Noah Wyle has been named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2026, with the 55-year-old actor saying he initially thought the news was a prank.
Wyle, known for his roles in The Pitt and ER, said he had not expected to receive the honour and anticipated plenty of teasing from friends and family.
“I thought that sounded like a prank — just not in a million years did I think that this would be an honor bestowed on me,” he told PEOPLE. “I hope this changes everything. I hope it’s just wine and roses, milk and honey from here on out. [Laughs] No, I don’t, but I am going to take a lot of ribbing from friends and family for sure.”
His wife, Sara, was pleased by the recognition, Wyle said, believing it reflected positively on her taste as well as on his qualities as a husband and father.
“She was very pleased that this reflects well on her taste. She thinks I’m a good guy and that the kind of person that I am and the kind of father I am, the kind of husband I am, is worth promoting. I thought, ‘Okay, if you say so,’” he said.
Noah Wyle on George Clooney’s reaction
Wyle also speculated about how George Clooney might respond to his new title. Clooney has been named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive twice.
“I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age,” Wyle said.
Despite appearing on the cover, the actor said the honour had not immediately made him feel more comfortable in his own skin.
“I was so hoping today was going to be the day. ‘Look at you. You’re the Sexiest Man Alive. Finally you can be comfortable in your own skin.’ Not yet,” he said.
Wyle added that he preferred inhabiting fictional characters to speaking as himself, describing unscripted interactions as particularly difficult.
“I like being in other people’s skin. I like putting on characters. I get self-conscious. It’s still the hardest kind of interaction for me, speaking without a script as myself,” he said.
