Will Ferrell has spent the past couple of years jokingly campaigning to become PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, and now he has an endorsement from inside his own family.
His oldest son, musician Magnus Ferrell, told PEOPLE at Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood event that there should not even be much of a contest. “I think he should be the unanimous winner, like, yesterday,” Magnus said.
The 22-year-old added that his father has “been waiting for this for a very long time” and said he hopes the title finally comes together for him. When PEOPLE asked whether Magnus might want the honor himself, he declined to compete with his dad for now, saying, “I’m too young to be the face of that right now. Maybe later.”
Magnus’ endorsement arrives only weeks after Will made another public pitch for the title while promoting his Netflix comedy The Hawk. What began as a joke in 2024 has become a recurring bit involving red carpets, PEOPLE and even Ferrell’s recent SKIMS campaign.
Will Ferrell Has Been Campaigning for the Title Himself
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At a July red carpet event for The Hawk, Ferrell was shown photographs from his SKIMS campaign and used the moment to renew his case for the PEOPLE cover. “If you got it, flaunt it,” he said before turning directly to the magazine. As PEOPLE reported, Ferrell said, “I’m still trying to get PEOPLE Magazine’s Sexiest Man.”
“PEOPLE, if you don’t give it to me this year, then we know the fix is in. OK?” he said. The SKIMS campaign gave Ferrell another piece of evidence for his self-promotional case. The actor appeared in the menswear ads in character as Lonnie “The Hawk,” the washed-up golfer he plays in the Netflix comedy, posing in looks that included briefs, a tank top and a puka shell necklace.
When Variety’s Marc Malkin suggested getting SKIMS founder Kim Kardashian to lobby PEOPLE on his behalf, Ferrell welcomed the idea. For now, the crown still belongs to Jonathan Bailey, who was named PEOPLE’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive in November.
Magnus Says He Might Consider the Honor Later
Magnus did not entirely rule out following his father into the Sexiest Man Alive conversation someday. When asked whether he should campaign for himself, the singer said, “Maybe later,” but made clear that right now his vote belongs to Will. “I’m too young to be the face of that right now,” he said.
Magnus made the comments while attending Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles on Aug. 5. He is the oldest of Will and wife Viveca Paulin’s three sons, ahead of Mattias and Axel.
Will Has Been Just as Vocal About Magnus’ Music
Magnus told PEOPLE that his father regularly calls to ask how his work is going. “He calls me and checks in,” Magnus said. “He’s like, ‘What’s going on today? What’s been happening?’ He’s just been so supportive and he’s been one of my biggest supporters.”
That encouragement goes back to a period when Magnus was still experimenting with the kind of musician he wanted to become. “He’s been in my corner the whole time, even when I was making like, weird medieval castle beats in my room,” Magnus said. He recalled Will responding, “OK, that’s interesting, but still keep grinding. Keep going.”
That work has since led Magnus to a much bigger audience. A recent Variety profile detailed the rise of his single “Asleep Talking,” which became his first song to reach a Billboard chart. The track also produced an unusually high-profile father-son moment when Will played it for Michelle Obama during an appearance on her IMO podcast. Magnus later said seeing the former first lady react to his music was surreal.