Well, well. It’s been so long since I’ve agreed with People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive choice that I almost didn’t know how to feel. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, the 2018 SMA is… IDRIS ELBA. Someone who is substantively and unquestionably SEXY. Most women want to bang him and most men wish they were more like him. He’s the People’s James Bond. Or something. Anyway, this is a great choice, and of course Idris agreed to an interview (they wouldn’t have given him SMA if he didn’t agree to an interview):
His reaction to his SMA title: “I was like, ‘Come on, no way. Really?’ Looked in the mirror, I checked myself out. I was like, ‘Yeah, you are kind of sexy today.’ But to be honest, it was just a nice feeling. It was a nice surprise — an ego boost for sure.”
He swears he had an awkward phase: Though he was an athlete at his all-boys school in London, playing first-string football, basketball, cricket, hockey and rugby, the actor insists he went through an awkward phase first. “I was very tall and skinny,” says the 6’3″ Elba. “And my name was Idrissa Akuna Elba, okay? I got picked on a little bit. But as soon as I could grow a mustache, I was the coolest kid on the block. Grew a mustache, had some muscles, bonkers.”
The happiest moments of his life: “Being witness to the birth of my children is the biggest and best thing ever. I’m super doting, big hugs, kisses, lots of love-yous. I’m sure my daughter’s like, ‘All right Dad, chill out.’ My son is still at that age where he loves a cuddle.”
How to make a sexy connection: “Eye contact and empathy. You know, sort of reading someone’s vibe. I love being confident, but also I know when to rein it in and just stay humble and grounded.”
He has few regrets: “Life isn’t about thinking about what you should have done. I think everyone should adopt the philosophy that tomorrow is not promised so just go for it today, man. You might as well do it to your heart’s content.”
“Eye contact and empathy. You know, sort of reading someone’s vibe.” I feel him. There are stories of his messy personal life – he was with a woman and she claimed he was the father of her baby, but he was not – but there are no stories about him mistreating people. Everyone loves him and people think the world of him. Idris Elba is a GREAT choice.
Here’s Idris Elba’s appearance on The Tonight Show, where he got to see his cover:
Cover courtesy of People, additional pics courtesy of WENN.
F*ck yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
Super sexy man alive!
PEOPLE finally got it right. That man is super sexy!
So happy for Idris! 🙂
I just thought of him dancing on (?) Colbert…
I echo your sentiments (and deftly dab the drool on my lip).
Right?! He just makes me DROOL. And Swoon. And think lusty, animal thoughts~
+1!!!!!!!!!!
+10,000,000,000,000
Gross. If I saw him walking on my block I would close the curtains and lock my doors.
What an absolutely disgusting thing to say.
Sweetie, you took the words right out of my mouth!!!!
Agree!
Looks good for his age.
Because “sexy” automatically stops after… what age, exactly? Enlighten us.
wow why so defensive i actual think he looks good for his age too. You need to take a chill
He doesn’t “look good for his age” – he just looks good! Mighty good, actually! It’s not defensive – it’s questioning an ageist comment.
On a more serious note – when Blake Shelton was picked by People (bad choice imho) there was a great meme – there was a picture of Shelton with the caption “electoral college” and a picture of Idris Elba with the caption “popular vote”. To the Americans on this thread – please vote! The world is hopeful for you..
@Andrea this was the answer to another comment – it went something like “he is well past his prime”. i don’t know where it went.
@Tanguerita I am sorry i didn’t see the comment i guess it has been deleted
I agree with you, I hate the “for his/her age.” I’m Idris’ age, would it be a fluke if I looked good?
Well, i mean, people say that about women so why not men? I think he’s sexy but he looks older than his age, which i think is 46. My husband is 42 and looks 10 years younger.
What?! He’s only in his mid40’s,and that not old at all. Are people no longer sexy when they’re out of their 20s? He does look a lititle older than his age, but he’s still sexy. The sexiest man in the world in my opinion is Lenny Kravitz, and he’s 54
Yes Lenny yes!!!! Mmmmm 😍
Lenny… My ovaries.
Idris just has it. Lenny has it. Sharon Stone has it. Being sexy isn’t about age or looks. It’s that natural charisma you cannot fake.
YES!YES!YES! let’s hope it’s harbinger of all things good and right today. Vote. Vote. Vote.
Love it. But this is at least 5 years overdue.
That was my first reaction, too.
Agree. He should have gotten it years ago.
I agree. I think he hit the peak sexy about then. Better late than never though.
