Paul Rudd is all in When Paul Rudd

Strolled into a Manhattan studio for his People cover shoot on a gloomy day in January, he had no entourage.

The actor, 53, who lives in the city with his wife, Julie, and their kids Jack, 18, and Darby, 13, was even 30 minutes early. It's rare behavior for a Hollywood superstar, let alone one who was named Sexiest Man Alive in 2021. But it's par for the course for Rudd. "My dad and I would talk about this idea," says the actor, whose father, Michael, died in 2008. "If you are kind and nice to other people and treat them the way you would want to be treated, everything will be better." 

That genuine good-guy charm-along with his quick wit and irresistible grin-has made Rudd a beloved star for almost 30 years, from his turns in comedies like Clueless to his current wisecracking superheroics in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Even amid a massive Marvel promotional tour, he made sure he could cheer on his hometown football team, the Kansas City Chiefs, at the Super Bowl. The team's win was just another reminder for Rudd to "clock" the bursts of joy in his very busy life. "I really do think it's important we recognize those moments," he says. "You just have to stop, acknowledge it and say, 'Wow, how lucky am I?""

So how was your reign as Sexiest Man Alive?

I got a lot of emails from friends and received many jokes and insults, as I would expect. And then after that initial kind of outpouring, the world kept moving.

What was your kids' reaction?

Well, when I told them, they just went, "Ugh, what?" They were surprised, but nobody was more surprised than me.

Have you been in touch with Chris Evans since he took over the crown last fall?

I have a fantasy football thread, and Chris is one of the teams. So there was some back and forth, just a congratulations and passing of the torch.

Did you offer him any advice?