33 men who are worthy runners-up for Noah Wyle's Sexiest Man Alive title

• Noah Wyle was announced as People's Sexiest Man Alive for 2026.
• The public seemed a bit split with People's choice.
• Still, we've found 33 other celebrities that we think are worthy runners-up.

Noah Wyle has been named the latest People's Sexiest Man Alive.

People doesn't always impress readers with its selections, and this year is no exception. Wyle, 55, has been highly praised as this year's choice by some, while others have decried that he's not even the sexiest man on "The Pitt."

There are several parameters that determine who gets chosen. First, the person has to accept, which not everyone does. That's reportedly why the honor has never been bestowed on Ryan Gosling.

Secondly, the person usually has a project that they're promoting. Wyle, an actor, has had a busy few years. In September, he won his second Emmy for best lead actor in a drama series for "The Pitt." He won the award last year, too.

Still, we've created a list of 33 other talented men who have easily earned the silver medal for Sexiest Man Alive this year — or who could snag the title in the future — from Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams to Pedro Pascal to Sterling K. Brown.

Keep scrolling to see our picks for this year.

We can't talk about sexiness in 2026 without mentioning Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

Do we even need to elaborate? "Heated Rivalry" was the biggest show of the last 12 months, and it comes down to Storrie, 26, and Williams, 25, who perhaps have the best chemistry of anyone on TV, ever. We can't wait for season two of "the gay hockey show."

After years of hiding his face on "The Mandalorian," we're getting to see more of Pedro Pascal than ever.

Pascal, 51, played easily the sexiest character in "Game of Thrones" history, Oberyn Martell (RIP, we miss you).

After making us all gasp every time he lifts his helmet in "The Mandalorian," it's high time for People to give him the respect he deserves.

Over the last two years, he's starred in "Materialists," "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," "The Last of Us," "Eddington," "The Mandalorian and Grogu," "Behemoth!," and, still to come, "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Avengers: Secret Wars." Please, recognize him while the iron is hot (literally).

We're sure his "Gladiator II" costar Paul Mescal will win one day, too.

Mescal, 30, has been a sex symbol ever since we saw him on our screens for the first time in 2020's "Normal People." Even his gold chain had its own Instagram account.

His career post-"Normal People" has shown he's anything but a one-hit wonder, though. He was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Aftersun," and played yet more romantic leads in "All of Us Strangers" and "Hamnet."

We'd also be remiss not to mention how great he looked in "Gladiator II."

But since he wasn't named Sexiest Man Alive this year, we can only wait as his career continues to skyrocket.

It is abundantly clear that everyone loves Andrew Garfield.

Garfield, 43, has had a wild last few years, between stunning us all with his amazing singing voice in "Tick, Tick... Boom!," somehow making us all nostalgic for his "Spider-Man" movies that are famously mediocre — they live and die by the charm of Garfield and Emma Stone — and his nomination for an Emmy for "Under the Banner of Heaven."

After taking a break, he returned to star in the alternately heartwarming and heartbreaking film "We Live in Time," broke the internet by appearing on "Chicken Shop Date," and took everyone's breath away with his new long hair.

Later this year, he'll play OpenAI founder Sam Altman in the Luca Guadagnino film "Artificial." Not the sexiest role, so maybe 2027.

Keanu Reeves was retroactively named 1994's Sexiest Man Alive, but we think he deserves the honor for real.

Between "Point Break," "John Wick," "The Matrix," "The Replacements," "My Own Private Idaho," "Speed," "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Something's Gotta Give," and even last year's "Good Fortune," Reeves deserves recognition for a lifetime of sexiness.

He's just an overall great person, and for that, he should be rewarded. Also, he's somehow 62 years old and still looks like this.

Daniel Kaluuya meshes amazing style with movie-star good looks.

Kaluuya, 37, has been giving teenagers everywhere butterflies since his "Skins" days. But his breakout role in "Get Out" catapulted him to a new level of stardom. Sure, Kaluuya already has an Oscar for "Judas and the Black Messiah," but we can't rest until he's been named Sexiest Man Alive.