Peak was “Stringer Bell”.. Still looks great. He’s hot in that 100 days movie on Netflix with Gemma Atherton even if his character sucks
Lol right?
Totally agree. Idris should have gotten it after The Wire!! It takes People Mag that long to have its finger on the pulse of America?
Sexiest man EVER.
I loved his acting in the office but I’m not attracted despite his being gorgeous. Too old for me maybe
What an improvement from last year!
Have you ever seen his show, Luther? Because if not, you should. All four series are on Netflix, so if you have an account, I highly recommend it.
It’s not just the Idris factor, although he’s amazing in it. It’s just a fantastic show, period. Elba being so stunningly attractive is just a giant bonus. Charisma flowing out of his pores, I swear. And Ruth Wilson as Alice is brilliant. The chemistry between the two is insane.
Luther was amazing!! I really got the whole “Idris” thing after I watched it. The storyline was great but everything about him on it was just, like, yes! I get it. Wrap him up! I’ll take him. Lol I think thats from where people feel he would make a good Bond and I honestly agree, much better than Richard madden who I do not get at all for the bond films.
I’m taking this as a good omen for the elections today. People made the right choice today after getting it very wrong last time. And now the American people will get it right today too, after getting is very very wrong the last time.
It’s a big fuck yes from me!
Great choice! but also pathetic that the rock and denzel are the only other non white dudes to get the cover in the last 20 years!
Start a campaign with me for Michael B Jordan next year?!?
oh yeah
The absolute best choice in decades! I adore Idris Elba!
+1 !
Great choice!
Yea! 😘😃💝🎉
Well, duh! That is like declaring water is wet. Finally, an non debatable choice.
There would have been another fairly non-debatable choice several years back, but Ryan Gosling turned it down when asked. They only give the cover and title to someone who is willing to do a photo shoot and an interview, so the less fame whore-y choices like Gosling are not named for that reason.
Not that I’m calling Idris a fame whore. Self-promotion is not anything to be ashamed of, in and of itself. It’s when it reaches to the point of blatant narcissism that it becomes a problem. I’m looking at you, Justin Timberlake.
What an improvement over stale block of cheese, Blake Shelton! Idris is actually hot. I know this is just PR machinations, but good job, all.
No kidding. I almost forgot about Blake Shelton’s win, lol. Elba is the real deal.
Gwen Stefani probably slept with Blake’s cover while Miranda Lambert wept….lol. It’s all a matter of your own personal taste. For me, Adam Levine, really? My 12 year old son weighs more than him, but in fairness, I’m sure his wife thinks he’s a hottie, but he isn’t, we just won’t say anything. 😜
Shelton, Adam Levine and Bradley Cooper were my recent are-you-joking SMAs.
I can’t stand Levine. I don’t care for Sheldon but I can see how someone could find him attractive. Cooper is in a stuper! I reiterate…..all time best JFK, Jr. Dude was a Greek Adonis. Don’t make em like him anymore.
Somewhere Sixer is dancing.
Long overdue!
I’ve wondered what happened to Sixer. Loved her comments, especially when she referred to her husband as Mr. Sixer. I find Idris very attractive and disagree with those who say he’s too old to be sexy. I’d vote for Norman Reedus, whom most of the gals on this site find disgusting. Sexy, as with beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. *To me, John F. Kennedy, Jr. was the sexiest of all the choices of the past, perfection* Idris, however, was an excellent choice this year!
yassss!!! finally an SMA I can get behind!
People finally listened to people.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
He swears he had an awkward phase
Son, you know that’s a lie. I’m pretty sure he sprung fully formed from the loins of a god, because there’s no other explanation for his perfection.
hahahahah #truth
He’s soooo handsome and sexy! There’s others I would have chosen first, but he’s a very very good choice and a lot better than some of the SMA over the years
Finally a great choice!
And he got the full cover, normally there are inset pictures of others on it. Finally a good choice
Meh…..
LOL!! Meh++. I have to block the movie Obsessed out of my mind. That kinda takes away sexy points! He is a good looking man though!
It’s like…five years too late….heck…TEN! Sigh….
It’s a rather silly honor, but GREAT choice.
I was at a family get together week before last. One of my sisters had never heard of Luther. I educated her on that!
It’s about damn time.
Finally!
He did it! He is the Susan Lucci of the SMA….haha!
Right?!
