I think Ed Harris circa Apollo 13 is an excellent choice.
Oddly, perhaps, I'd say Tom Cruise also. Yes, he's a famous pretty boy, but his face is utterly American; it couldn't have shown up anywhere else.
Last night I attended a highly Scots-intensive Robbie Burns supper. It was interesting being in a room with such a concentrated sample of one relatively small European ethnicity, which doesn't happen to me very often here in Hong Kong. Believe me, you can really see the 'types'. Mrs C and I have watched the crime series 'Shetland' and 'Annika' recently, both of which are set in Scotland and feature some Scottish cast members, and last night I kept having moments when I thought I was seeing these characters chowing down on the haggis.
At the crowded 2000 Los Angeles auto show, when Tom Hanks was the biggest star in the world, I walked right by him and didn't recognize him until I was past. I watched others pass by him and they had the same delayed reaction. I wonder whether he's not very noticeable in real life or if he was doing some bit he's figured out to make himself look of no interest. After all, he's a really good actor.
Hanks has styled himself after Jimmy Stewart's everyman persona, but Stewart was actually quite handsome, so had to tone down his looks on screen. Stewart's folksy voice surely helped him there. (In The Philadelphia Story, where he and Cary Grant are romantic rivals, you notice that Stewart isn't visually out of his league there).
Meanwhile, Hanks is less attractive and plain. Its funny to watch his romantic comedies and realize that a person like him would normally would be playing the comic relief/best friend of the main character instead of the main character. Its a testament to his acting ability that he pulled it off for decades. Hence he can blend better.
Given he is 68 but when Tom Hanks appeared in the last Saturday Night Live of 2024 he looked like shit. Meanwhile, host Martin Short is 74 and looked spry.
I did the same thing with Tom Brady. But it took only a couple of instants to put together the athlete physique and large hands, coupled with the proximity of the Super Bowl. Mrs. Brady was unfortunately unrecognizably bundled up.
I seem to recall Alexis de Tocqueville describing the quintessential American (in the 1830s) as having dark hair and blue eyes, which he considered an English-derived look. Being French, he was looking more at the women, but in men that would be a John Hamm archetype.
In my mind, Tocqueville's observation was verified by Ford Maddox Brown's 1855 "The Last of England" painting (though his subjects were emigrating to Australia).
Yeah, agriculture, industry, all the Space Program guys: Glenn, Armstrong, Gene Kranz (also portrayed by Harris in "Apollo 13" lol), and then there's this:
Woody Hayes. Jim Otis. Rex Kern. Luke Witte. Steve Alford. Governor Jim Rhodes. Senator John Glenn. President William McKinley. President Warren Harding.
U. S. Grant always struck me as quintessentially American looking; in fact, you could line up most of the photos of the Civil War leaders, North and South and choose any one of them as quite American looking (i.e. British Isles derived). Grant, McClellan, Sherman, Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, Stuart, etc.
Funny story. Bill Holden, Ronald Reagan and Dana Andrews decide to have drinks at the Brown Derby circa 1948 to discuss film business. The three of them order drinks and Reagan goes to the bathroom. By the time Reagan gets back, Holden and Andrews are on their second drink. Reagan calls out, "Hey, we just got here." Andrews later mused that "Bill and I became drunks and Ronnie became president."
Ronnie and Nancy Reagan got married at the Little Brown Church, which is indeed really little, about a 15 minute walk from my house. According to pictures in the Little Brown Church, their reception was at best man William Holden's house. Then they drove to vacation in Arizona.
Nobody looks particularly rich in the photos, not even Holden, who was a giant star in the 1950s.
Holden had a romance with a young gamine Audrey Hepburn, which in my mind should have given a lot more staying power in the public consciousness. Many a straight male fan of old films has fallen in love with Audrey, and for Holden to have bagged it in its prime is the stuff of jealous legend. (Not for nothing later when Audrey made Breakfast at Tiffany's they cast a young-Holden lookalike as her romantic partner, George Peppard).
But Holden wasn't done proving his bonafides. Later on, he also had a long-term romance with a much-younger (by 25 years) Stefanie Powers, lasting until his death. And of course he made a string of legendary films, such as Sabrina, Bridge on the River Kwai, and Sunset Boulevard.
Yet for some reason pretty-boy Holden isn't remembered/name-checked as much as others of his era. The blond hair? The politics?
It was a good turn. However, his part felt tacked on to me, like the filmmakers wanted to make the straight British POW Alec Guinness tale but threw in the American guy Holden part to market it better to Yanks. I dunno, I haven't investigated the making of the film, could be wildly wrong.
