He works hard for the money

From Joe Buck to Gigolo Joe, our favorite male escorts from film and TV

By Michael O'Connell, Special to Metromix

Prostitution. It’s the world's oldest profession—and though history likes to tell us that the bulk of these dirty (sexy!), dirty (lucrative!), dirty (but still totally dirty!) jobs were filled by ladies, pop culture has birthed an army of beloved gentlemen of the night.

Now HBO's topical dark comedy "Hung" aims to bring the male escort biz back into the light when its cash-strapped—but well-endowed—hero, Ray Drecker, is forced to sell himself to suburban housewives this summer.

So in Ray's honor, here's a rundown of some of his more memorable colleagues from movies and the tube. Hey, maybe they can start a union?

"Hung" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.