Wow, Idris! I have to admit I’m surprised- both because he’s only really had Avengers IW out this year (and he didn’t last too long in that!) and because with ASIB I REALLY thought Bradley Cooper had it sealed up. Though now I’m curious- is he/his people saving it up for next time, or whichever year he’s got Bernstein coming out? If all goes well with it that will be positioned as a major awards player too, so it will likely be released around the same time, and while ASIB is EVERYWHERE, I imagine Bernstein is going to be a tougher sell to the general public, so BCoop might just need Sexiest Man much, much more than than he does now.
There are alot of men who have refused as I noted below. I kind of think that Bradley is the kind of person who would refuse don’t you.
Well, he accepted in… 2011, I think it was? So he was clearly up for it at one point. Though mind you, he’s older now and a lot has happened in his career since. He might not want it anymore, especially since he’s tried his best to avoid giving much of anything when it comes to his personal life in interviews throughout the ASIB press cycle, and that’s probably what People would want from him. I WILL be curious when it comes to Bernstein though, (or to movies similar to it that I’m sure he’ll do down the line)- ASIB is the kind of story that doesn’t find it hard to find an audience when it’s done well (as we’ve seen!) but something like Bernstein is going to be harder work to sell to a general audience. SMA might suddenly be more appealing to Team Cooper for a promo cycle then, which is why I wonder will they be keeping it in the back pocket til then.
In The Mountain Between Us, still looked sexy all wrapped up in a winter parka. Good choice.
He’s been my Sexist Man Alive since I first saw him on HBO’s the Wire! My boyfriend then, now husband hated when My forever husband was on screen! Stringer Bell I always lost my mind! Finally justice was served!
Great Choice!
I approve 🤤🤤
Finally, something to unite our divided country.
Yummy. He should be SMA every year but I am going to take it as a good Sign today as I’m obsessing over the election. And maybe People finally did the right thing because they had to make up for the complete joke of an SMA they chose last year.
FINALLY the actual sexiest man alive gets the title of sexiest man alive!
Here’s what I don’t get. Why do men take this?? I kind of thought that as a society we were done with this kind of stuff kind of like how beauty pageants are changing. But I guess not. What I would really like to see is the list of men who refused it. Now that would be interesting. Who knows who they asked!! Perhaps they asked a lot of minority men but they were too smart to take it unlike Brad Pitt and the likes.
Yassssss Gawd! I have lusted after Mr. Elba since his Stringer Bell role on “The Wire”. He oozes sexiness and I love his voice. People’s selection of him as the SMA is the first time in years when I exclaimed, “They got it right!”. My husband is aware of my schoolgirl crush on Idris and chuckles whenever I drool over him.
Excellent choice & vast improvement over last years absurd pick.
Love me some Idris.
Michael K at Dlisted called it a plot twist because People actually chose someone sexy this year lol!
Finally! Idris is an excellent choice or the only choice.
Great choice, but i don’t think he is necessarily the sexiest man of course, i just love his accent, personality, great actor, what he represents on screen. Great choice.
WAH-HOOOOO!
Awesome, overdue choice.
Excellent choice! Hope he gets 007!
The ONLY choice.
part of me wants him as bond, as Hollywood doesn’t seem to know what to do with him yet he is really talented. I love how he comes across in interviews-like he has a personality and doesn’t just ‘coast’ on his looks. some men would, he does not
OK now, here’s a choice I can get behind for SMotY!
Idris is a very good looking Fella and an actual grown up MAN.
Good actor, generally shows up to red carpet events looking well dressed, behaves with good manners, good looking. Check, check, check. He gets my vote.
Full disclosure, I’m 57 so most male celebs these days strike me as man-child either because their behavior or consistently lousy dress sense, even at big red carpet events.
Now, IMO, Idris could truly be the next Bond. He is fully capable of the acting role and of the secondary role of huge boost in publicity/image/selling brand Bond as a wealthy icon with high end goods. I’ve always thought Brosnan and Craig both did well to keep Bond going. Neither of them show up at events drunk/talking crap/getting into ugly scandals.
The Bond franchise is a machine unto itself…Idris would be a believable Commander Bond, 007. His age might be a concern in a few years, but he could do at least 2-3 very good Bond movies before he ages out of the role.
Aidan Turner of BBC Poldark fame, has the good looks for Bond but I doubt he’d get the offer.
He doesn’t have the power/control/menace that Craig delivered.
If not Idris…who else for future Bond? Craig sold his version of Bond as a serious 007, adult/menacing Bond. I doubt the franchise could continue if the next actor tries to do a light touch Bond such as Roger Moores 007.
Hell, yes.
I need a moment alone.
No lies detected.
I’m fine with this. <3
Finally! He is hot!