Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Is the First Man of Color in 20 Years to be People’s Sexiest Man Alive

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is now not only the highest paid actor in Hollywood but also the Sexiest Man Alive, according to People magazine. The tabloid gave the 44-year-old star the honor for 2016, which Johnson tweeted about in the wee hours of the morning, letting his fans know that he’s still working on the chiseled physique he’s known for: “Still up at 4am trainin’ hard & takin’ care of my babies.. sexily;).”

Johnson has come a long way from his wrestling days, and it’s clearly paid off. “I’ve made big sweeping changes in my career over the years, which have served me nicely,” he told People. “But I feel that the big sweeping changes that happened in my life, in my relationships, of being a dad, of being a partner, and the things that I was and the things that I am, has really lent itself to a confidence.”

People has been awarding the Sexiest Man Alive title since 1985, and only twice prior has the publication given the award to a man of color. The Sexiest Man in 1996 was Denzel Washington and in 1994 Keanu Reeves (who has native Hawaiian and Chinese ancestry on his father’s side). Even David Beckham, who was the 2015 Sexiest Man Alive, seemed surprised to receive the award last year.

Perhaps Johnson’s nod is an indication that People may be turning over a new leaf with regard to defining the standard of male sexiness, but of course, it will take a few more years to be able to determine whether or not the magazine will continue to consider nonwhite men for the title. We hope to not wait another 20 years.

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