# Most archetypal Englishmen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2017, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589 "2017-03-20T03:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [March 20, 2017, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/21 "2017-03-20T10:37:58Z")
Probably [David Chipperfield](https://davidchipperfield.com/projects) or maybe [Norman Foster](http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/). ---
**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:** [March 20, 2017, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/22 "2017-03-20T10:42:31Z")
Nigel Hawthorne. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/23 "2017-03-20T10:57:34Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > one of the most iconic Englishmen, in that era, was Alistair Cooke. Absolutely! Cooke was a pure English gentleman and scholar. His BBC radio program “Letter from America” was the longest running broadcast in radio history: a weekly report of news and social commentary which ran continuously from the 1930’s until just a week or two before he died. But, ironically, it was not broadcast in the USA 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/24 "2017-03-20T11:07:03Z")
Stephen Fry. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/25 "2017-03-20T11:08:45Z")
James Mason. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/26 "2017-03-20T11:18:11Z")
Another vote for Patrick MacGee Geoffrey Palmer Ken Barrington James May ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/27 "2017-03-20T12:07:51Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > So, Jeremy Clarkson? Spot on! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/28 "2017-03-20T12:36:18Z")
I’m going with Jeremy Irons, but I wish I could go with Benedict Cumberbatch, seeing as how his name is “Benedict Cumberbatch.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/29 "2017-03-20T12:49:33Z")
Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth … that type of guy ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/30 "2017-03-20T13:01:18Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > There’s a difference between Englishman and English gentleman. Macnee, Howard, Niven, et al exemplify the latter. There’s considerable variety in the former. Yeah, I think this is correct. **RobDog** noted the difference as well. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/31 "2017-03-20T13:13:47Z")
I’m nominating [Sir Arthur John Gielgud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gielgud). ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/32 "2017-03-20T13:19:40Z")
If he’s archetypal, surely he must have a bowler hat and brolly. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/33 "2017-03-20T13:43:02Z")
> [@Miss\_Mapp](#): > > If he’s archetypal, surely he must have a bowler hat and brolly. [You rang](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ab/4a/b6/ab4ab6d44681c0db47738af77d9a7ba8.jpg), ma’am? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/34 "2017-03-20T13:55:23Z")
Alistair Cooke probably gets top marks: erudite, refined, courteous, affable, and with that marvelous accent. Just what every Englishman _ought_ to be. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/35 "2017-03-20T14:03:27Z")
Andy Capp ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/36 "2017-03-20T14:15:33Z")
Lots of great examples here and let me throw one more into the ring [Roger Allam](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/video/2016/feb/01/roger-allam-king-lear-blow-winds-and-crack-your-cheeks-shakespeare-solos-video) - mainly for the voice but the cut of his jib in “the thick of it” screams “English Gent” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/37 "2017-03-20T15:36:05Z")
Aleister Crowley. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/38 "2017-03-20T15:44:14Z")
Roger “Simon Templar” Moore ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/39 "2017-03-20T15:52:42Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Stephen Fry. This. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589/40 "2017-03-20T16:50:24Z")
Thomas Craig, the actor who plays “Inspector Brackenreid” on _Murdoch Mysteries_. In [this interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz-X0ATiP-s) at the one-minute mark, Craig is slightly embarrassed at having used a Canadian term instead of a British one, in a way I find comical and endearing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-archetypal-englishmen/782589.md?page=3)