Noah Wyle Is People's 2026 Sexiest Man Alive

Noah Wyle has been named People's Sexiest Man Alive for 2026. He succeeds Jonathan Bailey, who held the title for 2025, according to Variety.

Wyle said he was in disbelief when he heard the news. He thought it sounded like a prank, and he never expected the honour to come his way.

The contest began in 1985, so 2026 marks its 41st year. People gave its announcement the headline "Noah Wyle Is the Sexiest Man Alive! No Second Opinion Needed."

Many viewers first knew Wyle from "ER," the NBC hospital drama. He played medical student and later doctor John Carter on the show. That work brought him three Golden Globe nominations and five Emmy nominations.

He now stars in "The Pitt," where he plays attending physician Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, a senior doctor in charge of the team. He won the 2026 Golden Globe for best performance by a male actor in a television drama series for the role. He was 54 when he took the award in January. He also won the Emmy for best actor in a drama series in 2025 and again in 2026.

Season 3 of "The Pitt" is set to premiere in January 2027.

Before the announcement, the prediction market Kalshi had given Wyle a 79 percent chance of winning the title. Bad Bunny ranked second in its odds, according to Yahoo Entertainment, which reported those figures on 8 October.

Wyle has also been the subject of a light-hearted bit from another past winner. Earlier this year, George Clooney joked that he would nominate Wyle as the first pick for an AARP Magazine "Sexiest Man Still Alive" feature.

For readers who follow the title, the award is one of the few annual honours that draws a wide mix of fans and critics into the same conversation. For Wyle, the coming months are likely to be busy with the next season of "The Pitt" and the attention that follows a title like this.