It has been… well let’s just say it has been a long time since I last participated in a blogathon and I think it’s time to do one. More specifically, it’s time for Two Dollar Cinema’s Mt. Rushmore of Movies Blogathon! Here you have to choose top four anything cinematic, from 4 favourite villains to your top 4 childhood television shows, the possibilities are endless! And with such grand freedom, of course I had to carve four epic beards into my Mt. Rushmore of Movies.
Have you ever thought about beards and that the meaning of them has changed over the years, and how beards have slowly become not only for old men but for young guys as well. Because when I was researching for this post (it was crucial that I’d Google a lot of beards before I made my decision), I noticed that there weren’t a lot of hot and young beards back in the day. I was even surprised to see two sets of promotional images of Ryan Gosling’s face on The Notebook poster – the main image was him with his beard, and yet there were multiple edits where he was clean shaven. This was back in 2004, when the change begun, in my opinion. The leading man of a romantic comedy went from a boy to man and women were no longer looking for a clean shaven prince on a white horse. Fuck it, even Fifty Shades Darker realised their mistake and allowed Christian Grey some facial scruff! But things aren’t as beardy as they could be and there is a long way to go towards that less Ken-doll-like look.
So hopefully times are changing and beards will soon take over the movie world, as they have slowly emerged into the limelight. Though not enough currently to fully quench my thirst for beards but enough to give me hope. Also, I should mention that I really wanted to list Jake Gyllenhaal a lot in this post because I think he rocks his beard oh so well, and I thought about Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man as well but went with the following four characters with great beards that help me sleep at night.
BONUS: John Krasinski as Jack Silva in 13 Hours – a movie I haven’t seen because it’s a Michael Bay movie but I have stared at that beard in stills quite a lot and let’s just say.. I might watch this movie soon for one specific reason alone (and yes, that reason is the beard).
4. Ryan Gosling as Noah in The Notebook
Oh, the good old era of romance movies which didn’t involve red rooms and submissive stalkers.. I miss those times. Anyway, I really tried to look further back but I think The Notebook and Ryan Gosling’s beard in that movie was the first proper sighting of a bang-worthy-beard I could think of. The beard was not always there but when it finally presented itself in those crucial moments of his character, I was opening my.. mind to the possibilities of beards and life has never been the same. Plus, I don’t think Gosling looks half as attractive without his beard or at least some scruff, so well done The Notebook for giving us a Gosling beard and making him realise that beards make those panties drop.
3. Idris Elba as Luther in Luther
Alright, well, I had to, okay!? Even though I haven’t seen the whole thing myself, I have seen enough to appreciate Idris Elba’s beard and that should be enough because I have fully accepted the greatness of said beard based on that limited encounter. Granted, a lot of its appeal stems from Idris himself because have you heard that man’s voice? My god, it’s like honey.. and did you know he and his beard recently decided to train 12 months to become a professional kick-boxer for a Discovery UK show called Fighter? Yes, well, you know now and you are welcome because what can be better than that beard? That beard on a half naked Idris training and working up that sweat with exercise – yes, there are clips on YouTube, and yes, you may go look at them before you continue on reading!
2. Michiel Huisman as Ellis in The Age of Adaline
My god this beard will be the death of me… like, seriously, this is honestly one of those few romantic movies that has a leading man with a beard! Why is that? Huisman looks so damn good in this movie and I’m not going to lie, the beard makes the movie better, so could you imagine all romantic movies with a beard like that!? Oh, just the thought of it makes me swoon. The fact that the beard makes Ellis such a fine leading man is a great example how flawless characters can be created – intelligent, tall, funny, kind, caring… with a beard! If more romantic movies took that step towards having a male lead with a beard, a world would be a better place. Hell, romantic movies will rise from the ashes of the 90’s and the early 00’s to new heights if they cast men with beards as leads, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only woman lining up to see these said movies that don’t yet exist. And Huisman alone could make a fortune if he just kept showing up with his epic beard…
1. Jake Gyllenhaal as Adam in Enemy
Alright, so as I mentioned, I would have loved to list Jake a lot more than once but it wouldn’t have been fair to the other bearded men out there. The thing is, Jake Gyllenhaal is the actor that always comes to mind first when I think about beards.. it’s probably because he has been sporting his for quite a few years and even if he doesn’t have one for his movie role, he will promote said movie with a full on beard. He knows what works on him, and I’m glad the Enemy director saw the power of the beard as well and let Jake keep it for the movie. And there is no denying of the fact that we’ll see Jake’s beard more and more in the upcoming years. Sadly though, his romantic movie days are probably past him, since he is taking on heavier roles, but if he were to venture back to wooing women with his shirt off, I would recommend those movie people to keep the damn beard! Because there would be no wooing necessary with a beard like that, it would be, “Hello..” and straight to the bedroom because no sane woman can resist a beard, let alone a gyllenhaal-beard!
