# A blonde, a brunette and a redhead walk into a TV studio **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-blonde-a-brunette-and-a-redhead-walk-into-a-tv-studio/663246 "2013-07-11T19:26:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-blonde-a-brunette-and-a-redhead-walk-into-a-tv-studio/663246/61 "2013-07-14T00:07:41Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Again, I’m not stating that men dye their hair dark based on personal knowledge of any men doing so, but that this was, and still appears to be, conventional Hollywood wisdom. Do you have a cite for this? Not trying to be a jerk, but I’ve never heard this piece of conventional wisdom before and a little Googling isn’t turning up anything relevant except for this thread. The only reference to blondness being a disadvantage for actors I’ve been able to find is in Michael Caine’s book _Acting in Film_, and he only says that light _eyelashes_ are a problem. (He recommends mascara.) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-blonde-a-brunette-and-a-redhead-walk-into-a-tv-studio/663246/62 "2013-07-14T00:35:02Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Do you have a cite for this? Not trying to be a jerk, but I’ve never heard this piece of conventional wisdom before and a little Googling isn’t turning up anything relevant except for this thread. The only reference to blondness being a disadvantage for actors I’ve been able to find is in Michael Caine’s book _Acting in Film_, and he only says that light _eyelashes_ are a problem. (He recommends mascara.) Sorry, no. I did see this in writing once long ago, but I don’t remember where. However, I did work in Hollywood and heard this more than once. It was also common to hear a recommendation for young blond actors to change their hair. Whatever the reason for the dearth of blond male actors, I think it actually makes them more unique and identifiable. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-blonde-a-brunette-and-a-redhead-walk-into-a-tv-studio/663246/63 "2013-07-14T13:08:52Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > To be fair, I don’t think it’s just about facial recognition, more that they’re both tough guys, vaguely similar-looking, with similar-sounding names, and are about the same age. Yes, but the young Pacino was sort of gentle or indecisive and quite different from de Niro’s persona. I think I conflated the young Pacino with Dustin Hoffman! :dubious: (The older Pacino plays tough guy roles.) My Asian wife is opposite to me. She conflates many American actors: Karl Malden with Jimmy Stewart (!) et cetera. Yet she often recognizes a minor actress we’ve only seen once, years before! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-blonde-a-brunette-and-a-redhead-walk-into-a-tv-studio/663246/64 "2013-07-14T14:48:30Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I think I conflated the young Pacino with Dustin Hoffman! :dubious: (The older Pacino plays tough guy roles.) When they were both younger many people seemed to confuse Hoffman and Pacino. I don’t why, they don’t look at all alike to me. It could have just been older people lumping young actors togethers. I’ve heard the Pacino DeNiro confusion also. Again, they don’t look alike to me, but people see things differently. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-blonde-a-brunette-and-a-redhead-walk-into-a-tv-studio/663246/65 "2013-07-14T15:14:01Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Yes, but the young Pacino was sort of gentle or indecisive and quite different from de Niro’s persona. I think I conflated the young Pacino with Dustin Hoffman! :dubious: Agree with this point, but somehow it doesn’t help me, because I can’t remember which of the two is the one that I might get confused with Hoffman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-blonde-a-brunette-and-a-redhead-walk-into-a-tv-studio/663246.md?page=3)