Oscar Isaac kissing Jessica Chastain's arm has been living rent-free in our heads for years now.

This video went viral, and for good reason. Isaac, our reigning short king, is able to make every single thing he does sexy. It's just who he is.

A quick search on X of "Oscar Isaac short king" yields thousands of tweets. So give this 47-year-old star what he deserves after the disastrous "Rise of Skywalker" and declare him the Sexiest Man Alive.

Plus, he officially entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe with "Moon Knight," which has basically become a prerequisite for the People crown.

Glen Powell is almost too handsome. It's like looking into the sun.

What a few years it's been for Glen Powell. After stealing our hearts in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick," the 38-year-old knew he had to capitalize on our love.

And that he did, with "Anyone But You," "Hit Man," "Twisters," "How to Make a Killing," "The Running Man," and "Chad Powers." We'll soon see a true test of his box office power with "The Comeback Kid" next year.

Choosing him seemed like a no-brainer, but alas.

The thirst for Timothée Chalamet showed no signs of slowing down this year.

The love for 30-year-old Chalamet only grows as he continues to take some pretty legendary fashion risks. Remember the shirtless Oscars moment? Or his backless jumpsuit at Cannes?

What else proves that Chalamet inspires a semi-unhinged fervor amongst fans? When footage from the set of "Wonka" leaked, the "Twonka" memes took over the internet, as Vulture reported.

The release of "Dune: Part Two, "A Complete Unknown," and "Marty Supreme" in the last two years proved Chalamet is a movie star, full stop. All three were hugely successful at the box office, and his performances garnered rave reviews — he even secured Oscar noms for two of them.

And who can forget that he was one of the main characters of the Knicks' championship run this year?

We'll be getting more Timmy this year, too; the highly anticipated "Dune: Part Three" hits theaters in December.

The photos of Austin Butler on the set of "Miami Vice '85" are essentially a résumé for People.

Many people were dubious when Butler, at that point best known for "The Carrie Diaries," was cast as Elvis Presley. They were all forced to eat their words when "Elvis" premiered in 2022 and Butler was crowned one of the internet's newest boyfriends.

Just watch him perform in the movie, and tell us we're wrong. He was even nominated for an Oscar.

The 35-year-old continued his hot streak by playing the absolutely unhinged Feyd Rautha in "Dune: Part Two" and a cult leader, Vernon, in "Eddington" before turning right around and playing heartthrobs in "The Bikeriders" and "Caught Stealing."

But the most recent thing that's taken our breath away are the photos taken on the set of "Miami Vice '85," in which Butler will play Detective Sonny Crockett (formerly played by other hotties Don Johnson and Colin Farrell).

Jacob Elordi. That's all.

Elordi has a sweet spot for playing toxic men — "The Kissing Booth," "Euphoria," "Saltburn," and "Priscilla" all come to mind — which is why it's so endearing to see him act shy in interviews like his 2023 appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

But we're still not over his turn as Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights." It's been almost a year, and it still has us in a chokehold. The scene when he comes back after becoming rich (and getting an iconic haircut)? Woah.

He's just 29, so we know that Elordi most likely has a long road of sexy roles ahead of him, but Heathcliff will be hard to beat.

Cillian Murphy returned to Tommy Shelby, arguably his sexiest role, this year.

Murphy, 50, has long been the thinking person's sexiest man alive, with his Irish accent and his intense on-screen energy.

But after starring in six seasons of the BBC series "Peaky Blinders" and his Oscar-winning performance in the blockbuster "Oppenheimer," Murphy finally seems to be getting what he deserves.

We doubt Murphy would ever actually accept this honor, but we still need to give him his (sexy) flowers.

Sterling K. Brown has been deserving for years.

Anyone who watched "Army Wives" back in the day knew that Brown was going to be big. It took a few years, but "The People vs. OJ Simpson" and "This Is Us" catapulted Brown, 50, onto the A-list. An Emmy win and, later, an Oscar nomination for "American Fiction" just solidified it.

