LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 06: Method Man attends the Fourth Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, presented by the Critics Choice Association at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 06, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for the Critics Choice Association)
Method Man, born Clifford Smith, has a different type of staying power. The Wu-Tang Clan member, rapper, producer and actor has been grinding it out in the industry since the early ’90s, and his evolution from stoner figure in pop culture to respected actor and certified hottie has been remarkable to see. As the Pisces ages, now in his mid-50s, he truly only gets better.
Part of the reason for that is. because he’s made health and wellness a priority. As the star previously shared, he battled insomnia for more than a year, and a remedy for it ended up being consistent exercise.
“I didn’t know what to do with myself,” he told Men’s Health in 2023. “So after the eighth game of Call of Duty, I said, ‘Let me see if the gym is open. I need to find something. I need to break this cycle, break this pattern.’ It was about 3:30 in the morning, and I looked to see what time the gym opened. I told myself, if this thing opens at 7:00, I’m not going. It opened at 4:00. I hopped my a– up. I threw on my sh-t. And I felt like this whole new energy. I didn’t know what to expect going in there, but I had been working with a trainer prior to that, so I said, ‘I’ll just go in there and follow this routine.’ And that’s how it started.”
Rapper Method Man poses for a portrait session in November 1993 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Because of that, he’s in the best shape of his life, and is rejuvenated, which has led to him becoming a sex symbol to many sistas. But as he told ESSENCE in our digital cover story in 2022, he doesn’t want his talent to get lost in that.
“I don’t understand that sh–t. I go to the gym for my own peace of mind. I don’t do it to become someone’s sex symbol or a pinup on someone’s wall. I do it for me,” he said. People like attention. I’m the same as everybody else. But at the end of the day, take me seriously, not lightly.”
Two things can be true though: We can take the Relationship Goals actors seriously because he’s earned the respect in music, TV and film — but we can also acknowledge that he’s quite the beautiful man! His wife of more than 20 years, Tamika, is a lucky woman! You can’t touch, but you can look. Check out some smoldering shots of the legendary MC taken from the early ’90s to the present.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK–NOVEMBER 01: Rapper Method Man (aka Clifford Smith Jr.) of the Wu-Tang Clan appears in a portrait taken on November 1, 1993 in New York City. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives)
Method Man during MTV’s 8th Annual Rock ‘n Jock Softball in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
Rapper Method Man in June, 2003 in Hollywood, CA. (Photo by Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Rapper Method Man attends the 2009 VH1 Hip Hop Honors at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on September 23, 2009 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 12: Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan performs during the 2019 Rolling Loud music festival at Citi Field on October 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 06: Method Man attends the Fourth Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, presented by the Critics Choice Association at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 06, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for the Critics Choice Association)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Method Man attends the 54th NAACP Image Awards (Non-Televised Categories) Program and Dinner at L.A. LIVE on February 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images for NAACP)
Method Man at Essence Black Women in Hollywood held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 7, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 19: Method Man poses in the press room during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony streaming on Disney+ at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Method Man at the 56th NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors held at Novo on February 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 07: Clifford “Method Man” Smith of “Poetic License” poses in the Getty Images Portrait Studio Presented by IMDb and IMDbPro during the Toronto International Film Festival at InterContinental Toronto Centre on September 07, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for IMDb)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 26: Method Man attends Uptown Honors Hollywood at Sunset Room Hollywood on February 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
MABLETON, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 05: Rapper Method Man performs onstage during James Evans Living Legends concert at Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre on October 5, 2025 in Mableton, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 19: Method Man poses on the sidelines during the Carolina Panthers vs New York Jets NFL game at MetLife Stadium on October 19, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 27: Cliff “Method Man” Smith attends the Relationship Goals Atlanta Screening at Regal Atlantic Station on January 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Amazon)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 03:Method Man is seen outside “ABC Studio” on February 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 03: Method Man attends the New York screening of “Relationship Goals” at iPic Theater on February 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)