Jude Law knows a thing or two about being the Sexiest Man Alive. After all, he held the coveted title 20 years ago.
Now, as PEOPLE gets ready to crown a new honoree (Patrick Dempsey is 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 ask George 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’s Sky 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.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to…
