Top 5 Movie Beards

One of the defining marks of the journey from boyhood to manhood is the development of facial hair. There was always that one kid who started sporting stubble in fourth grade and by the time he was sixteen, had more facial hair than some of us unfortunate men will ever have.

Some of our greatest American and historical figures have sported beards that not only impress, but inspire. Wyatt Earp, General Ambrose Burnside, Charles Spurgeon, Rasputin, Charles V, and many others shamed those of us with no facial hair and gave the rest a template to aspire to true, grizzled greatness. Of these figures, a handful of them have been replicated on the big screen; Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp in Tombstone being one of the best of the historical bunch.

While there are many beards to choose from, there can be room only for five on this list. From the purely fantastical to the downright incredible, movie beards have taken important characters and made them legendary in popular culture. So, without further ado, grab your beard oil, mustache combs, grooming scissors and countdown some of the best beards ever to grace Hollywood.

5) Dumbledore/Hagrid

I’m including these two as one because they are holding down beard representation for the whole of the Harry Potter-verse. And really, they’re basically the same. Throw a couple more decades onto Hagrid and he’s likely just as gray as Dumbledore. Both have long hair which at times appears in complete unity with their beards. The main design difference being that Dumbledore often preferred a small restraint while Hagrid often sported the unkempt look. Both men embraced the natural side effects of the beard; Dumbledore’s to accomplish a look of wisdom, and Hagrid’s to assure his brute strength.

4) Captain Jack Sparrow

With his facial hair, Jack Sparrow accomplishes multiple looks and attitudes at once. The braids say, “I have a knack for style.” The scraggly growth along the jawline says, “I have no time for precision trimmers.” The detached mustache says, “I can work with my patchiness.” And the whole package just screams, “I’m suave and confident with my look!” If you’re going to talk the way he talks, this exact beard is a must.

3) King Leonidas

It looks as though Leonidas traveled into the future, purchased a lifetime supply of beard oil, then traveled back and showed all of Greece and Persia what the future holds for men. This seems to be what most modern beard growers are going for today. There is nothing fancy about it. It excels in its controlled and strong look. Well-kept and trimmed sideburns hang on tight to a thick and robust jawline and chin region. The trimmed mustache allows for feral screams of his Spartan loyalty while the stout look of the whole package shows his enemies they better reinforce their fists if they come in for a punch.

2) Seneca Crane

Admittedly, the beard of Hunger Games fame is what most often comes to mind when people think of amazing beards in the movies. But many in beard-dom today would not call this a beard, they would call it an art project. Let’s be honest, ask any 8-year-old boy what they’d like their beard to look like one day and they’ll probably pick Seneca Crane’s beard. Despite its unique flare and questionable trimming choices, you cannot deny the love one must have for their beard if they spend this much time on it. The curves, the fine lines, the highlighting of facial features… it may not be your cup of tea, but this beard is amazing by any measure.

1) Serpico

Beauty in simplicity. I think that best describe Al Pacino’s beard as Serpico. It’s the everyman’s beard. It’s a beard for the men who simply want a beard and don’t feel it necessary or beneficial to mess around with oils and trimmers or whatever other infernal contraptions hinder beard growth and naturality. It’s the beard that people need, but they continue to get in their own of way trying to dress it all up. Serpico says, “Yes, I have facial hair. Yes, it’s magnificent on its own. No, I don’t need DollarBeardClub or Men’s Journal to instruct me on how to maintain it!”. We should all strive for such contentment in excellence.