This year's Sexiest Man Alive was revealed during a segment on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.'
Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over and 2023's Sexiest Man Alive has been officially revealed as Patrick Dempsey!
On Tuesday, People unveiled Dempsey as their annual cover star during a segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live and he sat down for a special appearance on the late-night talk show.
Dempsey was all smiles as he sat across from Kimmel, who asked the 57-year-old hearthrob why he thinks it took People this long to finally give him the coveted title.
"I don't know. I'm just happy they made a decision and it was me this year," he said with a laugh. "I am very grateful."
"It's like uncorking a bottle of fine wine," Kimmel quipped. "They decided to wait until just the right year."
ET spoke to People's Editor at Large, Julie Jordan, who shared why this was Dempsey's year.
"I think now is perfect timing for Patrick Dempsey, because in the last 20 years -- almost 20 years since he was really kind of catapulted onto the scene with Grey's Anatomy -- and he's really kind of found an amazing pace in life," she said. "Of course he became such a heartthrob, but he also became a very devoted family man."
Jordan also pointed out his philanthropic work.
"He's all about promoting his Dempsey Center, which is the support center for cancer patients that he founded for his mom who died of cancer," she said. "So, it's kind of the complete package."
Jordan noted that Dempsey has remained humble.
"You know, he looks like a matinee movie star, seriously, Cary Grant kind of level," she said. "But he's very real, and he doesn't take anything in terms of Hollywood or fame too seriously. ... When I sat down with him he almost, like, deflected every time I tried to say he was sexy, because even though people have said it for years and years and years, he's never seen himself in that light. ... If he knows it, he's very good at hiding it."
The outlet's annual Sexiest Man Alive honor first began in 1985 with Mel Gibson and has gone on to spotlight the biggest heartthrobs in entertainment.
Last year, the Sexiest Man Alive title went to Captain America star Chris Evans.
"My mom will be so happy," Evans joked when he accepted the outlet's honor. "She's proud of everything I do, but this is something she can really brag about."
Before Evans, 2021's Sexiest Man Alive was Ant-Man star Paul Rudd.
Rudd humbly reacted to the title, saying, "This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me."
In 2020 People gave the title to Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan.
"It's a cool feeling," Jordan said about the title. "You know, everybody always made that joke, like, ‘Mike, this is the one thing you're probably not going to get.' But it's a good club to be a part of."
The long-running club also has featured the likes of Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, Idris Elba and Blake Shelton. A select few have even earned the title twice, including Richard Gere, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Johnny Depp.
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