Former Sexiest Man Alive Jude Law Offers Advice for Next Title Holder: 'Be Yourself' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Jude Law was PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2004.

Jude Lawknows a thing or two about being theSexiest Man Alive. After all, he held the coveted title 20 years ago.

Now, as PEOPLE gets ready to crown a new honoree (Patrick Dempseyis the reigning SMA), Law, 51, offers a bit of advice for the yet-to-be-named man.

“Be yourself, guys. Be yourself,” he says before quipping, “Actually, my advice is askGeorge Clooney. Wasn’t he in it like six times?” (For the record, Clooney was the champ twice: in 1997 and 2006.)

Law’s own time as Sexiest Man Alive came as he established himself as a true star, headlining films like 2004’sSky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, whose producer Jon Avnet gushed, “Jude’s uniqueness is that he has the talent of a character actor and the looks of a leading man.”

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Jude Law on the cover of PEOPLE in 2004.

Law’s past costars also paid tribute to him in the cover story: “He’s the most beautiful man who ever walked the earth — an absolutely perfect oil painting,“Naomi Watts, his costar in the comedyI Heart Huckabees, said at the time.

AddedRachel Weisz, who acted with Law inEnemy at the Gates, “He has the most beautiful eyes you’ve ever seen.”

Jude Law on Oct. 13.Miikka Skaffari/Getty

Miikka Skaffari/Getty

The compliments are nice, but the Oscar-nominated actor, at this stage of his career, just wants to focus on doing more good work.

“Honestly, I think my bucket list is to keep doing work into my 80s and 90s and keep surprising myself,” Law, who stars in thenew crime dramaThe Order, tells PEOPLE. “I always remember seeing Peter Greenaway’s filmProspero’s Bookswith John Gielgud and he was in his mid-80s doing this incredible, bizarre performance and this nudity.”

PEOPLE’s nextSexiest Man Alive will be revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 12

source: people.com