Favorite Facial Hair in Film
Whether or not you are participating in Movember this month, you are bound to come across folks with some serious facial hair that might otherwise be tamed and out of sight. Movember is the perfect time to skip the shaving routine and break out the ‘staches, goatees, soul patches and beards – it’s fun, and it’s for a great cause to raise money and awareness for men’s health. So in the spirit of this follicle frenzy, here is some of our favorite facial hair in film.
Dustin Hoffman in Hook (1991)
You have to respect Hoffman’s portrayal of the infamous Captain Hook with that well-waxed handlebar mustache. As if his character wasn’t menacing enough opposite Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, scenes of Hook twisting his mustache while barking orders added even more to his malevolent presence.
Tim Allen in The Santa Clause (1994)
In this holiday classic, Tim Allen’s character can’t even shave his beard without it growing back immediately. This is the tale of a salesman who lacks holiday spirit and gets the ultimate wake-up call when he has to take Santa’s place. We realize any film with Santa Claus is cheating a little because he’s known for the iconic white beard – but Allen pulls off the face mane nicely in this film.
Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction (1994)
“And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!” A Horseshoe mustache and disconnected mutton chops, the facial hair gods would be pleased with this decision. Jackson’s character Jules Winnfeld delivers a barrage of memorable lines in this famous Tarantino film, and his facial hair assortment during the dialogue adds to the punch.
Robbie Coltrane in the Harry Potter film series
For anyone who read the books, we know Hagrid as the massive half-giant with a beard – but it wasn’t until the first film came out in 2001 that audiences got to see it on screen. Hagrid basically had a broom coming out of his face and we wouldn’t want to see the loveable character any other way.
Peter Sellers in the The Pink Panther film series
Seller’s portrayal of Inspector Clouseau as the clumsy, witless wonder had audiences fall head over heels for this character. The fedora and mustache combination looked like he meant business, but audiences knew that wherever Clouseau went, chaos was sure to follow.
Tom Hanks in Cast Away (2000)
“Wilson!” This epic journey of a man stranded on an island struggling for survival includes the growth of an immense scraggly beard while Hanks’ character is away from civilization. As a fun fact, this film actually led to the creation of the television series Lost when ABC Entertainment Chairman Lloyd Braun asked writers to come up with a pitch based on his personal favorite film.
Gerard Butler in 300 (2006)
“This is Sparta!” Butler’s beard as the legendary King Leonidas of Sparta is almost too immaculate to believe. It has the thickness quality to it, but it is also tame and lined up well – fit for a king I guess. The bottom line is that it’s the beard of a champion that leads the 300 Spartans into bloody glory and etches them into the tomes of history.
Al Pacino in Serpico (1973)
In this biographical neo-noir film, Pacino stars as Frank Serpico, the New York City cop who blew the whistle on the corrupt NYPD at the time. Set in the 70s when big hair and beards were definitely in style, Pacino sports a luscious dark beard and long hair, which also serves as a device to visually set him apart from the clean-cut cops who are the antagonists of the film.
Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series
Captain Jack Sparrow sports one of the most, err, interesting looks on this list – a goatee with two small braids and beads on each end. Somehow, the treacherous yet endearing pirate makes it work, and the look adds character to all of his insane adventures along the way. Savvy?
Keala Settle in The Greatest Showman (2017)
How could we leave off a character with facial hair in her literal name? Broadway star Settle hit the big screen as Lettie Lutz, a.k.a. The Bearded Lady, in this hit musical. What will stick with us for years to come is her performance of the award-winning song, “This Is Me,” which has become an anthem for celebrating what makes us all unique.
