There was a time when Mustaches were a symbol of manliness. In recent years, one could say that mustaches have gone out of style, but at the same time, one cannot deny that back in the day, they were the ultimate fashion statement for men. Today the mustaches you see in movies carried around by the likes of Brad Pitt and Will Smith etc. are more macho styled. Furthermore, if worn the right way, mustaches still work and have worked well for some people in Hollywood. Therefore, we present a rundown of some of the most famous mustaches in Movies and TV for you to have a look.
Charlie Chaplin (The Kid)
Charlie Chaplin has mostly been seen with a mustache in the movies. It undoubtedly became his signature style. Perhaps, the unique factor about Charlie’s mustache was that he was able to carry it both while being funny and serious. Now, if you happen to look at this mustache style, you would imagine that it would be hard to pull off. However, Charlie did and did it for decades.
For instance, for his very early silent shorts at Keystone Studio, Charlie used a fake toothbrush mustache for his role as a surrogate father to a boy, who was abandoned by his parents. The movie was a mix of comedy and pathos, which not only featured a great number of laughs but heartaches as well.
Groucho Marx (Duck Soap)
It goes for a fact that not every start has their style and disguise sold around in the world at every store, but it was for the plastic version of Groucho Marx’s fake iconic mustache with round glasses and cigar, available for sale at Halloween shops and toy stores across the globe. Groucho’s mustache was phony since it was drawn from a grease-paint. However, it did the job well. It settled brilliantly with the actor and comedy of the time.
Moreover, his spot-on satire in the siblings’ classic comic romps, was a huge hit, where he was playing a leader who was newly appointed for a country that was about to go to war. So, Hail Groucho.
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will be Blood, Gangs of New York)
It is unfortunate that the world has mostly seen Daniel Day-Lewis with a clean shave. He is one of the very few actors who actually received positive feedback from critics for his role with a mustache in movies such as ‘There Will be Blood’ and ‘Gangs of New York.’
There was a time when he was working alongside a much handsome and younger actor, Leonardo Di Caprio, in Gangs of New York, who was known to catch every bit of attention. However, this time it was Daniel’s mustache that had the world go crazy. It not only made him look more mature, fierce, and manly but also brought him significant acting power. Considering that he is one of the best actors of our time, one should take note that a mustache is simply a classic if worn the right way.
Tom Hardy (Bronson)
Now, how often do you see Tom Hardy with a mustache? Not very often right, but in this movie where he is playing the role of Charles Bronson, who was one of the most notorious prisoners of Britain, Tom Hardy totally blows it out of the park. Tom Hardy’s shaven head, in combination with a mustache, had to be accurate to reveal the type of man he was within.
The classic thick, handlebar mustache with playful wisps was a reflection of a strong man. Not only did Tom Hardy imitate Charles Bronson’s in terms of mustache, but they met him several times during the filming. Tom bulked up and practiced to perfectly imitate the voice and personality of Charles Bronson.
Dustin Hoffman (Hook)
There was a time when the world was a witness to a totally different side of Dustin Hoffman. He was a bit funny mixed with cruelty and hatred of clocks in the movie’ Hook.’ Since Dustin Hoffman was a villain in the movie, it is better that you provide the villain with a wicked mustache as well. The mustache carried by Dustin in the movie had a wiry thin handlebar with ends that were curled, similar to his threatening Hook.
With matching eyebrows, it could be said with a guarantee that at the time, it was only he that could pull it off. It is unfortunate that we did not get to see Dustin Hoffman wearing a mustache more often since he was always very selective about his roles. However, when we did, it was nothing short of an iconic moment.
Samuel Jackson (Pulp Fiction)
Pulp Fiction is the type of movie that you will need to watch twice in order to understand it properly. You might think that it would be too boring but wait until you see Samuel Jackson with a mustache you have probably never seen on a black actor before. It is rare that you see people copying a style that they had seen in a movie.
This was the case with Samuel Jackson here. His unique facial frizzies were the idea of Quentin Tarantino. Samuel’s style was a ragged horseshoe mustache attached to serious wraparound sideburns. And with Jheri-curled hair, you would not believe the transformation of Samuel Jackson. His character, personality, and most importantly, the mustache was so on point that it would be hard to imagine him playing the role without one.
Sam Elliott (The Big Lebowski)
Sam Elliott in The Stranger had a ‘wow’ factor. At the time when the movie was released, it was hard to find a mustache that was even close to being as good as Sam Elliott’s. Sam Elliott was playing the role of a cowboy, and you cannot separate a cowboy from his mustache. With a typical grumpy heavy cowboy voice, it was only necessary that Sam Elliott wore a mustache as well, and that too a thick and bushy one. The overall persona of Sam Elliott’s character provided one kind of a performance that was enough to keep it alive for years to come.
Albert Finney (Murder On The Orient Express)
Albert Finney, in the movie ‘Murder On The Orient Express,’ had played the role of Agatha Christie to perfection. He was an Oscar-nominated actor who was wearing a meticulously waxed and an upward curled mustache. The mustache perfectly complemented Albert Finney, who was a detective with an impeccably tailored attire. His methodical ways of investigating murders were truly reflected by the personality he possessed as a character. The movie itself is a masterpiece. It revolves around a murder of an American tycoon on a train, and amongst many suspects, the famed inspector is also one of them.
Final Word
As we move towards the conclusion, we are sure to have covered not only the best mustaches but some of the most iconic actors and roles as well. From Charlie Chaplin to Albert Finny, each actor wore their mustaches brilliantly, and nothing came close to even imitating them. Our favorite was Dustin Hoffman’s mustache from ‘Hook’ combined with the curled eyebrows.