Of the Hollywood stars, Holden is one of the ones I would have liked to spend time with. For a few years, he kept a game resort in Kenya and often served breakfast to the guests. He used to get drunk and do handstands on the hotel balcony.
What a wonderful niche that guy got. "Evil powerful American bad guy in Mexican movies" is a pretty great gig if you can swing it. Good money, fame, yet never really had to stretch himself.
Character actors always seemed to have the best line of employment in terms of acting. Sure, everyone would love to be Jack Nicholson or Tom Cruise, but in terms of steady high paychecks "hey, it's that guy!" fame, and a guarantee of not having any failure put on your shoulders, being a well-known character actor seems a perfect niche. Plus you don't have to work hard---your range is limited by design, because you're hired to fill the small niche they know you look like. John Ford's stock company, for example, are instantly recognizable and probably really enjoyed being part of the greatest films of all time while John Wayne shouldered all the hassles of stardom.
Polito can vary from slimy evil to comically lighthearted funny in his supporting roles but is never not himself. I loved him in the original <i>The Crow</i>
Come on, it's Paul Walker. There's no argument.
Well played, my good man.
Goddamn you’re right
John Goodman
100%. It's Goodman.
David Lynch
Cudney almost looks like George Washington if you put his pic sode by side
That might be it.
You beat me to it! I just said the same thing.
Cudney looks like George Washington without the wig and better dentures.
file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/c0/00/BB860500-B030-4F05-8125-849C910E349F/IMG_0134.jpg
Christian Bale, Charlie Hunnam, and Tom Holland
But seriously, maybe Clint Eastwood, or if he has to be bald, Robert Duvall
I'd go with Jan Michael Vincent.
I think Ed Harris circa Apollo 13 is an excellent choice.
Oddly, perhaps, I'd say Tom Cruise also. Yes, he's a famous pretty boy, but his face is utterly American; it couldn't have shown up anywhere else.
Last night I attended a highly Scots-intensive Robbie Burns supper. It was interesting being in a room with such a concentrated sample of one relatively small European ethnicity, which doesn't happen to me very often here in Hong Kong. Believe me, you can really see the 'types'. Mrs C and I have watched the crime series 'Shetland' and 'Annika' recently, both of which are set in Scotland and feature some Scottish cast members, and last night I kept having moments when I thought I was seeing these characters chowing down on the haggis.
At the crowded 2000 Los Angeles auto show, when Tom Hanks was the biggest star in the world, I walked right by him and didn't recognize him until I was past. I watched others pass by him and they had the same delayed reaction. I wonder whether he's not very noticeable in real life or if he was doing some bit he's figured out to make himself look of no interest. After all, he's a really good actor.
Hanks has styled himself after Jimmy Stewart's everyman persona, but Stewart was actually quite handsome, so had to tone down his looks on screen. Stewart's folksy voice surely helped him there. (In The Philadelphia Story, where he and Cary Grant are romantic rivals, you notice that Stewart isn't visually out of his league there).
Meanwhile, Hanks is less attractive and plain. Its funny to watch his romantic comedies and realize that a person like him would normally would be playing the comic relief/best friend of the main character instead of the main character. Its a testament to his acting ability that he pulled it off for decades. Hence he can blend better.
Just had to say that "Turner and Hooch" was one of the first movies I took my future wife to. I still wish Turner had died and Hooch had lived.
Given he is 68 but when Tom Hanks appeared in the last Saturday Night Live of 2024 he looked like shit. Meanwhile, host Martin Short is 74 and looked spry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnaES8YItiA
I did the same thing with Tom Brady. But it took only a couple of instants to put together the athlete physique and large hands, coupled with the proximity of the Super Bowl. Mrs. Brady was unfortunately unrecognizably bundled up.
John Wayne.
Living-Sam Elliott
I could see the Cowboy Squint being seen more in Americans than in Europeans.
I almost said Sam Elliott. He's got those rural American looks.
Jon Hamm as Don Draper gets my vote.
I seem to recall Alexis de Tocqueville describing the quintessential American (in the 1830s) as having dark hair and blue eyes, which he considered an English-derived look. Being French, he was looking more at the women, but in men that would be a John Hamm archetype.
In my mind, Tocqueville's observation was verified by Ford Maddox Brown's 1855 "The Last of England" painting (though his subjects were emigrating to Australia).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_England_(painting)
Jeff Bridges for the non-bald American.
Wes Studi.
I’ve always thought Tom Brady is the most American-looking person there is.
He is paternally Irish and maternally Scandinavian/German/Polish.
