In news that will surprise few people, Paul Rudd has been named the sexiest man alive by People magazine.

The 52-year-old follows in the illustrious footsteps of Michael B Jordan, Idris Elba, Chris Hemsworth and George Clooney.

One person who did seem shocked by the news was Rudd himself – he told People: “I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What?’ This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me.”

Bursting into the public eye in 1995 in Clueless, for over two decades Rudd has become known for his eerie ability to look the same, despite the passage of time.

Here the photographic proof…

The Nineties…

Rudd was 26 when he took on the role of Josh in Clueless, based on the character of George Knightley in Jane Austen’s Emma. Some argue he looked older than his years at the time and perhaps that’s why it doesn’t seem like time has caught up with him.

In 1996 Rudd starred in another adaptation: this time as Paris in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet.

The Noughties…

Rudd cemented his status as a sought-after comedic actor in the Noughties, with roles including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

In 2005 he starred alongside Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and with Jason Segel in I Love You Man in 2009.

His style and overall look remained the same, although Rudd occasionally modelled a more dishevelled look on the red carpet.

The 2010s…

Rudd spent part of the early 2010s experimenting with long hair (particularly around 2013 for Anchorman 2), and people became increasingly obsessed with his skincare routine.

It sounds like Rudd’s secret to anti-ageing is a simple one: making sure he always wears SPF.

“I am a big believer in sunscreen,” he told InStyle in 2013. “I’m not one for tanning. I used to be, back when I was rocking the Depeche Mode look. Honestly, I wear sunscreen not to prevent wrinkles but because I don’t want to get skin cancer.”

Rudd found new fame and cemented his status as the internet’s boyfriend in 2015, when he became a Marvel superhero: Ant-Man.

Today…

The fact Rudd looks pretty much the same now as he did in 1995 defies the laws of physics. His hair might have occasionally changed, but his face certainly hasn’t. Maybe he’s in some kind of special anti-ageing club with Pharrell? Whatever it is, sign us up.