Former 'Sexiest Man Alive' Nick Nolte, 84, Sports Unrecognizable Silver Beard During Outing With Josh Brolin and Sean Penn

The once-polished “Sexiest Man Alive” Nick Nolte now channels full mountain hermit — his wild beard turned heads at a rare reunion with A-list co-stars.

Nick Nolte was recently spotted at a Malibu dinner reunion with former co-stars Sean Penn and Josh Brolin. The former Hollywood heartthrob was nearly unrecognizable beneath a full, bushy beard.

Nolte, Brolin, and Penn were seen leaving Malibu's famous Nobu restaurant on July 16, 2025. While all three men sported gray hair and unkempt facial hair, Nolte stood out by a mile.

He was barely recognizable beneath a long, thick silver beard that extended from his jaw to his chest. The beard completely covered his neck and matched the wild style of his long, gray mane.

It's a far cry from the more polished look that earned Nolte the title of People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1992.

The actor now seems to be embracing a wilder, grizzlier aesthetic — or perhaps just channeling his inner St. Nick.

Nolte starred alongside Penn and Brolin in Gangster Squad, a 2013 crime action-thriller.

The movie premiered in Los Angeles on January 7, 2013, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

At the premiere, Nolte, Penn, and Brolin all showed up in style.

Brolin was clean-shaven and didn’t have a single gray hair, while Penn sported a well-groomed goatee and minimal graying.

Nolte arrived wearing a yellow robe over an open black collared shirt, topped with a black beret.

While his hair was frizzy and his beard was full, both were much shorter, leaving his neck and jaw clearly visible.

Twelve years later, his rugged look seems to have reached the peak of its natural evolution.

It’s been quite the transformation for the man once described by People as a “big-lug Adonis with a heart of gold.”

The playful, scruffy appeal of his younger years has matured into the wise appearance of a veritable Hollywood sage.

At 84 years old, Nolte remains a cult favorite among cinephiles for his gravelly voice and intense, deeply human performances.

Gangster Squad, the period crime drama that first brought Nolte, Penn, and Brolin together, featured a star-studded cast. Alongside the trio were Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, and Giovanni Ribisi, among others.

The film is set in the 1940s. Penn’s Mickey Cohen, a powerful crime boss, faces off against a special police squad assembled by Nolte’s LAPD Chief Bill Parker, with Brolin’s Sergeant Josh O’Hara leading the charge.

The July 16 dinner wasn’t a publicized event. However, Nolte’s transformation was too dramatic to go unnoticed.

Whether as a 1990s heartthrob or a nonchalant Malibu statesman, Nolte remains an enduring — and head-turning — presence in Hollywood.