John Glenn? (Whom Ed Harris portrayed in "The Right Stuff"). I think Cudney resembles him too.
A generation ago, everyone might have agreed on Neil Armstrong.
Certainly Ohio seems like a good place to prospect for the median American (Glenn, Armstrong, Cudney).
Indeed, Ohio seems like the quintessential American state.
Yeah, agriculture, industry, all the Space Program guys: Glenn, Armstrong, Gene Kranz (also portrayed by Harris in "Apollo 13" lol), and then there's this:
https://youtu.be/j_08qMnW7XI?feature=shared&t=4
Woody Hayes. Jim Otis. Rex Kern. Luke Witte. Steve Alford. Governor Jim Rhodes. Senator John Glenn. President William McKinley. President Warren Harding.
U. S. Grant always struck me as quintessentially American looking; in fact, you could line up most of the photos of the Civil War leaders, North and South and choose any one of them as quite American looking (i.e. British Isles derived). Grant, McClellan, Sherman, Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, Stuart, etc.
I'm showing my advanced years but I'd like to think William Holden or Jimmy Stewart as the quintessential American male.
William Holden looks a lot like Bob Hope, who emigrated from England when he was 4.
Funny story. Bill Holden, Ronald Reagan and Dana Andrews decide to have drinks at the Brown Derby circa 1948 to discuss film business. The three of them order drinks and Reagan goes to the bathroom. By the time Reagan gets back, Holden and Andrews are on their second drink. Reagan calls out, "Hey, we just got here." Andrews later mused that "Bill and I became drunks and Ronnie became president."
Ronnie and Nancy Reagan got married at the Little Brown Church, which is indeed really little, about a 15 minute walk from my house. According to pictures in the Little Brown Church, their reception was at best man William Holden's house. Then they drove to vacation in Arizona.
Nobody looks particularly rich in the photos, not even Holden, who was a giant star in the 1950s.
Holden had a romance with a young gamine Audrey Hepburn, which in my mind should have given a lot more staying power in the public consciousness. Many a straight male fan of old films has fallen in love with Audrey, and for Holden to have bagged it in its prime is the stuff of jealous legend. (Not for nothing later when Audrey made Breakfast at Tiffany's they cast a young-Holden lookalike as her romantic partner, George Peppard).
But Holden wasn't done proving his bonafides. Later on, he also had a long-term romance with a much-younger (by 25 years) Stefanie Powers, lasting until his death. And of course he made a string of legendary films, such as Sabrina, Bridge on the River Kwai, and Sunset Boulevard.
Yet for some reason pretty-boy Holden isn't remembered/name-checked as much as others of his era. The blond hair? The politics?
You really think George Peppard looked anything like Holden?
Holden was the perfect anti-hero hero. His playing of Captain Spears in "Bridge on the Rivere Kwai" was masterful.
It was a good turn. However, his part felt tacked on to me, like the filmmakers wanted to make the straight British POW Alec Guinness tale but threw in the American guy Holden part to market it better to Yanks. I dunno, I haven't investigated the making of the film, could be wildly wrong.
He did a great job in Bridges of Toko-Ri as well. Grace Kelly was pretty easy on the eyes.
Of the Hollywood stars, Holden is one of the ones I would have liked to spend time with. For a few years, he kept a game resort in Kenya and often served breakfast to the guests. He used to get drunk and do handstands on the hotel balcony.
What a wonderful niche that guy got. "Evil powerful American bad guy in Mexican movies" is a pretty great gig if you can swing it. Good money, fame, yet never really had to stretch himself.
Character actors always seemed to have the best line of employment in terms of acting. Sure, everyone would love to be Jack Nicholson or Tom Cruise, but in terms of steady high paychecks "hey, it's that guy!" fame, and a guarantee of not having any failure put on your shoulders, being a well-known character actor seems a perfect niche. Plus you don't have to work hard---your range is limited by design, because you're hired to fill the small niche they know you look like. John Ford's stock company, for example, are instantly recognizable and probably really enjoyed being part of the greatest films of all time while John Wayne shouldered all the hassles of stardom.
One of my living favorite character actors is Jon Polito, a bald, rotund, mustachioed, frequent Coehn-brothers extra. https://infogalactic.com/info/Jon_Polito
Polito can vary from slimy evil to comically lighthearted funny in his supporting roles but is never not himself. I loved him in the original <i>The Crow</i>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0F7ekCewzg
and of course his brief, hilarious comic turn as a "brother Seamus" in <i>The Big Lebowski</i>:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC7DRBBEiUw