I wondered why People Magazine didn’t say anything about last week’s Page Six report, but now I get it. Page Six’s sources claimed that Chris Evans had claimed the title of People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive this year, and People didn’t confirm or deny it. We thought People Mag had gotten scooped, but no – they were happy to briefly placate the Evans Hive and they knew they had a big surprise in store: Paul Rudd is this year’s SMA! It makes sense from a promotional outlook: Paul Rudd is promoting Ghostbusters: Afterlife (it’s out next week) AND Rudd is an ageless vampire beloved by everyone. Rudd took the honor lightly:
He’s not sure he’s the sexiest man: “I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What?’ This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me.”
He’s married to wife Julie, 53 & he’s got two kids, Jack, 17, and Darby, 12. “When I think about myself, I think of myself as a husband and a father, like I’m that. I just hang out with my family when I’m not working. That’s what I kind of like the most.”
His wife’s reaction: “She was stupefied. But you know she was very sweet about it. After some giggling and shock, she said ‘Oh, they got it right.’ And that was very sweet. She was probably not telling the truth, but what’s she going to say?”
How his friends will react: Rudd is also expecting his circle of friends to give him “so much grief. As they should. I would. I mean I’m going to lean into it hard. I’m going to own this. I’m not going to try to be like ‘Oh, I’m so modest.’ I’m getting business cards made. But all of my friends will destroy me and I expect them to. And that’s why they’re my friends.”
He hopes his life changes: Now that he’s officially sexy, Rudd anticipates his life changing “a lot.” “I’m hoping now that I’ll finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with Clooney and Pitt and B Jordan,” he says. “And I figure I’ll be on a lot more yachts. I’m excited to expand my yachting life. And I’ll probably try to get better at brooding in really soft light. I like to ponder. I think this is going to help me become more inward and mysterious. And I’m looking forward to that.”
I can’t believe he has a 17-year-old son! I hope Jack Rudd knows he got those precious ageless vampire genes too, and that he’ll probably always look boyishly handsome. Seriously, Paul Rudd looks exactly the same in these photos as he did in Clueless. Congrats to him!
Rudd did a series of bits with Stephen Colbert last night too:
Cover courtesy of People, additional photo courtesy of Avalon Red.
Yay!!!!
A very worthy choice 😍😍😍
he truly is ageless and there is no denying that he is a very good looking man but he would not make my list of sexiest alive.
Im watching suits lately, ive never watched it before! Gabriel Macht is my vote for sexiest man, just one look from him is insane! he smolders constantly
Good Lord He is sexy in Suits!!!
Absolutely deserving!
Rudd has a witty, self deprecating sense of humor which I find sexy.
Justice!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t think it was ever going to be Evans. First of all it’s not really a chosen competitive thing. Do people really think that? It’s all coordinated with celebs PR and this is probably beginning of Ghostbusters press. Also I think Evans is too neurotic (lovably so don’t get me wrong!) for this. He doesn’t seem to love splashy center of attention press. His press game Ive noticed tends to be a bit more subtle and organic. He’s seen when he wants to be and pushes chill images of himself and Dodger and piano etc. I really don’t think it was ever going to be him. Rudd is perfect for it he’s cute and funny and unproblematic and has the personality to poke fun at it and still be endearing.
Do People mag do a sexiest woman alive too,i think i remember they used to!?
It’s the People’s Most Beautiful issue. They usually put a woman on the cover.
I think they’ve changed it in recent years and made it “the beautiful issue” which makes it not the MOST beautiful because with women there is always dissent about that (and it truly is in the eye of the beholder). Same with sexier issue actually but it’s sillier to the men.
I believe that’s GQ magazine’s bailiwick via their annual naming of a Woman of the Year
Hell, yes. Not only is he sexy, but he’s funny and charming and self-deprecating. I was fine with Evans, but this makes more sense.
