Pretty Boys and Rugged Men

by Jo Robertson

In the world of Hollywood there used to be a standard for the leading man in film. Straight nose, high cheekbones, thick hair of whatever color, and sculpted mouth. Think Alan Ladd, who by all accounts was so short (a measly five foot six inches) that he wore lifts and often had to perform on raised platforms to appear taller than many of his leading ladies.

Then the standard for good looking men turned to the rugged, skewed looks, a tad off from perfection. Often the separate features of these men are odd, too large noses, crooked smiles, too angular jaws. But there’s an appeal about them, nevertheless.

Take Nathan Fillion of ABC’s Castle. Now, that man has a nose. Really, it nearly takes over the man’s face! His eyes are droopy at the corners and his lips are rather thin. Yet thrown together as they are, his features are appealing, interesting, captivating. At least to me.

As you may know, my husband, Dr. Big, is a large man – six foot, four inches. But more than height, he has big features. His head is leonine. When we shop for hats we can never find one in a size large enough to fit his head. His hands are huge, easily twice the size of mine (and mine aren’t dainty by any means). There’s nothing perfect about his facial features. And yet, for a man his age, the features all work together to form a rather nice-looking gentleman.

Besides, he has a lovely head of hair which has always been my main weakness in a man.

Consider Eric Bano, Aunty Cindy’s personal favorite. The man has Dumbo ears! I'm sorry, AC, but it's true. Look!

And while no one could reasonably argue against Orlando Bloom's looks, isn’t he just a little too pretty?

Some men, like fine wine, get better with age. George Clooney, anyone?

Richard Armitage, FoAnna’s not-so-secret love is movie star handsome, but he does have a rather sharp nose and thin lips. I suppose that’s why he plays Sir Guy Gibson on Robin Hood so well.

And what about heroines? Too many blonde-haired blue-eyed cuties? Dark-haired, green-eyed vixens? Do we prefer the heroine whose features are untraditionally attractive? Or the classic looks we normally read about in books and see in movies? Cute classical or interesting?

I’ve been wondering about this a lot because the standard set by Hollywood, for example, is realistically impossible. Regular men and women simply don’t look like that!

What about you readers? What do you like in your leading men or women? Pretty boys or rugged men? Sleek attractiveness or next-door-neighbor prettiness? Examples, please.

When you read about heroes who set your hearts thumping, who do you picture?