What makes a man? It’s a question that’s been asked down the ages, and we can all agree that somewhere along the line, facial hair must come into the equation. Moustaches go in and out of style, but they’re always guaranteed to provoke a reaction, whether it’s coos of admiration or howls of laughter. Up on the big screen, those ‘taches are bigger, better, and have a whole lot more impact. As a celebration of the moustache, we’ve picked out some of the greatest onscreen examples of all time.
10. Terry-Thomas in everything
At his peak in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the British actor purveyed the ultimate in rakish charm. Perched atop the distinctive gap between his two front teeth, this understated, elegantly parted ‘tache stood for mischief, merriment and English gentlemanliness.
9. Samuel L Jackson as Jules Winfield in Pulp Fiction
This bushy, intimidating, and slightly silly effort (but would you laugh at him? Say “what” again!) complemented the hitman’s glistening jheri-curl. As we proved last week (in our list of crazy haircuts), Samuel L. Jackson is one that can be relied on to deliver on the hair front.
8. Christopher Lee as Fu Manchu - The Face of Fu Manchu
Sometimes, words simply can’t do facial hair justice. This, ladies and gents, is one of those occasions. One simply has to gaze upon the stringy wonder of the master criminal’s ‘tache. Let’s not get too deeply into the politics of the very British Christopher Lee playing Asian, though....
7. Eric Bana as Mark ‘Chopper’ Read - Chopper
Though we could just as easily have plumped for another psychotically jaunty jailbird (step forward Tom Hardy as Bronson), there’s something about loveable murderer Chopper’s handlebar that makes us go all warm and fuzzy.
6. William H Macy as Little Bill - Boogie Nights
Veteran character actor Macy made a breakthrough in the 1990s playing a sad-sack (he was nominated for an Oscar for his turn as a dishonest car dealer in the Coen Brothers’ Fargo). But his sad-sackery hit new depths in PTA’s porn drama. His droopy ‘tache (and sorry mullet) seemed to be dripping with misery, and pointed the direction in which his character was destined to plummet.
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