Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP / Getty Images
Noah Wyle has been named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2026, the magazine revealed on Tuesday (October 27).
The 55-year-old Los Angeles native, best known for his roles as Dr. John Carter on 'ER' and Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch on the HBO hit series 'The Pitt,' said the news caught him completely off guard. According to People, Wyle called the announcement "a classic set-up for a prank," adding, "Just not in a million years did I think this would be an honor bestowed on me in this lifetime."
The honor comes just weeks after Wyle won the Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his work on 'The Pitt,' as reported by Good Morning America. The show also took home the Emmy for outstanding drama series.
Wyle credited his wife, Sara Wells, 46, with persuading him to accept the title. "She's the reason I accepted because she was very pleased that this confers well on her taste, I think," he told People. "But also she thinks I'm a good guy and the kind of person I am and the kind of father I am, the kind of husband I am is worth promoting so I thought, okay, if you say so."
USA Today reports that Wyle follows in the footsteps of recent honorees Patrick Dempsey (2023), Chris Evans (2022), Michael B. Jordan (2020), and Idris Elba (2018). Last year's title went to 'Bridgerton' star Jonathan Bailey, while John Krasinski held the honor in 2024.
People magazine has named a Sexiest Man Alive every year since 1985, when Mel Gibson became the first recipient of the title.
Outside of his acting career, Wyle launched the Noah Wyle Foundation in October 2022. The nonprofit focuses on supporting children with mental illness, addressing food insecurity, and providing resources for underserved communities.
Wyle also directs 'The Pitt' and is a father to three children—Auden Wyle and Owen Strausser Wyle, whom he shares with ex-wife Tracy Warbin, and daughter Frances Harper Wyle, born in June 2015 with Wells, whom he married in June 2014.