Noah Wyle is PEOPLE'S Sexiest Man Alive 2026 - But he thought it was a prank

Noah Wyle is the people's sexiest man alive! After an Emmy-winning comeback with The Pitt, Noah Wyle has finally claimed the well-deserved crown. The news has been especially celebrated by millennials who have loved the actor since his ER days as Dr John Carter.

Wyle succeeds Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey, who was crowned in 2025.

However, when Wyle was first told what he had been chosen for, he thought 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 honour 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,'' he said.

From ER to The Pitt: Noah Wyle is PEOPLE'S Sexiest Man Alive 2026

Aired in 1994, ER was one of the first medical dramas and continues to rule the hearts of millennials. The show, which had George Clooney as the breakout lead, had Noah Wyle playing Dr John Carter, and with his boyish looks and charm, he was enough to make an entire generation swoon.

After the show ended in 2009 after 15 seasons, Wyle went on to star in other shows. But 16 years later, he made a full-circle return to the ER, this time as Dr Michael "Robby" Robinavitch in HBO Max's The Pitt, a role that won him an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a star on the Walk of Fame, and finally led to his Sexiest Man Alive crowning.

For his performance in the show, the show's two seasons have clinched multiple nominations and awards. Among them, the actor won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series - Drama in 2026 and then swept the Emmy Awards back-to-back in 2025 and 2026, taking home Best Actor in a Drama Series both years.

Wyle's ER co-star Clooney once said that AARP should do a “sexiest man still alive” issue. “I would nominate Noah Wyle as the first guy,” Clooney said. “When I grow up, I want to be Noah Wyle.” Clooney has won the title two times, once when ER aired then in 2006.

When asked what Clooney will feel, Wyle said,''I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age.