It’s that time of the year again for a new Sexiest Man Alive to be announced by People magazine. The publication historically keeps the identity of the latest recipient heavily under wraps and, this week, fans now know who holds the coveted title for 2026. Noah Wyle is officially this year’s SMA, and it marks yet another notch in the fan-favorite actor’s professional belt. Unsurprisingly, fans are sounding off on social media, and I’m chuckling over how they’re referencing Wyle’s hit show, The Pitt. Wyle’s Sexiest Man Alive status was officially unveiled on Tuesday morning, and People signified the occasion by sharing its exclusive interview with Wyle about his new title. The veteran actor seems flattered by the moniker, and he also confirmed that he accepted in great part due to his wife, Sara Wells. The Emmy winner said Wells was “amused” by the whole situation and, based on the comments of the Instagram post, she’s not the only one. Check out the love Wyle received from fans of The Pitt (and ER): Congrats, Noah. I love Dr. Carter and Dr. Robby. ❤️ - stella_ella2182Dr. Carter finally getting the respect he deserves! - jamiroselynHe deserves it, he’s an amazing actor and decades without scandal and a good marriage. - theglovereffectsIn taking on this title, Wyle now joins the ranks of past recipients like Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, Michael B. Jordan and Chris Evans. The 2025 winner of the title was Jonathan Bailey, who notably became the first openly gay SMA honoree. While plenty of people now seem to be pleased with Wyle holding the title, some fans had other thoughts. A few of those people named another member of The Pitt’s cast as someone who was deserving of the title: Shawn Hatosy aka Dr Abbot was right there. - prettydrippediceIt should have been Shawn Hatosy! - subanky.sMore on The Pitt(Image credit: HBO Max)Night Shift Lovers, Noah Wyle Revealed A Detail About The Pitt Season 3 You Need To Pay Attention ToThere are plenty of fans who love Wyle’s Dr. Robby Robinavitch, and for good reason. However, Shawn Hatosy’s Dr. Jack Abbot has also emerged as one of the show’s breakouts, and Hatosy’s own star notoriety has been rising as well. At this point, Hatosy has even become something of a sex symbol, and the actor has since said that he’s happy to “embrace” that status. While it wouldn’t have been unreasonable for Hatosy to have been named SMA, I’m not mad at Wyle earning it. On an ER-related note, it’s also worth mentioning that Wyle now has something else in common with his old co-star, George Clooney. Still known for having played Dr. Doug Ross on NBC’s hit medical drama, Clooney was named Sexiest Man Alive in 1997 and 2006. The two former co-stars still like to troll each other (and that was the case when Wyle joked about Clooney appearing on The Pitt). With that jokey relationship in mind, another Instagram user said this about Wyle’s title: George Clooney will never let him live this down….I don’t know about any of you, but I’m definitely hoping Clooney will weigh in on his old buddy’s Sexiest Man Alive title sometime soon. For now, though, congratulations are definitely in order for Noah Wyle and, amid the funny comments, he seems to be taking all of this in stride. Of course, fans can check out the new SMA on both seasons of The Pitt, which is streamable with an HBO Max subscription, and look out for Season 3, which will premiere in January 2027.