Pauletta Washington Reacts to Denzel Washington's Sexiest Man at Every Age Title: 'I Agree!'

Denzel Washington was featured among celebrities in their 60s who remain sexy at every age in PEOPLE's 2024 Sexiest Man Alive issue

Pauletta Washington is all for Denzel Washington's inclusion in PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive issue!

When Pauletta, 74, and Denzel, 69, spoke with Entertainment Tonight at the Los Angeles premiere of Gladiator II on Monday, Nov. 18, the pair admitted they were not aware Denzel was named among dozens of celebrities who remain sexy at any age.

"Is that like at 5 and 7 as well? 3 months old?" Denzel quipped when asked the honor.

"I just heard it just now. I agree!" Pauletta added when asked for her reaction, making Denzel laugh in the process.

Denzel, of course, was named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive back in 1996, 13 years after Pauletta married the two-time Academy Award-winning actor in June 1983. The couple first met on the set of Denzel's first movie, the 1977 film Wilma, but did not actually start getting to know each other until they connected at a mutual friend's party months later.

Related: Denzel Washington Reflects on Past Drug and Alcohol Use: 'I've Done a Lot of Damage to the Body'

The couple are now parents to four children — actor John David, 40, film producer Katia, 36, and twins Malcolm and Olivia, 33. Nearly the entire Washington family were involved in Netflix's new adaptation of the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson, which sees John David costar with family friend Samuel L. Jackson and Malcolm direct in his feature directorial debut; Katia and Denzel count among the film's producers.

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"No, it hasn't been a ploy, but I'm very happy about it," Pauletta told ET at the Gladiator II premiere, when asked if The Piano Lesson's production was a "ploy" to get the entire family together more often.

Related: Denzel Washington Says His 4 Kids Are His Proudest Accomplishment: 'What More Can You Ask For?'

Denzel and Pauletta celebrated their 41st marriage anniversary earlier this year. While they supported The Piano Lesson at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in September, Pauletta told PEOPLE that "there is no secret" to the couple's successful marriage.

“We work at it. It's work. It's not that you sit there and you go like, ‘Oh, you know...' " she said at the time. “There are a lot of prayers for strength for staying in a forgiveness mode and both parts, mine and his. But it's the basic love that we have for each other.”

Other celebrities in their 60s featured in this year's Sexiest Man Alive issue along with Washington include Graham Norton, Esai Morales, Tom Ford, Stanley Tucci, Flavor Flav, Vince Gill, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon and Jon Taffer.

Gladiator II is in theaters Nov. 22, and The Piano Lesson begins streaming on Netflix the same day.