# Coolest dude in movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166 "2008-11-23T23:39:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/61 "2008-12-12T14:23:30Z")
As much as I love Cusack (and I seriously love Cusack), he’s more neurotic than cool. Existential, as \*\*msmith \*\*says, fits him perfectly. Cool, not so much. Newman clearly should be much more higher ranked than he is. The man exudes class. Seriously, the cool just oozes from him. I’d thought about putting Jimmy Stewart on the list, because I love me some Jimmy Stewart, but he’s not really cool at all. Classy, sophisticated, gentlemanly - all this and more is my Jimmy, but he’s not cool. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/62 "2008-12-12T14:57:21Z")
Ernest Borgnine Elvis Martin Sheen Robert Shaw Bruce Lee Harvey Keitel Bill Murray (pre _Lost In Translation_) Jack Thompson Mark Wahlberg Danny De Vito Sam Neill ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/63 "2008-12-12T18:54:03Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > [Ernest Borgnine](http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/attachment.php?attachmentid=39161) Sorry to shatter your illusions. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/64 "2008-12-12T19:30:21Z")
What? No James Caan? For shame, people… Chow Yun Fat James Caan Steve McQueen James Coburn Clint Eastwood Honorable mentions to : Rutger Hauer Bruce Willis Mandy Patinkin Ben Kingsley ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/65 "2008-12-12T20:11:01Z")
Chuck Norris would be number one on the list, except that Chuck Norris is too cool for lists. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/66 "2008-12-12T20:18:12Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Mandy Patinkin Oh wow. Another illustration of the subjectivity of such a list: Mandy Patinkin would be at the top of my personal NOT cool list. He always makes me shudder with embarrassment just to watch him be so overwhelmingly, disturbingly, just, icky. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/67 "2008-12-12T20:27:55Z")
Jean Reno was the first name that leapt to mind on seeing the thread title. Several other names on the OP’s list came is a moment later. Then there’s Toshiro Mifune, at least in most of his most famous roles (leaving out _Red Lion_, which even I, a fan of the first water, could barely get through once). ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/68 "2008-12-12T20:32:15Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Chiwetel Ejiafor It’s Chiwetel Eji **o** for. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/69 "2008-12-12T20:33:04Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > 1. Jean Peal Belmondo > 2. Robert Mitchum > 3. Steve McQueen > 4. Lee Marvin > 5. Randolph Scott > 6. Warren Oates > 7. Humphrey Bogart > 8. Charles Bronson > 9. Jack Palance > 10. Joel McCrea I think **lissener** ’s list shows then originators of cool. These guys were cool before there was a definition of cool. The actors being listed later in this thread as simply imitators of cool. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/70 "2008-12-12T20:36:19Z")
Errol Flynn Brad Pitt Lee Van Cleef ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/71 "2008-12-12T20:38:41Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > 1. Randolph Scott > > . . . Randolph Scott? \RAAAN-DOLPH SCOTT!!\ ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/72 "2008-12-12T21:15:10Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I think **lissener** ’s list shows then originators of cool. These guys were cool before there was a definition of cool. The actors being listed later in this thread as simply imitators of cool. Ah, yes, “everything back in the day was better and everything today pales in comparison”. Just like music, sports and women. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/73 "2008-12-12T21:17:41Z")
James Garner was the coolest. He couldn’t help but be cool. And Bogie. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/74 "2008-12-13T18:09:12Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > It’s Chiwetel Eji **o** for. > Duh. No, I was talking about a different guy . . . yeah, that’s it–he’s Ejiofor’s cooler cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/75 "2008-12-13T18:39:17Z")
Danny Trejo. End of thread :] ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/76 "2008-12-13T19:39:49Z")
> [@Interrobang](#): > > Sterling Hayden. Wow. I was just scrolling through this thread and intended to post Sterling Hayden’s name and whoops! You beat me to it. And Cary Grant. That’s it for cool in The Known Universe. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/77 "2008-12-13T19:50:14Z")
Neil Patrick Harris ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/78 "2008-12-13T20:00:30Z")
Gary Oldman. Alan Rickman. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/79 "2008-12-13T20:12:10Z")
> [@Interrobang](#): > > Sterling Hayden. Dang, how did I miss this? Yes, I agree, he’s up there somewhere. Well, he wasn’t all the cool in _The Godfather_, but _The Killing_ and \*Johnny Guitar \*have enough cool to make up for just about anything. Well, except maybe for _King of the Gypsies_ . . . :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166/80 "2008-12-13T20:27:00Z")
No love for Samuel L Jackson’s role in Pulp Fiction? Especially the restaurant scene. Look up “cool” in the dictionary, you’ll find that scene. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-dude-in-movies/474166.md?page=5)