Noah Wyle predicts George Clooney’s reaction to him being named Sexiest Man Alive
Noah Wyle predicts George Clooney’s reaction to him being named Sexiest Man Alive
Leigh BlickleyTue, October 27, 2026 at 1:34 PM UTC
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George Clooney and Noah Wyle in January 2026Credit: Maarten De Boer/GettyKey Points -
Noah Wyle thinks George Clooney would be a “proud papa” after he was named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive.
Wyle starred with two-time Sexiest Man Alive Clooney on ER in the ‘90s.
Wyle said he keeps up with his ER costars.
Noah Wyle was crowned PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive on Tuesday, and he has a guess at what his ER costar and fellow sexy man George Clooney’s reaction might be.
Wyle, 55, spoke to Entertainment Weekly’s sister site PEOPLE about their yearly honor and surmised that two-time recipient Clooney, 65, would probably be thrilled for him.
“I think he’ll be amused and feel, hopefully, like a proud papa, that I’ve come of gray-haired age,” Wyle joked, noting that the ER cast has always been “extremely tight” and “still keep in touch and feel somewhat accountable to each other.”
“We definitely were forged both by the workload that was asked of us and also by the magnitude of the show’s response,” Wyle added.
EW has reached out to Clooney for comment.
Wyle, who played Dr. John Carter opposite Clooney’s Dr. Doug Ross on the medical drama, was actually on the cover of PEOPLE’s “Sexy Men of ER” issue with Clooney in 1996 alongside their costars Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards.
“I remember that cover,” Wyle admitted. “I also believe I was one of [PEOPLE’s] 50 ‘Most Beautiful People,’ and then, it all dried up. I was in this sort of, like, sexy wilderness. And then, somehow, I’ve come back full force.”
The Pitt star told PEOPLE he would definitely “take a lot of ribbing from friends and family” for the title, which Clooney himself has won individually twice before. The Ocean’s Eleven star was crowned first in 1997 at the height of his ER fame and again in 2006, the year he won his first Oscar, Best Supporting Actor for Syriana.
“I’m lobbying for a third one, no one’s ever won three,” Clooney joked to PEOPLE in 2020.
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As for his advice for any Sexiest Man Alive, Clooney said at the time it’s all about the “responsibility” of remaining good-looking “for a full year.”
“You have to wear that sash,” the two-time Oscar winner said. “It’s very uncomfortable after a while.”
Noah Wyle is PEOPLE’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive
The distinction is not lost on Wyle, who now finds himself in an elite club of sexy Hollywood men. He told PEOPLE he’s hoping he can finally feel comfortable in his own skin now.
“I like being in other people’s skin. I like putting on characters,” he admitted. “I get self-conscious. It’s still the hardest kind of interaction for me, speaking without a script as myself.”
He added, “You get into this [industry] because you are a natural observer. Then that privacy is immediately taken from you if you get any notoriety. It could be a hard thing to reconcile. It took me a long time. The Pitt gives me the opportunity to do it differently than I did the first time — with a little bit more presence and a little bit more composure.”
Wyle’s star has risen once again as of late with his starring role as Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch on HBO’s The Pitt. He has won numerous major awards for starring on and executive-producing the show, including Emmys, Golden Globes and Critics Choice statuettes.
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Wyle admitted he knows people assume he’s an actual doctor due to his history on medical dramas, and “occasionally” he thinks he’s one, too. In actuality, however, he’s simply a happy husband, father and son. (Wyle is a father of three, sharing kids Owen, 23, Auden, 21, with ex-wife Tracy Warbin, and daughter Frances, 11, with wife Sara Wells.)
“I’ve got a wonderful wife. I’ve got wonderful kids. I’ve got four parents that are still alive and able to, you know, feed themselves and have dinner and give advice,” he shared. “I’m grateful for my work. I’m grateful for my colleagues. I’m grateful for friends and mentors—and the teachers that I’ve had.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