Yes to everything you said! Paul Rudd is the full package imo and I’m always excited about anything he’s in, because even if it’s bad he’s always great and has such a way of elevating it (even if it’s straight-up goofy). There’s a new Apple TV limited series coming out on Friday (The Shrink Next Door) with him & Will Ferrell that I can’t wait to see. Great choice People Magazine, I salute you.
Married to a woman of his age, a win in my opinion
I think Paul Rudd is adorable and ageless, but I don’t really find him sexy. I dont know why not. but anyway, this is obviously PR for Ghostbusters and I’m okay with that because he does seem like such a genuinely nice guy, so let’s make him sexy too lol.
Totally agree! He is cute, and good looking, but in a “my brother’s goofy friend” kind of way. Not really sexy. I did like the clip that was posted; he seems genuinely nice and funny.
He’s an unproblematic vampire king, I fully support this choice.
Im a huge Chris Evans fan but love Paul Rudd. The timing of projects is what had me doubtful it was really Evans. Rudd has ghostbusters and that new show with will Ferrell, The Shrink Next Door, getting buzz. I think this could’ve been a good Oscars Isaac year though with Dune and Portrait of a marriage. But I can’t hate it. I just can’t help think of the Mean Tweet Rudd read about himself on Kimmel though.
“If a girl wants to f—k Paul Rudd, chances are she’ll f—k you too. #paulRuddIsUnf—kable “
I love Paul Rudd and love this choice. It does make me sad that there will never be a 50+ woman picked for sexiest anything, though.
Sadly true.
I like this decision.
I know of no one that dislike this man.
Paul Rudd definitely looks his 50 years now, and he doesn’t need all that Photoshop.
He’s also never really given off “sexy” vibes.
I totally endorse this choice. I got all the bad boy and dumb but beautiful out of my system long ago – now, sexy means smart, funny and sane.
I am so here for Paul Rudd to finally be “sexily ” recognized! I’ve loved him since he played Ashley Judd’s love interest on TV show “Sisters.” Not only is he adorable and talented, he has always presented as genuine and sweet. I’ve never heard anything but great things about him. Congrats Paul, you ARE the sexiest man alive!
OMG I don’t remember him on that! I loved that show back in the day.
Ah yes! I remember him on Sisters! His character used to always call Ashley Judd’s character Gopher (not in a mean way though, in a loving, sweet way).
I’ll just repeat what I said last week. I think the sexiest man alive issue is boring now and People should stop doing it.
Couldn’t get more boring than this guy
Oh my god, finally sexiest man alive choice I can get behind!! He’s worthy, so happy they recognized him
This makes so much more sense! Ghostbusters is out next week and it’s super rare to see this without a project to promote.
Because yes -to the select few Evans fans who decided to lose their minds on Twitter- it’s just a publicity and marketing tool. It’s not actually an “honour”. Paul knows that and so does Evans. Calm down, FFS.
Did People troll Page Six? Bravo!!!
I’ve loved him since I was a teen in the 90s, this totally works for me. His humor only adds to his appeal.
Other choices I would have been in agreement with:
Christian Bale
Jason Mamoa
Denzel Washington (has he already been awarded this once? I feel like he has).
You are correct about Denzel, first man of colour to be sexiest man alive. That was way back in the 1990s.
Don’t disagree on Bale but you’d have to hold his children hostage before he’d agree to it. He’d hate it beyond words!! LOL!
Mamoa is hot to look at, but I’m bored of him otherwise.
I find Christian Bale very sexy, but I don’t think there’s a chance in hell he’d agree to do it.
For some reason I thought Jason Momoa had already been Sexiest Man Alive lol! I found the show Frontier on Netflix that he stars in and executive produced. Only has 3 seasons and I don’t care about the plot that much but I’m enjoying it for him.
I LOVE Paul Rudd. I’ve enjoyed him in everything I’ve seen him in, he seems unproblematic, family guy… what’s not to love? The whole ageless thing is a little baffling- he’s aging very well, make no mistake, but he IS aging and that’s not a bad thing! Go back and watch Clueless, he looks like a baby in it. I knew he had a teenage son, I saw a TikTok the son made a few months ago joking about it.
