John Krasinski He wasn’t exactly sure what to think when he found out he was going to be crowned. PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive of 2024.

“It was actually an immediate blackout. Zero thoughts,” he tells the magazine in this week’s cover story. “Other than maybe they’re cheating on me. That’s not how I wake up thinking, ‘Is this the day I’m going to be asked to be the sexiest man alive?’ And yet, it was the day you did it. You guys have really raised the bar for me.”

While fans may know Krasinski as a prank-loving, crush-worthy paper salesman, or an intense ex-Marine turned CIA agent, or a devoted family man who sacrifices himself for love, the actor, of 45 years old, he prefers to simply be a husband and father, who binge-watches Netflix documentaries and enjoys bedtime stories with his children.

He now lives in Brooklyn with his wife of 14 years, actress Emily BluntKrasinski, 41, and her daughters Hazel, 10, and Violet, 8, say Blunt was “very excited” when she heard the big news: “There was a lot of joy telling her.”

The actress has even joked that she would wallpaper her house with the cover if her husband received the crown. “Do we have that on camera? Because I think it’s like a binding contract,” he says. “My kids will love it, it won’t be strange at all.”

Beloved for his nine years as Jim Halpert on the hit series. the officehe co-wrote, directed and starred alongside Blunt in the 2018 thriller. A quiet place. Its enormous success spawned two sequels, while Krasinski, who was trashed for Michael Bay’s film 13 hoursstayed in shape to play the titular Jack Ryan for four seasons on the popular Prime Video series, which is now being turned into a movie.

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With this year’s movie. YEAHwhich he also starred in, wrote, produced and directed, the actor solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers. Still, the transition required a bit of finesse. “I had to sell the studio like 54 times (for AQP) before they said yes,” jokes Krasinski, who next stars alongside Natalie Portman in the heist action movie. Fountain of Youth. “I’m pretty sure someone said, ‘I’m sorry, is Jim from?” the office Are you going to direct this? And I said, ‘Oh, it’s John, but we’ll get there.’ ”

These days, Krasinski makes his own decisions and appreciates the life he has built together with Blunt. “It’s that beautiful thing that when you’re married to someone, you’re constantly learning and changing and evolving,” he says. “And I’m very lucky to go through all that with her.”

It’s not that his new title is going to change anything: “I think it’s going to force me to do it.” further household chores,” he jokes. “After this comes out, she’ll say, ‘Okay, that means you’re really going to earn it here at home.’ ”

For more photos and exclusive interviews from Krasinki, check out this week’s edition of PEOPLE on newsstands on Friday