Paul Rudd is People's Sexiest Man Alive

Paul Rudd has been named People's Sexiest Man Alive.

The 52-year-old actor admitted he was surprised to take the 2021 honour because he believes there are "so many people" who should have taken the accolade ahead of him.

Speaking to People magazine about the honour, he said: "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."

The Ghostbusters: Afterlife actor's wife Julie - with whom he has kids Jack, 17, and 12-year-old Darby - was "stupefied" by the news and initially laughed at her husband.

He said: "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?"

And Paul is expecting his friends to give him "so much grief", but he doesn't care as he plans to boast about his new title as much as possible.

He said: "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."

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The Knocked Up actor thinks his life will change "a lot" thanks to his new title and he's looking forward to hanging out more with last year's Sexiest Man Alive, Michael B. Jordan, and other previous recipients, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

He joked: "I'm hoping now that I'll finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with Clooney and Pitt and B Jordan.

"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."