Beardiful: 10 Best Beards In Movie History, Ranked

When it comes to personal style, there is something special about a beard. A beard can help elevate a character to iconic levels and, for some characters, their beard is the most recognizable part of them. Their beard has reached an iconic level that has even led to imitations in the real world. We’ve all seen a character with a great beard or mustache in a movie and tried to emulate their facial hair, though it never looks as good as it does on the screen.

That being said, not every great beard is one that we want to replicate, some are iconic because they complement the personality of their character so well.

This article will rank the 10 best and most iconic beards in movie history.

10 Forrest Gump

While Forrest Gump didn’t always sport a beard during the movie, it would be ridiculous to not include his beard on this list. For those who haven’t seen Forrest Gump, the titular character starts to run across the United States for several months and, as a consequence, grows a big bushy beard.

Despite the fact that Forrest did not keep this beard for long during the movie, it certainly left an impression on audiences and featured in one of the most iconic scenes in the movie.

9 Obi-Wan Kenobi

While Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t exactly remembered for his beard, it is certainly a part of his character’s iconic style and it deserves a place on this list. The character of Obi-Wan is intended to be akin to a wise wizard figure, with the robes and beard perfectly help to compliment this look.

While Ewan McGregor always did a fantastic job as Obi-Wan, it was only when he sported the close-cropped beard that he began to truly capture the essence of Kenobi.

8 Tony Stark

Tony Stark’s beard has almost become synonymous with the character himself. Throughout over a decade of appearances in the MCU, one of the few things that has remained consistent with the character is his choice of facial hair. The beard takes on a different style to the classic goatee and makes it something that is unique to Tony Stark.

The beard had such an impact on our culture that if we saw a similar beard we would instantly describe it as a tony stark beard.

7 Gandalf

Whether it is Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White, his beard is majestic. It is also clear that his beard is fundamental to his character, due to the color change between Gandalf the Grey and White. The Gandalf character is so important to the Lord of the Rings and modern popular culture that he had to be included in this list.

The wizard has gone on to inspire countless wizards and characters in popular culture, most notably Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise.

6 Chuck Noland

For those who are unaware, Castaway is, as the name suggests, a film about a man who gets stranded on a desert island. Naturally, Chuck Noland was unable to shave his face and had to grow a beard on the island. While this beard isn’t outstanding, the mere fact that it is featured in such an iconic movie and such a famous scene makes it a necessary addition to this list.

While it may not be as magical as Gandalf’s beard, it is certainly just as iconic and vital to the story in which it appears.

5 Man With No Name

One of the most iconic movie characters of all time also has one of the most iconic beards of all time. The Man With No Name from the Dollars trilogy has made a huge impact on popular culture, helping to push Clint Eastwood into the legend category that he is in today.

The beard perfectly captures his scruffy personality and compliments his look and certainly helped to inspire those gruff heroes that we see in cinema today.

4 Dumbledore

While Dumbledore’s beard has always been eye-catching and memorable, the style of the beard in the first two movies is by far the best version on screen. The unkempt look of the beard helps to perfectly capture the look of a wise old wizard, while also making the character look eccentric.

Despite the fact that Dumbledore would continue to appear in Harry Potter movies after the death of Richard Harris, the beard changed and became far tidier. While this is still, undoubtedly, a fantastic beard it is not on the level of the Richard Harris beard.

3 Davy Jones

While Davy Jones isn’t the most iconic pop culture character, he has one of the best and most functional beards in movie history. For those who are unaware, Davy Jones is the captain of the Flying Dutchman and his job is to ferry souls from the world of the living to the world of the dead. However, because he has been neglecting his duty he started to develop ocean-life features.

One of these features is a squid beard. Not only does it make Davy Jones look like an imposing, Cthulhu-esque villain but he can also use the beard to play the organ, so it’s functional.

2 Hagrid

While Dumbledore’s beard is fantastic and helps make the character into a wise figure, no beard is more important to a character in the Harry Potter universe than Hagrid’s beard. One of Hagrid’s central and most recognizable traits is his shabby and unkempt appearance.

Even his name, Hagrid, can either mean ‘tormented by a witch’ or hungover, both of which would result in a shabby appearance.

1 The Dude

The Dude is one of the most iconic and recognizable characters across the Coen Brothers’ work. While his beard may not be as eye-catching as Gandalf or Davy Jones’ beard, the Dude’s beard is certainly iconic in its own right. The beard is not enough to stand out on its own but, along with the Dude’s robe and shabby hair, it complements the character.

While the Dude may not be the first character that springs to mind when one thinks of an iconic beard, he almost certainly should be.

About The Author

Sam Hutchinson
(374 Articles Published)

Writer living in Adelaide, Australia. Long-suffering post-graduate student and lover of pop culture from Game of Thrones to DC.
Twitter: @samchinson

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