SusanP here, with the Tuesday countdown. This week's list focuses on a subject I know well: Sexy, difficult men. As a certain space princess once described: "scoundrels." I love them in the movies and unfortunately, tend to find them appealing in real life too.
10 Sean Connery as "James Bond" in any number of films, but starting with Dr. No (1962)All the Bond’s could fit to a certain degree, but to me nobody embodied it better than Connery. Because Bond is known more as a "womanizer" than a true cad, he just makes the list.
09 Thomas Haden Church as "Jack" in Sideways (2004)
You probably can't get much lower than a sex-binging liar who's about to get married. Yet the former television star manages to make this jerk likable.
Cad Quote: "I get chicks lookin' at me all the time. All ages. Dudes too."
08 Mike Myers as "Austin Powers" in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Does he make me horny? Frankly, no. But the first incarnation of the character was a clever take on sexy super spies. And more of a cad than the characters he was spoofing. Cad Quote: "Shall we shag now, or shall we shag later?"
07 Cary Grant as "Walter Burns" in His Girl Friday (1940)
Grant used his undeniable charms to carve out a few lovable cad characters, but his newspaper man is my favorite. Cad Quote: "Walter, you're wonderful, in a loathsome sort of way." (Uttered by Rosalind Russell's "Hildy.")
06 Hugh Grant in several films, but most notably as "Daniel Cleaver" in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
It’s never a good idea to shag the boss, but he’s hard to resist here. Grant made a smart career move when he morphed from stammering uptight Brit to the more roguish types. Cad Quote: "Come on Bridget, we belong together. You, me, your little skirt."
05 Brad Pitt as "J.D." in Thelma & Louise (1991)Steals their money and messes up Thelma's hair. Can’t say I’d complain.
Cad Quote: "I've always believed that if done properly, armed robbery doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience."
04 Jack Nicholson as "Garrett" in Terms of Endearment (1983) Nicholson would go on to repeat himself in Something’s Gotta Give, but he perfected the type as the arrogant, womanizing astronaut who woos and melts a chilly Shirley MacLaine. Cad Quote: "If you wanted to get me on my back, all you had to do was ask me."
03 Vince Vaughn as "Trent" in Swingers (1996)
The first time I saw Swingers I found Vaughn’s character grating and then suddenly, his Rat Pack impersonation grew on me. He was never hotter. Cad Quote: "All I do is stare at their mouths and wrinkle my nose, and I turn out to be a sweetheart."
02 Harrison Ford as "Han Solo" in Star Wars (1977)The “scoundrel” eventually shows he’s not out for himself, but along the way his sexy swagger infuriates and attracts spunky Princess Leia. Cad Quote: "...whaddya think? You think a princess and a guy like me..."
01 Clark Gable as "Rhett Butler" in Gone with the Wind (1939)
His quintessential cad is the blueprint. Cad Quote: Vivien Leigh's Scarlett observes, "Sir, you are no gentleman," His perfect response: "And you, Miss, are no lady."
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11 comments:
Michael Caine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
Or for pure sex - Tyler Durden - Fight Club
excellent list!
and yes... most of them are quite scrumptious!!! ;o)
Man, high waisted jeans don't look good on anyone.
I would have put Joe Gideon (All That Jazz on there, but that's because it's my favourite movie ever, so I'm biased.
Star Wars and Sideways...two of my favs...
Or Michael Caine in Alfie, or Michael Caine in Sleuth...I think he specializes.
This is an excellent list. I'd be hard put to come up with as diverse and interesting a list that elicits so many nods of YES.
Yes, great list, Susan. And, I have to say that Hugh Grant came to my mind immediately before I even scrolled down, so I'm glad that he was included and for more than one movie since he had the corner on lovable cads for quite a while there.
Cheers!
Thanks for the feedback. There were a lot of choices and actors to consider. The one rule I gave myself was that it had to be a performance I'd seen, versus going on "reputation" (such as Michael Caine in Alfie.
It's funny because the actor that inspired me to pick this topic, Clive Owen in Closer is someone I decided not to include. Just a little too nasty--though I love him.
On the opposite end, I was arguing with a friend (who gave her input while I was writing this) about Han Solo--is he really I cad? I think so, but that's why I qualified this with "lovable."
As the pajiba boys said, leaving out Bale as Patrick Batemen seems like a mistake.
Personally I find Clark Gable's character in It Happened One Night to be the definition of the lovable cad. He makes me swoon.
I have to agree with the last "anonymous" comment that Gable in It Happened One Night fits this catagory a bit better than GWTW, but perhaps that's because I like IHON and have never warmed to either GWTW or to Rhett Butler (or any other character in that film. Guess that makes me the odd tool in the shed because it's supposed to be a great film and whatnot, blah blah. ITON is a gem, however, that reveals something new every time I rediscover it, and Gable's character in that film is genuinely "loveable".)
But other than that, great list Susan. I agree with you 100% about Hugh Grant. I had never liked the stuttering doofus act, and he seemed to repeat it in every film in the 80's and '90's. (In Sense and Sensibility I was about to cheer that he was finally acting in a role and not falling back on the stutter - until he did. Pooh.)
Then I saw Bridget Jones and boy did I ever sit up and take notice. I guess it could be argued now that, once again he has fallen into a "type" (About a Boy is another loveable cad) but it's a so much more interesting type than the last one, and allows interesting variations within the type. He's not an actor with much range anyway, but he finally projects genuine charisma and sex appeal and I think the movies are better off for it.
-RSD
I suggest to add here Viggo Mortensen as Aragorne in Lord Of The Rings - he managed to look sexy starring in a tale)) Admired him throughout the three episodes. Absolutely charming!
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