Noah Wyle has been named PEOPLE’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive, and he expects his former ER costar George Clooney to enjoy the news.
The 55-year-old The Pitt actor’s selection was announced on October 27. Amy Poehler unveiled the cover on Good Hang, where Wyle joined her for a conversation about his career and the unexpected honor.
Clooney received the title in 1997 and 2006. He and Wyle became household names together on ER, playing Doug Ross and John Carter when the NBC medical drama debuted in 1994.
Wyle previously appeared alongside Clooney, Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards on the magazine’s “Sexy Men of ER” cover. His latest appearance puts him in the spotlight on his own.
Wyle Hopes Clooney Will Feel Like a ‘Proud Papa’
Noah Wyle thinks ‘ER’ pal George Clooney is ‘a proud papa’ over his Sexiest Man Alive title. https://t.co/vzJY5S3xy6
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) October 27, 2026
When PEOPLE editor-in-chief Charlotte Triggs asked what Clooney would think, Wyle answered with a joke about getting older. “I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age,” Wyle said.
Clooney had already jokingly nominated Wyle for a similar honor at AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards on January 10. While presenting Wyle with its Best TV Actor award, Clooney suggested the organization create an annual “Sexiest Man Still Alive” issue.
“As an idea I would nominate Noah Wyle as the first guy,” Clooney said, according to AARP‘s account of the ceremony. In his acceptance speech, Wyle credited Clooney with teaching him professional habits he now brings to The Pitt‘s set.
Wyle also presented Clooney with an award that evening. Clooney won Best Actor for Jay Kelly, while The Pitt received the television series prize.
His Wife Helped Persuade Him to Accept
Wyle initially suspected the magazine’s offer was a practical joke. He told PEOPLE that his wife, Sara, encouraged him to embrace it because she felt it recognized the person he is as a husband and father, as well as an actor.
His children were more interested in teasing him. His son warned that the extra attention could make life harder and attract criticism, while his older daughter’s disbelief left Wyle expecting jokes about the cover for decades.
Wyle and Sara married in 2014 and share daughter Frances. He also has two older children, Owen and Auden, from his previous marriage to Tracy Warbin.
Amy Poehler Had Questions About His New Responsibilities
Poehler joked that she had been trying to book Wyle for a long time, but he had refused to appear until he received the title. “I needed something legitimate to talk about!” he replied.
She then asked how his “administration” would differ from that of 2025 honoree Jonathan Bailey. Wyle played along, promising a crackdown on the “borders of beauty.”
Later, after Wyle described his tendency to become intensely focused, Poehler encouraged him to loosen up. He joked that previous honorees Sean Connery and Denzel Washington would disapprove of his approach. “I should have trained harder for this!” he said, as documented in PEOPLE‘s coverage of the conversation.
‘The Pitt’ Has Brought Him Four Emmy Wins
On The Pitt, Wyle plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the senior physician overseeing a Pittsburgh emergency department. The first season follows one 15-hour shift, with each episode covering an hour as the staff treats patients and handles mounting pressure.
Wyle executive produces alongside creator R. Scott Gemmill and John Wells, two colleagues from his ER years. HBO Max renewed the drama for a third season before its second premiered in January.
The Television Academy lists four Emmy wins for Wyle’s work on the series: acting and Outstanding Drama Series honors in both 2025 and 2026.
He received a directing nomination this year for the episode “12:00 P.M.” Before The Pitt, his Emmy record consisted of five supporting-actor nominations for ER, earned from 1995 through 1999.