Recently, People Magazine named its annual Sexiest Man Alive. It’s not John Legend, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Hemsworth, or even Ryan Reynolds. No, this year’s Sexiest Man is Paul Rudd.
Yep, the guy who was Phoebe’s boyfriend, Cher’s ex-step-brother, a pint-sized superhero, and whose name rhymes with “Fudd” is this year’s Sexiest Man Alive. Apparently, the choice was a shock even to the man himself. And not in the “Gosh, really?” self-deprecating way. Nope, Paul was honestly baffled.
And so was social media. In fact, the public reaction was swift, loud and in some cases, even a bit … angry.
People Magazine’s annual honour generally goes to a sex symbol of some sort. (Think: Magic Mike’s Channing Tatum.) Someone with chiselled abs and a granite jaw – maybe even the occasional accent – that literally make grown women (and men) swoon.
And Rudd isn’t exactly swoon-worthy. At least, not at first glance.
But let’s give the little dude (he’s five foot eight) a second glance.
Rudd is 52 years old, making him the third oldest that People has ever chosen – Sean Connery was 59 and Harrison Ford was 56. But that doesn’t really matter because Rudd doesn’t seem to age. He’s been in the business since the early nineties and he looks basically the same. (It’s possible he’s an ancestor of Dorion Gray or has a deal with the devil, himself, but we’re waiting for confirmation on that.)
And he’s cute in an “every guy” kind of way. If you ran into him on the street, you might not remember him. You might even spill your coffee on him. However, that almost-but-not-quite average appearance makes him totally relatable to audiences. He’s your best friend’s brother and your brother’s best friend.
But then there are those eyes. Those soulful green eyes draw you in with their kindness, intelligence, and long lashes. (No wonder Cher fell in love with him.) So it’s no surprise that he’s a family man who’s been married for nearly 20 years. And there’s nothing more sexy than a terminally faithful man.
Rudd’s also charitable. But quietly so. He helped to raise $13 million for the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. (Bet you didn’t see that splashed all over Twitter.)
And with a bevy of comedic roles under his belt, Rudd makes us laugh on both the big screen and the small. (Don’t most women claim a sense of humour is top of their list in what they’re looking for in a guy? How else do you explain People choosing Blake Shelton in 2017?)
At a time in our history when we need kindness, comfort, stability, humour and intelligent discussion, Paul Rudd checks all the boxes. Plus, he manages to make a miniature red Ant-Man suit look surprisingly, subtly sexy.
He’s the anti-Hollywood. And he’s here to stay.
Of course, if he’s not your cup of tea, the good news is he’ll be replaced in twelve short months. I’m sure Hollywood can find at least one more man for the job between now and then.