On Tuesday’s Late Show, host Stephen Colbert revealed the winner of People’s Sexiest Man Alive competition: Paul Rudd.
After joking at the top of the show: “Could it be me?” the late night host aired a video of Rudd being put through a series of mental and physical tests to determine his sexiness.
“It is not a responsibility I take lightly,” said Colbert, as an official “sexiness adjudicator.” Rudd, 52, was shown interviewing at the “LSSC Sexiness Research Institute,” where he revealed his biggest weakness — a weird foot — and scored points for honesty.
“You’re presenting very sexily, mentally,” Colbert told the Ant-Man actor.
In his physical examination, Rudd was asked to “get up sexy,” and was later brought into the “sexiness lab” for a full probe. He was then asked to do some physical labor on a construction site, because if he can’t turn a sander on, his ability to turn people on may be questioned.
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He later landed the “sexiest look of all” — the “slow-motion water shot.” While pouring water on his head, Rudd declared: “Help me, I’m drowning in sexiness.”
When the test was complete and the science was in, Colbert said: “There’s nothing sexier than humility.” Rudd was given a ribbon, flower bouquet and standing ovation from Colbert and the other lab attendees.
In People magazine’s cover story, Rudd considers his new title. “I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What?’” the actor told the outlet. “This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me.”
He said that his wife of 18 years, Julie Yaeger, was “stupefied” when she heard of Rudd’s title, but “very sweet about it.” Meanwhile, Rudd told the outlet that his friends are going to give him “so much grief.”
But the actor is going to embrace his new role. “I’m going to lean into it hard,” he told People. “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 also joked that his life is about to “change a lot,” and that now he expects to be invited to “some of those sexy dinners” with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and last year’s winner, Michael B. Jordan.
“And I figure I’ll be on a lot more yachts. I’m excited to expand my yachting life,” Rudd joked. “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.”
