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John Krasinski has always tried to keep it real.

Sure, fans might know him as a ghost-loving, love-struck paper salesman, or an intense ex-Marine turned CIA agent, or a devoted family man who sacrifices himself for love, but the actor, 45, just prefers to be a husband and father , who overtakes documentaries and enjoys bedtime stories with his children.

Krasinski, who lives in Brooklyn with his wife of 14 years, actress Emily Blunt, 41, and their daughters Hazel, 10, and Violet, 8, remembers a moment a few years ago when he was walking his older daughter to school. “This guy said, ‘John? Off The office? Oh my God, it’s so good to see you!’ And he walked away,” says the actor. “And Hazel said, ‘So you work with that guy?’ I said, ‘No.’ And she said, ‘Why are you lying to me? He said he knows you from the office.’ ”

The actor admitted that trying to explain the truth was a bit of a challenge. And she hadn’t seen the show. I think I was an accountant in her eyes,” he adds, laughing. “It’s a pretty wild thing for them to deal with.”

Krasinski may have a little more explaining to do now that he’s been named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive. Beloved for his nine-year run as Jim Halpert on the hit series The officehe wrote, directed and co-starred with Blunt in the 2018 thriller A quiet place. Its massive success spawned two sequels, while Krasinski also bolstered Michael Bay’s 13 hours and stayed in fighting shape to portray the titular Jack Ryan for four seasons on the popular Prime Video series, which was now set to be made into a movie.

With the film of the year IFwhich he starred in, wrote, produced and directed as a kind of love story for his girls, the actor solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s best filmmakers. Still, the transition took a little finesse.

“I had to pitch the studio 54 times (for A quiet place) before they said yes,” jokes Krasinski, who next stars with Natalie Portman in the action heist film The Fountain of Youth. “I’m pretty sure someone said, ‘Excuse me, where’s Jim from The office will direct this?’ And I said, ‘Oh, it’s John, but we’ll get there. That’s fine.’ ”

Raised in a Boston suburb with his two brothers, Krasinski took his first stab at acting as Daddy Warbucks in a sixth-grade production of Annie. But it wasn’t until he enrolled at the National Theater Institute while attending Brown University that he discovered his true passion.

“You know, I had so much fun, but it was never something I thought I’d do professionally,” says the actor, who originally planned to become a teacher after being “blown away” by Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society. “I went to theater school mostly out of laziness because I had to fill up a semester. And it was one of the most transformative 14 weeks of my life,” he adds. “It grabbed my heart and soul and I jumped right in and moved to New York to be an actor.”

These days, Krasinski is settling down and appreciating the support system and life he’s built with Blunt. “That’s the beautiful thing when you’re married to somebody, you’re constantly learning and changing and you’re evolving,” he says. “And I’m lucky enough to go through all that with her.” Not that his new title will change anything: “”I think it makes me do it more household chores,” he jokes. “When this comes out, she’ll say, ‘Okay, this means you really want to earn this at home.'”

What were your first thoughts when you heard you got the crown?
Just instant blackout. Zero thoughts. Except I might get punked. It’s not like I usually wake up thinking, “Is this the day I get asked to be the sexiest man alive?” And yet that was the day you did it. You really raised the bar for me.

I know you haven’t told anyone, but if Emily knows, how did she react?
I’m not supposed to tell anyone? Oh god, it goes bad right away. I told Emily and she was very excited. There was a lot of joy involved in me telling her.

She once said that if you got the cover, she would wallpaper it all over the house.
Did she say that? Do we have it on camera? Because it’s like a binding contract, I think. My kids will love it; it won’t be weird at all.

Who do you think will give you the hardest time?
I think my brothers will probably wonder how this is possible for years to come. Luckily, we’re right into Thanksgiving, so we can jump in and talk about it right away.

What were you like growing up?
I guess I was quite an imaginative child. I’ve always lived in some kind of world, whether it was pirates or a wacky adventure. Usually Indiana Jones, anything Steven Spielberg. I was friends with ET and picked up (Raiders of the Lost Ark) idol and the like basically from the age of 4 to 45.

What about in high school?
I played sports, I was in a band, I played the trumpet. I guess I was just trying to be a guy who was having fun. I had friends in many different groups.

Were you popular with the ladies?
No, I mean, if you look back at my high school yearbook, I think a lot of people wrote things like “Thank you for helping me get through my breakup” or “You’re a great shoulder to cry on.” I was really there for moral support, not so much in a romantic way.

When did you find your confidence?
Probably college. I mean, it was the most consciousness-expanding experience of my life. No medication needed. I was lucky enough to go to a good school and get a good education. But the education for me was really finding these life markers of people that brought me into the world of art, theater and music.

You first met Emily in 2008. When did you know she was the one?
The second I met her? I don’t know what happened but I remember someone introducing us and it was across a room in a restaurant and I went up to her to shake her hand. And as soon as I did, I just knew.

What do you love most about being a father of a girl?
Oh man, how much you learn. You just have these incredible wells of curiosity, feelings, and questions coming from someone of the opposite sex. When they ask me (about) the guy perspective, it’s pretty funny because I’m actually the only guy in our family, including our dog.

Is there something you can do that always bothers them?
Dance. I’m terrible at it. I remember my phone turned on one day in the street and it was Spoon’s song “I Turn My Camera On” and I started dancing. And Hazel said, “Oh my God, Dad, there’s people in the street.”

What does a typical day off entail for you?
I usually drop the kids off at school, do a quick workout and then try to find something exciting to do in town. I just went to MoMA a few days ago and saw a French bistro after. Just trying to experience everything this city has to offer.

Is there a hobby you wish you had?
I wish I could play piano or guitar. I wish I had one of those in my bag. Not just to just be a good party trick, but also for myself.

Do you have any stupid human tricks?
Other than weird voices that I do for my kids as their stuffed animal, I don’t think so. I kind of have an Elmo-esque voice to them. And no, I won’t do it on camera.

What is your worst habit?
Probably jogging my leg. I’m like a guy who if I’m sitting at a table (he jogs his knee up and down). And it’s fun, isn’t it? This does not make you nervous. Emily has told me I do it a lot and it still hasn’t stopped.

You’ve talked about Chris Evans winning Captain America above you. Have you regretted the roles you’ve passed on?
You know, I never had that. And that’s Chris Evans – look at the guy. Strangely enough, I’ve never had that jealousy, because I think in many ways my life has been like winning a huge radio competition. You just have to take it as it comes. And I really believe that every role is meant for someone – that if it’s meant for you, it comes to you, and if it’s not, it’s for someone else.

What do you think Jim and Pam from The office would do now? Probably by going to bed and reading stories. I feel they are very good parents. Even if I lose track? Are those kids 80 now?

How would you describe your own life?
Beautiful. It really is. It’s a phenomenal thing to be in this family and to be a father. It has changed my life completely.