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Yaaaas I love this list! Damn but I hate you a little for having such a good idea for the Blogathon haha!
A Gyllenhaal beard is definitely the best kind 😀
Ah, you spoil me with such great words! I think your idea was such as great btw! I’ll drop by again and give your post a proper read and leave a comment! I already saw that I’ve seen 3 of 4 cameos of the ones you mention!
Idris Elba is so hot I don’t know how to function when I see photos of him. lol
Great post!
I know.. but I think it’s even worse when he opens his mouth to speak.. I’m completely gone when he does that… Idris speaks, and I’m dead. 😀
I love Michiel Huisman in Age of Adaline, which is the first time I saw him. Hoping to chat on the phone w/ him later this week for his new film The Ottoman Lieutenant, hopefully that’ll work out 🙂
OMG OMG OMG !!!! JEALOUS!! My god.. I would probably start hyperventilating and he will think the connection is bad but it’ll be just half dying on the other line. 😀
I’ve seen enough of him on Game of Thrones too so I mean.. oh man, I’m a big fan, if you didn’t get that from my little freak out over here. 😀
Ahah well I would be that way if I interview my French crush Stanley Weber, which I’m still hoping to do one day. I haven’t seen Michiel in GoT, but I know he is good looking. I do love his look and performance in Age of Adaline!
Funny but right now I’m crushing on a hot local actor whom I’ve met and will be working with later in Spring, so it’s a whole new sensation as I actually get to spend some time w/ him instead of just admiring him on screen. It’s weird but he actually makes me feel less ga ga over my other crushes, which I never thought would happen!
I recommend to not watch his GOT scenes before hand because there is some man-butt…. yummy man-butt but I think it will distract you too much and I think he deserves more than questions about his willingness to go butt-nude for screen. 😀
Oooooh, real life tangible crushes are a lot more special and I understand when those real life ones and fantasies become less worthy when an actual, touchable man appears. I wish I had one or two of those in my life but… sadly no. 😀
Mwahaha, ok thanks for the tip. Not sure when I’ll ever get around to seeing GoT, there are just way too many episodes to catch up on. But maybe that scene is on youtube somewhere 😉
Well in my entire life I’ve never had a real life actor crush before. But since I’ll be making my first short film this year maybe it’ll be more common the more I’m involved in the biz. It’s one thing to admire a handsome man on screen but it’s quite another when that person actually helps bring your own work come to life and you get to sit down and chat w/ them. But they are just as unattainable and ‘unreachable’ as my other crushes in a way, as he’s got his own family and I’ve got mine… and it’s never a good idea to mix business w/ pleasure. It’s VERY tempting of course 😉
That understandable, the sort of.. temptation and that little hope that “what if” but I think I would be more excited about working in the business and getting to actually meet these actors, and see them in them without camera lens or the filter of Instagram. It makes them human, and I think that’s when we stop viewing them as fantasies but people.. really hot people. 😀 Good luck with your short film!! Hopefully you’ll get to share it with us! 🙂
It’s funny but I had always been hoping my French crush would star in my feature but now I actually prefer the local actor who’s actually older than him. Yep, I realize that some local actors are actually just as intriguing, hot and talented as the Hollywood celebs, if not more so. My local crush is actually not in ANY social media which is very unusual in this day and age! That said I still have to be careful voicing my feelings about him just in case his wife actually finds out, ha!
Well I shared a bit about my short film on this post http://wp.me/pxXPC-bA4 I’m not gonna say which guy I’m referring to, you would have to guess 😉
Jaime Dornan mention, Gosling’s manscaped pubes on his face…oh Lord. Do we need to give you some movie recommendations. Harrison Ford in The Fugitive comes to mind http://68.media.tumblr.com/91af235cbe97c0de319708026c8bfb39/tumblr_inline_o1pyhvGaZy1rcpsrv_500.gif
And of course Hardy’s feral nest of whatever lives there. And when J-boo had his Jesus beard. He actually has one going right now.
