ELLE’S JUNE ISSUE: THOMAS HADEN CHURCH

SPIDERMAN 3 star THOMAS HADEN CHURCH tells ELLE about the joys of kissing and why he worships older women.

On whether being nominated for an Oscar improved his sex life: “[My wife] Mia [Zottoli] and I have never suffered in that area. I always look forward to making love to her.�

On not losing his sex-drive after turning 40: “Last week, we were at the gym, kissing and flirting like teenagers. We had three different people come up to us and go, “Oh, c’mon!�

On what his sexual superpower would be: “I would just turn into a giant pair of lips. ‘Oh God! There he is! It’s Lip Man!’...Kissing’s a good thing, man. It’s the doorbell of intimacy.�

On his unlikely celebrity crush: “I’ve been an admirer of Helen Mirren for a long time. As I get older, I find myself admiring older women who have poise and elegance.�

On plastic surgery: “I hate it when women fight aging with plastic surgery or fashion choices. There’s this arrogant youth worship in our society. Look at the Native American culture. They revere the elders. Of course, anybody who’s 26 years old will probably say, “Of course the old guy would say that.� But wait until you’re 45 or 46 years old. See how you feel about it then.�

On having a healthy sense of vanity: “I like to look good for myself, which is what a lot of women say. I want to stay fit. I don’t want my hair to be ridiculous. But in Texas I do wear a hat a lot, so I probably have hat-head more than I’m aware of.�

On the most devastating thing a woman has ever said to him: “One [comment] that always stings is “Grow up.� And it stings most when you have the suspicion that it is justified, that you have just dine something childish and you got nailed for it. It’s probably been said to me a few times�

The issue HITS NEWSSTANDS IN NY/LA TOMORROW, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007.