Amy Poehler had a playful warning for Noah Wyle after he was named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive 2026. The comedian revealed the actor’s new title on her podcast, Good Hang, before he joined her for a conversation filled with ER nostalgia, jokes about his new status and advice on how to handle his newfound recognition.
Amy Poehler reveals the rule Noah Wyle must follow as Sexiest Man Alive 2026
Poehler, a longtime fan of ER, was the perfect person to announce Wyle’s win. She has watched the medical drama at least three times and once summed up its appeal by saying, “You go for Clooney, you stay for Noah Wyle.”
When Wyle joined her podcast, Poehler teased him about his long-awaited appearance. “I’ve been trying to get you [on the show] for a very long time,” she said. “I heard from your people you refused to come until you were voted Sexiest Man.” Wyle laughed and replied, “I needed something legitimate to talk about!”
The conversation soon turned to his new title. Poehler asked how his reign would differ from that of 2025 winner Jonathan Bailey. In response, Wyle joked that he was disappointed with Bailey’s work on the international front and promised to “really crack down on the borders of beauty.”
However, Poehler had one important piece of advice after Wyle discussed his intense personality and tendency to become deeply absorbed in his work. “If you’re going to be Sexiest Man Alive, you can’t do that! You’ve got to get out!” she told him, encouraging him to loosen up.
Wyle joked that he was unprepared for the responsibility, saying, “I should have trained harder for this! There’s no guidebook, there’s no rules.”
The actor previously appeared on PEOPLE’s “Sexy Men of ER” cover alongside George Clooney, Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards. Clooney went on to win the Sexiest Man Alive title twice.
Wyle also predicted that Clooney would be amused by his latest achievement. He told PEOPLE, “I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age.”