If you're not watching "Paradise," tune in immediately.

Two words: Hot Rabbi. OK, two more words: Adam Brody.

As any '90s and 2000s TV viewer can tell you, Adam Brody as Seth Cohen on "The OC" was formative. But since the show ended, it was somewhat quiet for the 46-year-old.

That all changed when "Nobody Wants This" dropped on Netflix, bringing Brody-mania back with a vengeance as he played an achingly romantic rabbi willing to throw his career away for love. He remains amazing in season three, BTW.

Move over, Hot Priest. Hot Rabbi is here to stay.

The hottest guy in sports this year was Jude Bellingham. Easy.

Hey, Jude. Remember the World Cup? The nation of England certainly does — and is still fantasizing about the many, many goals the 23-year-old scored for the national team this summer.

It doesn't hurt that he's quite easy on the eyes.

It's a bit shocking that Henry Cavill hasn't already taken the title.

Remember when Cavill, 43, appeared in a "Mission Impossible" film and appeared to "reload" his fists before punching Tom Cruise? We could never forget.

The last few years have been a bit up and down for Cavill, with a starring role in "The Witcher" for three seasons, which became one of Netflix's most popular shows — though he left the show — and taking on the mantle of Sherlock Holmes in "Enola Holmes" and its sequel.

We thought that his version of Superman was here to stay after a cameo in "Black Adam," but that turned out not to be true. The Sexiest Man Alive honor could be a perfect pick-me-up for Cavill after the back-to-back-to-back flops of "Black Adam," "Argylle," and "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare."

We also can't forget his short, but meaningful, cameo in "Deadpool & Wolverine," where he proved he can make any facial hair work.

Cavill's successor as Superman, David Corenswet, would've also been a worthy choice.

It's not easy to step into the boots and cape of Superman, but Corenswet, 33, made it look like a breeze. Don't be surprised to see him on the cover whenever "Man of Tomorrow" is released in 2027.

It takes a powerful presence to go up against Brad Pitt, but Damson Idris did.

In many ways, "F1" was essentially one former Sexiest Man Alive passing the torch to another future Sexiest Man Alive.

Idris, 35, has a long career ahead of him, including a role in the highly anticipated adaptation of "Children of Blood and Bone" in 2027, so we might need to wait until then.

We're with Elle Fanning: Jack Black is hot!

One of our favorite clips to watch when we're in a bad mood is the Vanity Fair Lie Detector Test between sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning, when Elle becomes flustered at the mere mention of Black — and we can't blame her! A sense of humor is hot, and the 57-year-old has one in spades. And he can sing beautifully. What more do you need?

Plus, between "Minecraft," "Jumanji," "Kung Fu Panda," and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," he's done quite well for himself.

Dev Patel's hair alone deserves awards of its own.

Besides his episode of "Modern Love," which People ranked as the best episode of the season, Patel, 36, has been killing it lately.

One of his most recent films, "The Green Knight," a medieval epic that Patel was top-billed in, was released in 2021. While the film might've left you confused, we definitely walked out knowing one thing: Patel is a star.

Patel also made his Wes Anderson debut on Netflix — hopefully, he'll be in more of Anderson's projects in the future.

In 2024, he starred in and directed the action thriller "Monkey Man." We love a multi-hyphenate.

And we already mentioned his hair.

People was clearly not feeling the "Kenergy" from Ryan Gosling, even if the rest of us did.

It's shocking that he's never won — not after "The Notebook," not after "Crazy Stupid Love," not after "La La Land," not after the "Hey Girl" meme went viral, not after beating up 2022's Sexiest Man Alive (Chris Evans) in "The Gray Man," and not after making us get emotionally invested in a rock in "Project Hail Mary."

However, if playing the most lovable himbo of all time, Ken, in "Barbie" — complete with a song-and-dance sequence — wasn't enough for People, we don't know what is.

