important plot points in Spanish—endless appeal through a convincing performance and physical strengths (curves, dark skin, and pretty eyes).

It’s not the first time we’ve been smitten by the Mexican actress, though; in 2009, she killed it in the superb, slept-on drama Sin Nombre, and last year Gaitán offset the grisly horror in the excellent domestic cannibal horror flick We Are What We Are with her beauty and acting prowess.

Age: 19
Turns 21 on: February 19, 2014
Profession: Actress/Singer

Sure, she’s only 19, and she’s yet to reach the levels of fame that her peers Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez have, but we’ve only got one thing to say about Victorious (on Nickelodeon) headliner Victoria Justice: Give the girl another year or so, and she’s going to be a problem.

Musically, Justice has vocal chops and charisma to spare—check out her ridiculously catchy “Best Friend’s Brother” video without agreeing. And if the above pic is how she looks just shy of 20, imagine how good she’s going to look in her mid-20s. Let’s just hope she doesn’t follow the Miley Cyrus route to tabloid infamy (i.e., bongs, slutty outfits, and familial woes).

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: August 20, 2013
Profession: Singer/Actress

Life under the spotlight hasn’t been easy for Demi Lovato recently. Early last year, the one-time Disney starlet (courtesy of the channel’s successful sitcom Sonny With A Chance) completed a stint in rehab, to combat against bulimia, depression, and self-injury.

We’re pulling for Miss Lovato to keep herself out of the joint, because she’s remarkably talented; simply put, her 2011 album, Unbroken, showcases a singer-songwriter who’s better at the musical craft than Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and every other like-minded recording artist. As her ranking here indicates, she’s also the sexiest Disney veteran of them all.

Age: 20
Turns 21 on: June 10, 2013
Profession: Model

These days, due to her new, and first-ever, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover, the curvaceous Kate Upton is everywhere; seriously, frequenters of pop culture websites and entertainment news shows can’t blink without seeing or hearing about her. But who’s complaining? With her playful attitude, down-for-whatever mentality, and glorious mammary glands, Upton is the hottest thing to wear a bikini in years.