Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?
Leading Men, Like DiCaprio, Exhibit Softer, Boyish Side
That may be why the sort of man's man that Newman, Steve McQueen and John Wayne once represented is more likely these days to be imported from Australia (Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman), England (Daniel Craig, Jason Statham) or Scotland (Gerard Butler).
"I don't think the strong-jawed leading man has gone away," Kilday said. "There's just not a lot of American stars in that role. Gerard Butler, Jason Statham, Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig are all fitting into that slot. On the other side, the group of American actors, Leo DiCaprio, Tobey McGuire, Shia LaBeouf and Matt Damon, are all very boyish looking.
"At the same time, if the studios found a younger Steve McQueen, they would be happy to draft that guy," Kilday added. "For the moment, they have been reaching abroad."
With Hollywood always looking for the next big thing, the traditionally home-grown masculine star has become hard to find. After the muscle-bound action stars of the '80s -- Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- aged out of their roles, George Clooney, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were there to take their place. Now, in their 40s, Clooney, Cruise and Pitt are all interested in mixing up the kinds of roles they take.
Among the latest crop of male stars, many, like DiCaprio and LaBeouf, established themselves at a young age, which is part of the reason they have a hard time leaving their boyish personas behind.
Goodwin said these younger men are also more marketable, since they can appeal to both audiences in their 20s and teens.
Hollywood has also been more willing to cast a nontraditional leading man since putting Keanu Reeves in the "Matrix" franchise. "Keanu was kind of a transitional figure," Kilday said.
Goodwin agrees that studios are more open to other options if they can't find that traditional man's man. "It's opened up the doors for actors who haven't seen themselves as castable for a role because they didn't necessarily fit the physical type."
Gehring adds that it's also a lot easier for leading men such as Clooney, Pitt and DiCaprio to play against type than it was during Hollywood's golden age. Actors from an earlier era, like Robert Redford and Harrison Ford, generally stick close to the leading man type. Otherwise, if they divert from it, like Ford did in "What Lies Beneath," where he played a murdering cheating spouse, they draw flak.
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