Only a select number of celebrities have held the title of Sexiest Man Alive. Among them are Idris Elba, Blake Shelton and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Fellow Hollywood A-lister Michael B. Jordan managed to earn the moniker in 2020, to much fanfare. The Creed actor seemed quite gracious when it came to accepting the highly coveted spot and he also didn’t hold back in discussing everything that comes with it. He recently discussed it again while chatting with the one and only Charles Barkley. This time around, Jordan dropped a funny take on what it’s like to receive the honor.
Both Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson chatted with the Black Panther alum during an installment of The Steam Room podcast. Barkley seemed particularly excited to be speaking with the actor and director and quickly started the conversation by asking about his former title. The NBA veteran was curious as to what it’s like to actually get the call that you’ve received the title, as he believes one would have to laugh a bit to themselves in disbelief at that moment. The 36-year-old star humorously responded by explaining why some people may not actually want the label:
It’s one of those that you think you want to get the title, but then right after the group chats [start] and all your boys talk, ‘Oh, you think you so sexy, you think, this that.’ I could be drinking some tea, ‘Oh look at him drinking tea like he’s the Sexiest Man Alive.’ Like, what! It’s a gift and a curse, man. It’s cool.
These sentiments definitely track with comments that Michael B. Jordan has made in the past. Several years back, he explained that after he received the crown, he was constantly asked about it and that the public began to overanalyze him. In some ways, it seemed that Jordan couldn’t escape his Sexiest Man Alive title. While the ribbing from the stars’ friends was surely playful, I can understand how it could be a bit much to handle. When Ernie Johnson asked if the honor is truly what it’s cracked up to be, Jordan responded, saying:
It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. You know how it is, man? Expectations are to be sexy every time you show up. It’s tough!
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Jokes from close friends and the public at large just seem to come with the territory when one is named Sexiest Man Alive. For example, the Avengers group chat apparently blew up with jokes after Chris Evans earned the title in 2022. Paul Rudd received it in 2021 and was met with a host of A+ responses from Jennifer Aniston, Jeremy Renner and more. Even Michael B. Jordan poked fun at Rudd when he took over as SMA. So, all in all, this appears to be a tradition with its costs and benefits.
I’ll admit that even I find the attention a bit funny, as Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson also seem to. Personally, I’d love to see how the occasionally savage Barkley would handle the buzz. Part of me would like to believe that he’d have mixed feelings like Michael B. Jordan. On the other hand though, I can’t help but wonder whether he’d relish the buzz. I’m not sure if “Chuck” might actually end up becoming one of Jordan’s Sexiest Man Alive successors but, hey, anything can happen, right?
