The “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2021 is Paul Rudd, this according to the staff at People who’ve once again named their pick for the year’s “sexiest” male celebrity. In the days leading up to the reveal, there had been rumors that Rudd’s Avengers co-star Chris Evans would be given the honor, but Stephen Colbert revealed the official cover with his name and face on The Late Show on Tuesday night. It’s the first time the 52-year-old has earned the title.
The magazine cover reveal followed a comedy sketch with Colbert and Rudd. To really find the Sexiest Man Alive, Colbert brought in Rudd to conduct a series of tests in a lab, which included testing his ability to do physical labor on a construction site and pulling off the “slow-motion water shot.” With water covering his head, Rudd noted that he was “drowning in sexiness.” After the tests, Colbert’s technicians gave Rudd a Sexiest Man Alive sash along to officially give him the title.
“I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What?'” Rudd tells People in the new issue. “This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me… 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.”
Rudd, who will next be seen in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, in theaters later this month, added, “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.”
This news means that Paul Rudd, 52, is the third-oldest person to ever pick up the Sexiest Man Alive title at People magazine. Late actor Sean Connery holds the record by getting named in 1989 at the age of 59. In 1998, the honor went to Harrison Ford, who was 56 at the time. At 51 years old, Nick Nolte was named by the magazine in 1992, and Richard Gere was People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1999 when he was 50. Last year, Michael B. Jordan was the Sexiest Man Alive, following names like John Legend, Idris Elba, Blake Shelton, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
After breaking into the scene in the 1990s with main roles in movies like Clueless and Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers, Rudd has since become one of Hollywood’s most popular actors. These days, he is best known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which includes starring alongside Evangeline Lilly in the Ant-Man and the Wasp movies. He will reprise the role in the upcoming sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is due for release on July 28, 2023. The new issue of People featuring Paul Rudd as the Sexiest Man Alive will go on sale this Friday, Nov. 12.
Source: movieweb.com