Dwayne Johnson Is 'People's Sexiest Man Alive

Well, this is certainly going to cheer people up. It was announced on Tuesday that Dwayne Johnson is People 's 2016 Sexiest Man Alive. Basically, this is the best news any of us have had in the longest time, and Johnson is a worthy selection for a plethora of reasons. As the world seems to be in a state of disarray right now, it's the perfect moment to celebrate not only how incredible The Rock is looking, but also, what a hilarious, down to earth, and truly generous human being he is. It's official: Dwayne Johnson is the Sexiest Man Alive, and this could be the best thing that's happened in 2016.

In his interview with People, Johnson talks about the moment he found out he was this year's winner of the sought after award. The wrestler turned actor said, "I thought, ‘Wow, we’ve pretty much reached the pinnacle.’ I’m not quite too sure where we go from here. I’ve done it all, this is it.” His excitement at winning the Sexiest Man Alive title shows just how much he values his fans. The Moana star clearly doesn't take for granted the incredible things that have happened in his career, and even uses the accolade as an excuse to evaluate his career, telling People, “I’ve made big sweeping changes in my career over the years, which have served me nicely.”

People's 2016 Sexiest Man Alive cover is particularly exciting, because it seems to answer calls for the magazine to recognize diversity. It's hard to believe that the last time a man of color was named Sexiest Man Alive was back in 1996, when Denzel Washington won the title. Clearly, the twenty year gap shows rooms for improvement, especially as The Hollywood Reporter notes that Johnson is "the second man of color to be named Sexiest Man Alive in the annual tradition's 31 years."

Bustle Editor Kadeen Griffiths wrote a call to action in 2015, when she said,

"I want to look at People's Sexiest Man Alive list each year and see various representations of what sexy looks like, across different cultures... I'd love to see that change start with 2016's cover, so we can see a Sexiest Man Alive who is also a man of color."

And, indeed, another reason that Johnson is such a great choice for People's 2016 Sexiest Man Alive is that the actor is fiercely proud of his identity. Speaking at a Disney event in 2015, Johnson said of upcoming movie Moana, “This is my heritage. I am proudly half-Samoan and half-black.” Moana is an important movie for 2016, and I'm more than a little excited for a Disney movie to follow the story of a Polynesian adventurer princess, particularly as she'll be accompanied on her journey by The Rock.

Back in August, Johnson was named the highest paid actor in 2016, for his roles in Central Intelligence, Fast 8, and the forthcoming Baywatch. Playing the demigod Maui in Disney's Moana will round out what's been a spectacular year for the actor, and hopefully a sign of great things to come.

Images: People