10 Male Actors Who Were Told They Weren't Attractive Enough for Hollywood

Top 10 Male Actors Who Were Told They Weren’t Attractive Enough for Hollywood

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the actors who became successful despite being told they didn’t look like movie stars.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Although he didn’t get his start in Hollywood, the “Sherlock” actor was catapulted to movie stardom based on his turn as the brilliant Arthur Conan Doyle detective. However, writer and co-creator Mark Gatiss revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch was almost passed up for the role based on his looks. BBC execs were picking apart the actor’s physical features behind the scenes. It was only after the chemistry read that they were convinced he was right for the part. Thousands of fans who developed a crush on Cumberbatch as a result would like to have a word or two with those British bigwigs.

Michael J. Fox

NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff had two notes for “Family Ties” producers. Their choice for the role of Alex P. Keaton, the young Republican son of two former hippies, wouldn’t work for two reasons. One, he was too short, and two, Tartikoff couldn’t see someone with Michael J. Fox’s face selling merchandise, namely lunchboxes. Fox was a runaway success on the show. He parlayed that TV fame into feature film stardom with the “Back to the Future” series. There was apparently no bad blood between the executive and the actor, as Fox would later give Tartikoff a lunchbox with his face on it.

Fred Astaire

Whether or not he was paired with Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire was one of the great dancers of classic Hollywood. His footwork was matched only by his slick charm and charisma. But a screen test at RKO didn’t go so well. Although the story passed into legend, Astaire later said one studio representative passed on him because he was balding. In one of the understatements of the century, the executive also said Astaire could “dance a little.” He would later go on to make several successful movies for the studio and became the standard bearer for sophisticated leading men of the 1930s.

Clint Eastwood

The “Dirty Harry” star’s rugged looks and callous attitude helped redefine masculinity in the 1960s and 70s. The rough-voiced, squinting hero of mid-century Westerns made much of his early career in TV westerns for Universal. When the studio ended his contract in the 1950s, the story goes it was because of his looks. Apparently, the studio had grown tired of him, as he had a chipped tooth he wouldn’t fix and an Adam’s apple that was too big. That’s the story according to fellow actor and friend, Burt Reynolds, who was fired around the same time.

Adam Driver

Rising to fame playing the eccentric and passionate boyfriend of the lead on HBO’s “Girls,” Adam Driver’s brooding and stoic face had made him at home in a variety of roles. His talent has made him a favorite of directors like Martin Scorsese and Noah Baumbach. However, his distinctive look has been pointed out by many, even in interviews. During a 2023 appearance on “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” the host asked Driver if he struggled because he doesn’t look like a typical movie star. While Driver handled the question with grace, Wallace’s line of questioning earned criticism on the Internet.

Dustin Hoffman

The 1967 existentialist comedy, “The Graduate,” signaled a change in the culture and the way movies were made. Much of that change had to do with its leading actor. There were a lot of people dunking on Dustin Hoffman’s height and looks at the time. A Life magazine writer was quoted as saying Hoffman’s face had nothing to do with his on-screen appeal. Even his own aunt said he wasn’t handsome enough to be in the movies. Although his physical type wasn’t traditionally seen on the screen, he helped usher in a new era.

Andrew Garfield

Rejection is hard enough. But before he was an Academy Award-nominated, Spider-Man-playing leading man, Andrew Garfield lost out on a major role for one reason. Producers of “The Chronicles of Narnia” series didn’t believe he was handsome enough to play the noble Prince Caspian. The part went to Ben Barnes instead. Millions would disagree with those producers’ assessment. The idea that Garfield wasn’t handsome enough seems silly now. He’s since gone on to play the dreamy romantic lead in dozens of movies. His looks, charm, and charisma have made him a favorite of fans and filmmakers alike.

Donald Sutherland

This Canadian actor had gravitas and the distinction of being in films directed by some of the greatest directors of all time. But his entire career, he believed he was unattractive. In his early life, he was made fun of for the size of his ears and his stature. In an interview with Anderson Cooper, he recalled his mother’s frank assessment of his looks as a teenager. Her honesty haunted him throughout his life. From then on, he believed he found success in spite of his physical attributes. Luckily, it didn’t stop him from becoming an incredible screen presence.

Robert Pattinson

Released at the height of the vampire craze of the late 2000s, the “Twilight” series was a megahit that launched its trio of stars to great heights. However, the part of the handsome, glittering vampire Edward Cullen was hard-fought for star Robert Pattinson. Director Catherine Hardwicke said the English actor made the producers of the first movie nervous. They worried he wasn’t good-looking enough to carry the series, let alone win the hearts of millions of fans who had fallen in love with his character on the page. Given his immediate stardom and career since “Twilight” ended, it’s safe to say there was nothing to worry about.

Clark Gable

In the 1930s, he rose to the top of the classic Hollywood star system. From his strong features to his large ears, Clark Gable filled up the screen with his masculine bravado. At the start of his career, though, his trademark features were his hindrances. Studio heavyweight Darryl F. Zanuck was unimpressed with Gable’s screentest. He didn’t just go after the actor’s ears. He was on record likening Gable to an ape. Swooning audiences sitting in the cinemas during movies like “It Happened One Night” and “Gone with the Wind” would beg to differ. Gable became the dashing template for male stars of the post-silent era.

Which of these actors were you most surprised to see on this list? Sound off in the comments below.