Are American actors not manly enough?
We came cross a story today in Variety that asks, "Where have the manly movie stars gone?" The author claims Hollywood is overrun with boys, instead of the tough guys that once ruled the big screen, and that we must in turn import more gruff types (Russell Crowe, Daniel Craig, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Javier Bardem, Colin Farrell, Mel Gibson, Jason Statham, Gerard Butler, Eric Bana and the late Heath Ledger, to name a few) from other countries. She tears down our male box-office draws one by one: Johnny Depp? "Fey." Brendan Fraser? "Goofy." Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise? Eh, not tough enough.
In generations past, we had Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Warren Beatty. Now our heroes (Brandon Routh as Superman, Edward Norton the Hulk and Tobey Maguire Spider-Man) are what the author refers to as "boy-men."
While there are many 50-and-up actors who might fit the bill (Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Tommy Lee Jones), younger actors perhaps aren't as testosterone driven as they once were. That said, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Matt Damon and the ever-dashing George Clooney sure are man enough for us!
Do you think "manly" men are disappearing from Hollywood, or do you feel masculinity has changed over the years? [Variety]
