What Milo Ventimiglia, Justin Hartley & Sterling K. Brown Find Sexiest — About Each Other

Ahead of this year's Sexiest Man Alive reveal, PEOPLE is counting down with a handful of hot Hollywood stars who earned spots in the pages of the issue

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the 2017 Sexiest Man Alive issue is coming out! Ahead of the big reveal, we’re counting down with a handful of hot Hollywood stars who earned spots in the pages of the issue.

For fans of This Is Us, it probably comes as no surprise that Milo Ventimiglia, 40, Sterling K. Brown, 41, and Justin Hartley, 40, made the cut. So when PEOPLE sat down with the sexy trio, we had to ask what they find most attractive — about each other.

“The gun show is insane,” said Brown, referencing Hartley. “This dude, anytime the arms are out, it’s just like, envy. Why can’t I be like Justin?”

“I like Sterling’s smile,” Ventimigilia said. “I think he has a smile that’s inviting, and is genuinely happy when it comes out. And dude, your teeth are white.”

“Stop — it’s contrast,” Brown quipped. “That’s what it is.”

• Pick up PEOPLE’s 2017 Sexiest Man Alive issue, on newsstands Friday

And Brown had some high praise in return — especially about Ventimiglia, who famously bared his behind in the original trailer for the beloved NBC series, helping it reach a viral 50 million views on Facebook in just 11 days.

“Let me say, there’s many things about you — but I will say, that booty shot,” Brown said. “When I saw it, just how high the cheeks sat, the contour and the roundedness of it all? That takes work.”

RELATED VIDEO: The Men of This Is Us Reveal What Their Moms Would Think of Them Being in PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive Issue

The guys also had plenty of fun on their Sexiest Man Alive shoot.

“For me, selfishly, I don’t get the chance to be around these guys, except [in] passing and social things,” Ventimiglia explained. “So to be on an actual set, hanging out, is always fun. A lot of laughter, always.”

Amanda Marsalis

RELATED VIDEO: The This Is Us Guys Reveal Who Has the Most Infectious Laugh

So how did they ramp it up for the cameras? Well, it didn’t require too much effort.

“We just tried to be as sexy as possible,” Brown said.

“Sterling, you don’t need to try man, you just are,” Ventimiglia said.

“It goes for the both of you, too,” Brown said. “I think sexy is just being comfortable in your skin, and these two cats are very comfortable in their skin.”

This Is Us airs Tuesdays (9 p.m. ET) on NBC.

Check out yesterday’s sexy man of the day, Armie Hammer. And come back to PEOPLE this evening to find out who’s been crowned 2017’s Sexiest Man Alive!