Noah Wyle has been named Sexiest Man Alive.
From ER heartthrob to star of The Pitt, Noah, 55, has clearly won the hearts of his audience but it sounds like he's staggered by his latest accolade and was convinced it was 'a prank.'
He told People: '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.
'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.'
Noah, who plays Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch in the hit Max medical drama The Pitt, said his wife Sara has encouraged him to embrace his new accolade.
He said: '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".'
The Pitt star Noah Wyle, 55, has been named People's Sexiest Man Alive and said he thought the accolade was 'a prank'
He told People: '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'
Noah and Sara have been married since 2014 and they share a daughter, Frances, who was born in 2015.
Noah also shares a son, Owen, born in 2002, and a daughter, Auden, born in 2005, with his first wife, Tracy.
And talking about his children's reactions, he said: 'My son is super practical. He was like, "Oh, this is going to make my life so much harder now. But that’s cool, Dad. But also, you invite a lot of haters too."
'My older daughter was just like, "No way, no way." Because I think she’s going to tease me about this for the next 50 years.'
And he's pretty sure he knows what former Sexiest Man Alive and his ER co-star George Clooney will have to say about it all.
Noah said: 'I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age.'
The actor said he does feel a bit self-conscious despite winning this award and said: '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. 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.'
Noah quit his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in ER at the end of season 11 in May 2005 after his son was born.
And he's pretty sure he knows what former Sexiest Man Alive and his ER co-star George Clooney will say. He said: 'I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age'
Noah said: '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'
He does feel a bit self-conscious despite winning this award and said: '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."'
But he added: 'Not yet. 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'
Noah, who plays Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch in the hit Max medical drama The Pitt, (pictured), said his wife Sara has encouraged him to embrace his new accolade.
Noah quit his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in ER at the end of season 11 in May 2005 after his son was born, (pictured on the show)
He said of fatherhood: 'That was the most life-changing event in my life. They handed my son to me, and I was like, "Now I get it. It’s not about me, it’s about you." That’s when I quit ER.'
Noah also addressed winning Sexiest Man Alive on Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast which was released on Tuesday.
Amy joked: 'I heard from your people that you refused to come until you were voted Sexiest Man. You said "I will only be on this pod and people, I need something legitimate to talk about".'
'And I guess my first question is Jonathan Bailey [won]last year. How is your administration going to be different? What are you going to do different than the Bailey administration?'
Noah playfully responded: 'My administration is going to really crack down on the borders of beauty. Congratulations.'
And talking about past winners Sean Connery and Denzel Washington, he added: 'I should have trained harder for this... There's no guide book.'
Previous winners of People's Sexiest Man Alive awards have been John Krasinski, Paul Rudd, Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise and many others over its 41-year tenure.
Some have even been named Sexiest Man Alive twice by the magazine - with Brad Pitt taking the crown in 1995 and again in 2000.
George Clooney is also a two-time Sexiest man winner, having scored the title in 1997 and then again nearly a decade later in 2006.
The first face to ever grace the cover in 1985 was Mel Gibson, who - long before being embroiled in multiple scandals - won the title after debuting his rough good looks in the Mad Max trilogy.
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