TV heartthrob Noah Wyle has been crowned People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive at the age of 55.
The Pitt star said that he initially thought the whole thing was a prank when he heard the news.
However, his wife Sara, 46, was on hand to convince him that he deserved the crown.
‘I thought that sounded like a prank – just not in a million years did I think that this would be an honour bestowed on me,’ he told People.
‘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,’ Wyle explained.
He added that Sara was also delighted with the news because it reflected well on her taste in men.
![NOAH WYLE IS PEOPLE?S 2026 SEXIEST MAN ALIVE On being crowned Sexiest Man Alive and why his wife encouraged it: ?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.? ?She was very pleased that this reflects well on her taste,? he says of his wife Sara. ?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.? ? On his kids? reactions: ?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.? On what former Sexiest Man Alive and his ER costar George Clooney will say: ?I think he?ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I?ve come of gray-haired age.? On a fan asking him to inspect her surgical stitches at dinner: ?The other night I was sitting in this restaurant with my wife and another couple, and this older couple came to the table, and they said, ?We love The Pitt. We haven?t missed an episode. I just had surgery. Would you mind taking a look?? And she rolled up her pant leg and showed me the freshest stitches I?ve seen in a long time. And I said, ?It looks like it?s healing nicely. Are you putting full weight on it?? My wife?s like, ?Are you doing this right now?? ? On still feeling self-conscious, even as Sexiest Man Alive: ?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.?](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/SEI_318370610-8c73.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
And it seems she had plenty to celebrate when she joined her husband at a photoshoot at a cliffside estate in Malibu in August, bringing their 11-year-old daughter Frances and family dog Lily along.
The actor became a household name in the 1990s playing medical student Dr John Carter in hit hospital drama ER.
He even appeared on the cover of People alongside co-stars George Clooney, Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards for the magazine’s ‘Sexy Men of ER’ issue.
Clooney went on to be crowned Sexiest Man Alive twice, but Wyle had to wait decades for his moment.
Now, following the huge success of medical drama The Pitt, the actor is finally getting his turn in the spotlight.
Wyle has described the show’s success as the ‘second lightning strike in my life’ and has won two consecutive best actor Emmys for his performance.
The series is set to return for a third season in January. But while Wyle might be celebrating his new title, his children have had rather mixed reactions to their dad being named the sexiest man alive.
Asked what his children – Owen, 24, Auden, 21, and Frances, 11 – thought of the news, he revealed his son was concerned about the potential downsides.
‘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,’ his son told him.
His older daughter, meanwhile, was less than convinced.
‘No way, no way,’ she reportedly said, with Wyle expecting her to tease him about the honour for the next 50 years.