Noah Wyle of ‘The Pitt’ Is People’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive

Noah Wyle, the 55-year-old star of HBO’s “The Pitt,” is People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2026. The magazine revealed its pick on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, crowning an actor who has played emergency room doctors on two hit shows more than 30 years apart.

Wyle told People he didn’t believe it at first. When he heard the news, he said, it sounded like “a classic set-up for a prank,” and “just not in a million years did I think this would be an honor bestowed on me in this lifetime,” according to ABC News, which quoted his interview with People editor-in-chief Charlotte Triggs.

Why People picked Noah Wyle

People’s cover story leaned on his long run in scrubs, noting he has been “making scrubs look sexy for three decades,” first as Dr. John Carter on “ER” and now as Dr. Robby on “The Pitt.” The magazine also pointed to his “smoldering intensity” and “leading-man looks,” and the fact that the married father loves to do the dishes, according to a report published by ABC30.

Wyle joked with the magazine about what comes next. “I hope this changes everything. I hope it’s just wine and roses, milk and honey from here on out,” he said, as reported by Variety, before laughing and adding that he expects “a lot of ribbing from friends and family for sure.” He said he agreed to take the title partly because his wife, who is “totally amused by it all,” told him it “confers well on her taste,” AS USA reported, citing People.

From ‘ER’ to ‘The Pitt’

Wyle first became a household name in 1994 as medical student turned doctor John Carter on NBC’s “ER,” working alongside George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Sherry Stringfield and Julianna Margulies. Over the show’s run he earned three Golden Globe nominations and five Emmy nominations without a win, Variety noted. He was also part of People’s “Sexy Men of ER” cover in the 1990s.

Sixteen years after “ER” ended in 2009, Wyle returned to a hospital set as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the overworked attending physician in HBO’s “The Pitt.” The role has brought the awards that eluded him earlier: a Golden Globe for best actor in a television drama in 2026 and back-to-back Emmys for lead actor in a drama series in 2025 and 2026, according to Variety. ABC News noted that his Sexiest Man Alive honor came a month after “The Pitt” won Emmys for both his performance and outstanding drama series. Wyle also directs on the show, and season 3 is set to premiere in January 2027.

Clooney, his former “ER” co-star and a two-time Sexiest Man Alive, had already floated the idea in January. At the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Clooney joked that there should be a “sexiest man still alive” issue and said he “would nominate Noah Wyle as the first guy,” adding, “When I grow up, I want to be Noah Wyle,” Variety reported.

The Sexiest Man Alive list

People launched the franchise in 1985 with Mel Gibson, and 2026 marks its 41st year. Wyle succeeds “Wicked” star Jonathan Bailey, who was the 2025 pick and the first openly gay man to receive the title, and John Krasinski, who held it in 2024. Other past winners include Patrick Dempsey, Chris Evans, Paul Rudd, Michael B. Jordan, John Legend and Idris Elba. Only a handful of men have won twice, among them Clooney, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Richard Gere.

Ahead of the big reveal, People also released results from a readers’ poll that drew more than 250,000 votes, ABC News reported. Stephen Colbert was named Sexiest Silver Fox, Travis Kelce took Sexiest Cat Dad and Victor Alli won Sexiest Period Drama Dreamboat, while “Dancing with the Stars” pro Pasha Pashkov was named the sexiest pro on that show.

What’s next for Wyle

The full Sexiest Man Alive issue is available early to People’s paid app subscribers before it reaches newsstands. For Wyle, the bigger date may be January, when “The Pitt” returns for its third season. For more on this year’s TV awards, see our report on the Emmys’ new six-year deal with Amazon Prime Video, and for more TV news, our story on the “Glee” revival ordered at Disney+ and Hulu.

Sources

• Variety: Noah Wyle named People’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive
• ABC News: Noah Wyle named People Magazine’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive
• ABC30: Noah Wyle named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive
• AS USA: Who won the Sexiest Man Alive 2026? Complete list of winners