George Clooney Shares His Advice for PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive: 'There's a Lot of Responsibility' (Exclusive)

11/07/2024 05:37 PM

The two-time Academy Award winner is also a two-time Sexiest Man Alive recipient, winning the coveted title in 1997 and 2006

George Clooney is experienced in the sexy department.

Who better to give advice to this year's PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive (which will be announced Nov. 12) than the actor who's won the honor twice in a lifetime, the first in 1997 and the second in 2006.

In an exclusive interview at the Albie Awards in New York in September, Clooney reflected on his years as a former Sexiest Man Alive and shared a few key points that are essential for the one-year tenure.

First, the title requires more than just looks. "Let's see what kind of a campaign he's running, the Wolfs star said. "You know what I mean? I want to see how good a campaigner he is."

Related: Brad Pitt Calls Wolfs Costar and Longtime Friend George Clooney 'the Sexiest Man Still Alive' (Exclusive)

This year, stars started campaigning early. Adam Sandler, for example, declared in February that he should be named Sexiest Man Alive and gave PEOPLE a solid reason why. "It's something that I think is good for the world," the Saturday Night Live alum explained.

Kevin Hart, too, previously revealed that he starts his campaign "at the beginning of every year," but joked, "I don't think they see the campaign." He said, "There's no reason why I shouldn't have it. It's all about the sexy ... I will get PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive. You bet your ass on that."

Clooney, meanwhile, hasn't stopped his campaigning despite being a two-time recipient of the title. "I'm lobbying for a third one, no one's ever won three," the star previously said during an interview in 2020.

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The job doesn't stop once one is named winner Clooney recently told PEOPLE. In fact, the work is just beginning,

"I feel as if there's a lot of responsibility for a full year, you have to wear that sash," the two-time Academy Award winner said. "It's very uncomfortable after a while."

Despite the discomfort, Clooney's wife Amal touted — on the eve of their 10 year wedding anniversary — that her husband's still got it going on 18 years after first winning the SMA crown. When asked what makes him sexy, Amal simply looked at him and replied: "I mean, isn't it obvious?"

Clooney joked, "That didn't sound too convincing."

Ultimately, the actor was confident that whoever landed the coveted title would wear it well. "I'm sure they'll do a great job," he assured.

Related: All the Stars Campaigning for Sexiest Man Alive, from Will Ferrell to Kevin Hart

In addition to lobbying for a third-time win, Clooney and longtime friend, Brad Pitt, suggested an alteration to the Sexiest Man Alive title. (Pitt, too, is a two-time title holder, winning in 1995 and 2000.)

When asked by PEOPLE what advice they had for future Sexiest Men Alive at the Los Angeles premiere of their new thriller-comedy, Wolfs, in September, Pitt joked, "This is the Sexiest Man Still Alive," in reference to Clooney.

"Yes, exactly. That's going to be starting now. I know," Clooney added. "I tried to get AARP to do that for [Pitt,] Sexiest Man Still Alive. I have the T-shirt, by the way. Somebody else got it. Yeah, all I got was a T-shirt."