Actually I don’t think it’s surprising he has a 17 year old son at his age.
I mean, it’s a ridiculous title and I can’t believe People still does this — but I love Rudd and his quotes are priceless so what the hell.
What a pleasant surprise! He is adorable!!!
Oh, and that’s a great cover…👄
They aren’t even trying anymore.
Oh I love this so much
I approve. I love Paul, he’s adorable and funny and seems like a really decent guy. And yes, very good looking!
This makes more sense to me than CE being named. The SMA title is usually attached to promotion of something and CE doesnt have anything coming out right now.
I don’t understand why it changes from year to year. They should at least have him personally kill whom ever won the title the previous year.
I love everything about this!
I thought this was so out of left field because I really thought it would be Chris Evans after the Page Six leak, clearly someone fed them bad info or People did the quickest turnaround and surprised us with Paul Rudd instead at the last minute lol. I thought it was so hilarious and random when I saw it last night, but after sleeping on I love the choice. It’s not often we get the Boy Next Door as Sexiest Man Alive. Most of the guys who have been SMA are not what I consider approachable or in my league at all for a number of reasons. But Paul Rudd, I would totally approach and tell him in a very non annoying way I love his work and that he’s such a delight. He has no drama that we know of, happily in love with his wife of many years, seems like a great dad, a good actor, and ageless. What more can you ask for?
The man co owns an amazing candy shop. He, his wife Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton Morgan saved a neighborhood candy shop when the owner died unexpectedly (he was also amazing). While I haven’t seen those three in the candy shop, I love that it was saved and is thriving. So the man that saved a candy shop gets my vote 🙂
YASSSSSSSSSS 😍😍😍
OH, come on. I don’t think any Evans Hive can pull a story in the Page Six. It’s so obvious that the Page Six story was leaked by CE’s sources. He wanted to SMA, so he jumped the gun to effectively pull the jumpe on People and tried to force their hand, but People was like, nope, we do not like thirsty.
The Sexiest Man Alive gets chosen months before the announcement. The photo shoot and interview wasn’t done over the weekend. There’s no way Evans could have tried to force their hand with such a move. It would have been way too late.
Colbert made me laugh so hard. What a doll.
I love Paul Rudd and he’s so much better than Evans!
He’s so understatedly handsome. Yeah, I agree with his sexiness.
I just binged the entirety of his show “Living With Yourself” where (this is a minor spoiler for the first episode) he play TWO of himself. It was absolutely brilliant. I’m not sure if it’s flat-out cancelled or if it will get a second season yet, but I sure hope so! Also Aisling Bea plays his wife, who I just love! I’m actually excited for that new Home Alone movie because she’s in it and because Archie Yates is the least annoying child star ever. I’m glad he’s going places!
*shrug* I like Paul Rudd, but it’s disappointing to see that after a short break People is back to its formula of “boring white guy with movie to promote” for its sexiest man alive.
That is the most hilarious interview I’ve read in a while. I didn’t think this post would get better than “ageless vampire,” but it did.
I liked him in Clueless but haven’t cared for anything he’s done since. He’s miscast as Ant-Man, imo. I feel like there used to be a time when this award went to men who people actually found sexy and wasn’t just part of a promotional tour, but maybe I’m mis-remembering. I get that Rudd’s supposed to be likable and charming but I just don’t see sexy at all.
And this is why the award should be given to Idris Elba every year!
I have zero issues with this choice!
This was a fun choice. Rudd is a charmer and has a sense of humor.
The comments about getting business cards made and expanding his yachting circle did it for me lol This guy is a treasure.
SMA needs to be single. It’s a fantasy. Married with kids kind of kills the fantasy. It sounds like my neighbor.
I love Paul Rudd (his image) and I approve of the title. I loved him in Clueless, I loved him in I Love You Man, and Ant Man. This is like the hottest thing I have seen and you should watch it too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huH-NMv1ad4