Gyllenhaal really can grow one and looks great with it. Elba looks a bit like a hobo but it’s charming. Huisman at least looks like a man comparing to most of the men in GoT and that was one charming movie right there. Generally most men look fantastic with the beard it’s the mustache that’s a no-no
I have nothing against Gosling… I think it’s partly because I haven’t seen La La Land and have stayed away from choosing a side of either hate or love for the movie. I’m just sitting back, looking at the distance, wondering if I’ll ever see that movie. 😀
Hardy, well, I haven’t seen his movies where he has a beard except The Revenant (and ultimately, I was not a fan of that movie) and Taboo (which I haven’t gotten passed the 2nd episode). So it was difficult to mention him without actually having seen his other movies. Maybe I’m missing something but I can’t think of it..
And The age of Adaline was really a surprise out of the blue for me.. so much wow for that movie. I wish they made more intellectual, actually romantic, movies like that!
PS: I’m mentioning The Fugitive in today’s TMP… that counts, right?!
Goodness, there’s a lot of lust in the air around these parts…and I totally dig that.Though, I’m a bit perplexed honestly. Perhaps a good scratching of my own beard will provide me the answers I seek.
I’m not sure who has the best beard on this list, and apparently I’m not qualified to really chime in, but my vote for most epic beard goes to Tom Hanks in CastAway. I mean…that guy is dreamy. Totally unattached, can literally catch you dinner, and has a pretty sweet (man)cave? I’m sold.
This is in fact, so badass, that I may have to produce something along these lines…but for the fellas. No, no. Not bearded ladies…but something a little….sexier. Sort of.
Thank you so much for participating! I love it!
(and for the record, if I had to pick…I’m going all in on Gyllenhaal in Enemy. The facial hair is brilliant And also…because Iove giant spiders)
Well, I had a very lustful kind of day.. I blame you really, I was completely fine before your blogathon came along and ruined my calm, no-bearded-thoughts kind of life. Now.. beard-dreams and beard-fantasies all day every day.. my god, it’s torture.
Well, Cast Away’s beard was less… organised I would say, though it is epic in its own right. I wanted to go with more… trimmed beards I guess.
You are welcome! It was such a nice way to get back into the blogathon train! Again next year? In three years? Doesn’t matter.. I’ll be there to participate! 🙂
Gyllenhaal’s beard rules!
This list is so “you,” lol. The only thing I’m surprised about is you don’t have Harrison Ford from The Fugitive.
Ha, thank you? 😀
Well, I did have only 4 to choose from and it was hard.. difficult I mean.. to choose, so I had to choose wisely. 😀
Love this list, but I love Idris Elba’s beard even more. He is my number 1.
Well I would be interested to hear what your other three picks would be then. Mine included or not? 😀
It’s mental how beards have become so popular over the past few years. I don’t know what it is with me and beards but I can never get past the stubble stage before needing to shave it all off, I think it’s the itchyness. I couldn’t do it. But I appreciate a good beard and Jake Gyllenhaal is definitely one of those with a good beard. I know what you mean when you say he comes to mind when you think of a beard and I think his darker and heavier roles are perfect for him showing off his beard. Really creative pick, I liked it!
I don’t think it’s mental, I think it just shows that times have changed yet again and just like for women, personal style for men has changed over time. I’m glad though, beards are awesome and it’s nice to see more of them on screen. There’s definitely not enough though, I need more.
Thank you for your comment!
Yay! Idris Elba is even sexier with a beard, if that’s possible. You just made my whole day. 🙂
You are welcome! 😀
YES YES YES to this post! I’m thinking we should do a blogathon called Beardalicious where people rave about the best beards in film?? A man, especially an actor, is almost not the same once he sports a beard. I would’ve added Chris Evans to this but he only really has a beard off-screen. I was so happy Jamie kept the scruff in Fifty Shades Darker. He looks a lot less boyish. Michiel in The Age of Adaline is pure magic.<3
I knew you would appriciate this post.. I knew it! 😀 And indeed, Evans only has it off the screen but on the screen he is all shaved and nice. I thought long and hard and I realised most of the Marvel cast has either no beard or very polished beards, I feel like it’s too… I don’t know, those beards are not rugged enough! And to think of it.. do comic book characters and heroes ever have like proper beards? I
lol I don’t know about proper beards with comic book characters either. Marvel plays it very safe with Tony Stark’s goatee or even Thord, and it’s frustrating! The closest one I can think of is Hugh Jackman as Logan, but if he just has the sideburns, it’s a mess.
True, but I wrote this post before I saw Logan so I didn’t know I would need to add it here.
Anything where Tom Hardy has a beard… that’s the good shit…
Indeed but I can’t like The Revenant.. I just, it wasn’t my cup of tea so I can’t name that, and I don’t remember anything else where he has had a beard… Taboo doesn’t count, that’s a TV series.. so, what am I missing!?