Noah Wyle has been named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, and he already has a theory about how George Clooney will react. The Pitt star expects his former ER costar to be amused and, hopefully, proud of the honor.
The 55-year-old actor received the title on Tuesday, October 27, decades after appearing with Clooney on PEOPLE’s “Sexy Men of ER” cover. Their friendship has continued long after the medical drama ended.
Noah Wyle predicts how former ER costar George Clooney will react to his Sexiest Man Alive title
Speaking to PEOPLE, Wyle imagined Clooney responding like a proud parent.
“I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age,” he joked.
Clooney, 65, previously received the title in 1997 and 2006.
Wyle also explained why the ER cast remained close.
“We definitely were forged both by the workload that was asked of us and also by the magnitude of the show’s response,” he said.
Wyle appeared on PEOPLE’s 1996 cover alongside Clooney, Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards.
“I remember that cover,” Wyle recalled, admitting his sexy status eventually faded.
He joked that he entered a “sexy wilderness” before returning “full force” thanks to The Pitt. The HBO medical drama has also brought renewed attention to his career and earned him major awards recognition.
Still, Wyle wasn’t entirely convinced the new title would change his life.
“I’m going to take a lot of ribbing from friends and family for sure,” he told the publication.
His children also had mixed reactions, with his son predicting that the honor would bring “a lot of haters.”
Clooney previously joked about wanting a third title in 2020.
“I’m lobbying for a third one, no one’s ever won three,” he said.
Clooney also described maintaining the honor as a yearlong responsibility, adding, “You have to wear that sash.”
Beyond the headlines, Wyle credited his wife, Sara, for believing he deserved the recognition. He also praised his family, colleagues and mentors while admitting that he still feels self-conscious outside a character.
After years of playing doctors, Wyle even joked that he occasionally started believing he was one.
