Harry Hamlin Says His Daughter Is 'Pitching' Him to Be PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive Again (Exclusive)

"Hey, why not take a guy who's in his 70s and make him the sexiest man again?" the actor told PEOPLE of reclaiming the title

Harry Hamlin is ready to prove he's still got it!

While attending the opening of the PEOPLE: Celebrating 50 Years exhibit at Fotografiska New York on Thursday, May 9, the 72-year-old actor said he's game to reclaim his title as PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive.

"Why not? Why not? Hey, why not take a guy who's in his 70s and make him the sexiest man again?" he told PEOPLE, revealing that his daughter is already lobbying for him to be recrowned.

"I think my daughter already pitched it to [PEOPLE Editor-in-Chief] Wendy [Naugle], actually [at the White House Correspondents' Dinner]," adds Hamlin, who shares daughters Delilah Gray Hamlin, 25, and Amelia Gray Hamlin, 22, with wife Lisa Rinna. "We were sitting with [Naugle], and my daughter said, 'Why don't you make him sexiest man again?' "

Reflecting on his Sexiest Man Alive stint back in 1987, Harry admits that he "really feels old" to think that 37 years have passed since then. He also shared how the accolade came as a complete surprise to him at the time.

Related: Lisa Rinna Shares Husband Harry Hamlin’s Advice for Ignoring Online Haters (Exclusive)

"They didn't tell me that I was going to be the Sexiest Man Alive. They just said that I was going to do the cover," he recalls. "So when I was in Australia doing a press tour for the show I was doing, I looked up and I saw all these pictures of me in the shop window, and then I looked and it said in big block letters, it said, 'Sexiest man down under.' And I tried to kind of deconstruct that and I realized that they meant that I was in Australia."

"In those days, I was the third one, and in those days they didn't tell you," he continues, referring to predecessors Mel Gibson (1985) and Mark Harmon (1986). "I mean, they just sprang it on you."

He also joked that the honor has become a lot more prestigious since his time, now that 36 of Hollywood's hunkiest leading men have followed him. "Today, it's really fun. Everybody goes, 'Yeah, that's fun.' In those days, it was like, 'Oh, what is that?' " he says.

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When Harry isn't angling for his Sexiest Man Alive comeback, the Mad Men star is busy in the kitchen, whipping up tasty dishes.

Related: Harry Hamlin Said Lisa Rinna's Honesty on 'RHOBH' Got Her into 'a Lot of Trouble' Before Her Exit

After sharing his love of cooking on wife Rinna's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills series — including his famous bolognese sauce — and on social media, the actor is set to debut his own food show, In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin. The five-episode series, which premieres on AMC+ and IFC on May 15, features Harry and his niece, Renee Guilbault, who is a classically trained chef.

Per a press release, the show "puts [Harry's] passion for cooking and Guilbault’s culinary expertise on full display as they share favorite recipes, practical kitchen tips and secrets to a successful dinner party that exudes casual elegance." The pair will also welcome special guests each week, including Rinna, 60, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Dean Norris, Ed Begley Jr. and Tongayi Chirisa.

Harry also continues to add to his long list of acting credits. Last year, he starred in AMC's Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches alongside Chirisa and Alexandra Daddario.

While speaking to PEOPLE about the project at the time, Harry said he relishes taking on new challenges. "I think the key to longevity is to always pursue the next impossible task as an actor because you can never be an expert in this," he noted of his decades-long career. "There's always another challenge."

He still takes acting classes to hone his craft and is even tackling Shakespeare. "I've been studying at the Beverly Hills Playhouse on and off for 40 some odd years, and that class has now morphed into a new class at the Hudson Theater," he told PEOPLE of working on King Lear.

"My lifelong pursuit has been to try and untangle the Shakespearean roles that I've done and want to continue to do," he continued. "The thing about Shakespeare is it's a big mystery and every play is a big mystery and you've got to figure out the key to get in — and unlock the mystery."

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