Maybe it's joining not only the "Star Wars" universe, but also the MCU in the next two years.

According to ET, the soon-to-be 46-year-old has actually turned it down before, but that humility only adds to the sexy vibe.

Simu Liu made us giggle as one of the Kens in "Barbie," while also showing off his killer dance moves.

As any "Kim's Convenience" fan could've told you, Liu has always had his admirers. But now that the 37-year-old is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he's reached a whole new level.

LaKeith Stanfield is hard to look away from when he's on screen.

Whether it's in "Knives Out," "Someone Great," "Atlanta," "Judas and the Black Messiah," "The Harder They Fall," "Sorry to Bother You," "I Love Boosters," or even "Haunted Mansion," 35-year-old Stanfield is a magnetic presence on screen.

Jeremy Allen White has people everywhere saying, "Yes, Chef."

White, star of the Hulu sensation "The Bear," has long been a sex symbol — ask any fan of "Shameless."

But the 35-year-old is hitting his stride now, with five seasons as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto and a recent turn as the Boss himself in "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" under his belt.

Bad Bunny has been worthy of the title for years.

Benito's 2022 album "Un Verano Sin Ti" was nominated for multiple Latin Grammys and had the biggest streaming week for a Latin album ever. His 2023 album "Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana," was also a huge hit, as was his 2025 album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" — honestly, People is behind the times on this one.

Even the NFL is on board! He headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show earlier this year.

The 32-year-old's style, good looks, musical talent, and personality all contribute to his sexiness — it's time to get on the Bad Bunny train, if you're not already.

Steven Yeun has had an incredible couple of years.

Yeun has been popular since he starred on "The Walking Dead," but he's achieved more mainstream success recently. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 2021 for his performance in "Minari." Soon after, he began voicing Mark Grayson in the hit Prime Video series "Invincible."

2023 was even bigger, with the Netflix series "Beef." The 42-year-old won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and a Critics' Choice Award, among others, in 2024 for his performance as Danny. This year, he appeared in "The Rip" and "Animals" alongside Ben Affleck, and voiced Zuko in the new "Avatar: The Last Airbender" movie.

We're all ready for Mahershala Ali to become our new favorite vampire. Hopefully? Maybe one day?

Ali's giant smile is infectious, and his voice is supremely smooth and soothing. What else can you ask from the Sexiest Man Alive? And, it's becoming clear that Ali, 52, is only going to get better with time.

Chris Pine remains the best Hollywood Chris.

Audiences had low expectations for "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves" in 2023. But we all should have known better — any movie that lives and dies by the charisma of Pine, 46, will be fine.

You can have Hemsworth, Evans, and Pratt. Pine will always be No. 1 in our hearts.

We'll always be bitter we only got one season of Manny Jacinto's "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte."

We've loved Jacinto, 39, since his days on "The Good Place" as the lovable himbo Jason Mendoza, but his role as The Stranger in "The Acolyte" reminded us how much we need him on screen.

Please see "Freakier Friday" to see how powerful Jacinto is.

Josh Hartnett made an astounding comeback this year.

Hartnett, 48, was one of the biggest crushes for anyone who was interested in men in the late '90s and 2000s, but he stepped back from Hollywood for years.

That is, until 2023, when he made a grand return in "Oppenheimer" and then kept it up with this year's thriller "Trap," which was one of the biggest hits of the summer.

Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre were quite the duo this year.

Kyle Chandler, 61, has been a sex symbol ever since he walked onto the set of "Grey's Anatomy" in his bomb squad uniform 20 years ago. He remained one, of course, through "Friday Night Lights," but the HBO series "Lanterns" introduced him to a whole new generation of fans.

His costar, Pierre, is a newer addition to our lives, but is no less sexy. The 32-year-old is set to be a big part of the new DC Universe, appearing in "Man of Tomorrow," and we're quite thankful.

Editor's note: This story was originally published in November 2022 and was most recently updated in October 2026.

Read the original article on Business Insider