Male "leads" whose physiques would never be allowed in a female lead

Forest Whitaker: He's overweight and has a lazy eye. A woman with these issues would never be allowed a lead role in anything.—but he's starred several movies- and NOT as the funny sidekick. Who else?

• Men get to fluctuate. People like Denzel, Ryan Gosling, Tom Hanks can go from fat back to skinny and no one bats an eye. If a women gets a reputation for fatness...she is always thought of as fat.

• Forest is thin now. But, he's never been cast as a heart-trob.

• Philip Seymour Hoffman. Johnny Depp, now in decaying hobo manchild mode. Paul Scrotumface Giamatti. Harrrison Ford, once hot but now very old.

• [2] It doesn't matter. Even though Forrest has never been presented as a "heart-throb" he is still allowed to have LEADING roles. Even when a women is NOT depicted as a sex symbol, she will never get leading roles. Leading men can be ugly/homely/fat--- but never women.

• Hasn't Forrest been reduced to TV?

  M

• Bill "Pockmark" Murray Fatsos Kevin James, Seth Rogan, Jack Black Billy "Ugly Dwarf" Crystal

• Woody Allen as a romantic lead.

• RYAN Gosling has never been fat

  http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5esykDm4W1r79mkfo1_1280.jpg

• Most of the fat, ugly guys are not leads in romcoms. Their movies are supposed to appeal to fat, douchy overgrown frat boys who look just like them who think they're hot and think they can get gorgeous women.

• Pudgy, evil-looking Leonardo DiCaprio

• [quote]RYAN Gosling has never been fat yeah he was....he got let go from Lovely Bones for arriving to the set out of shape and overweight.

• post a pic of him looking "fat", r11

• Uh, women are valued in our society based on physical attractiveness in a way that men are not. Not even close. Men are not objectified as physical objects the way women are.

• Most women would be ruled out on age alone, regardless of attractiveness or talent.

• News story where he discusses it r12

  http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/ryan-gosling-fat-lovely-bones/story%3Fid%3D12313213

• Ryan with a fat face

  http://www.google.com/imgres%3Fimgurl%3Dhttp://cdn01.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/headlines/2007/10/ryan-gosling-weight-gain.jpg%26imgrefurl%3Dhttp://www.justjared.com/2007/10/04/ryan-gosling-weight-gain/%26h%3D333%26w%3D500%26sz%3D31%26tbni

• Your link doesn't work, r16.

• just google "Ryan Gosling fat" and you'll get plenty of info.

• Fat Jack Black (gets Rashida Jones) in The Big Year, fat Kevin James gets a SUPERMODEL (Amber Valletta) in "Hitch", fat Seth Rogan gets Katherine Heigl in "Knocked Up", etc.

• To be fair, "getting" Katherine Heigl seems like some kind of cruel punishment.

• When I think of all the horrid women men have had to play against it boggles the mind. This is just another man hating thread. Cunts are such hypocritic nuts. I guess I'd be going off the deep end if I were female too.

• Gosling got fat FOR the role of a depressed, decrepit middle aged former athlete gone to seed bc he was mourning his teenage daughters death. He was trying to fit the role by looking older and suffering due to daughters death and knee injury. That's different from the other actors who are ugly by nature.

• Kevin James also had not one but two much younger hotties (Rosario Dawson and Leslie Bibb) fighting over him in his zoo romcom last year. This year he got paired up with gorgeous Salma Hayek (in a rare example of an age-appropriate female lead, so kudos to him for that, I guess).

• Steve Buscemi Thread over.

• "Cunts are such hypocritic nuts. I guess I'd be going off the deep end if I were female too." Funny that you think you're not nuts.

• Gabourey Sidibe

• I Google imaged Ryan Gosling fat and nothing remotely fat came up. Just admit you were wrong!

• I still think of men as overweight if they started out overweight in their careers, not just women. But, you know. Robert Mitchum. That kid who played second lead in Harry Potter turned out much woofier than the girl he had to kiss. A lot of them, but then again, it's hard to compare without flipping the roles as well. Look on the bright side, R21. All humans are hypocritical nuts!

• OP - most of the male overweight actors are character actors. In terms of looks, it's amazing what makeup and hair can do for a woman - they don't really have that opportunity with men. But there are overweight female actresses - Kathy Bates, Conchetta Farrell, Melissa McCarthy, Delta Burke and many other character actresses

• Ryan Gosling was asked to play the father in The Beautiful Bones. In the book, the guy is middle aged. Gosling was much too young to play him as is, so he thought getting an out of shape middle aged body was the way to go. The director, however, wanted "hot" Gosling and was pissed off that Gosling made this choice without consulting him. So instead he hired second rate Mark Wahlberg and that is why no one remembers the movie today.

• Fat Kevin James and Winona Ryder in "The Dilemma", fat Vince Vaughan with Malin Ackerman, fat John Favreau with Kristin Davis and fat Falzon love with Kali Hawk in "Couples Retreat".

• "But there are overweight female actresses - Kathy Bates, Conchetta Farrell, Melissa McCarthy, Delta Burke and many other character actresses" But they never get paired with much hotter men.

• The premise of this thread is incorrect. There are indeed overweight women who are allowed to play female leads: Melissa Mccarthy is the single hottest film star in the US this month. (And the single hottest TV star is Lena Dunham.) Not to mention Queen Latifah, Kathy Bates, Gabourey Sidibe, Rebel Wilson, Nia Vardalos...

• Fat Ryan Gosling

  http://proudchubby-ryangosling.tumblr.com/

• That's hardly fat, r34. You can't see his body, just a big bushy beard.

• lord r35...just read the articles....he talks about being fat

• Yes Ryan purposely got fat for a role of a middle aged paunchy depressed man. Clearly he's not normally fat and was being method for a movie.

• I was chubby once, and it scored me a leading role with Chris O'Donnell!

  Minnie%20Pile-Driver

• Micky Rourke

• Up.

• Ryan Gosling would be hot at 400 pounds. NO woman could make that claim.

• "Ryan Gosling would be hot at 400 pounds." No, he would not be. "NO woman could make that claim." Nor could any man.

• Forest Whitaker is such a repulsive fug he should be allowed to be seen at all.

• Would you people get off of Gosling, for fuck's sake. [quote]But there are overweight female actresses - Kathy Bates, Conchetta Farrell, Melissa McCarthy, Delta Burke and many other character actresses. Kathy Bates and Conchetta Farrell are good examples in that list that actually had a successful career while playing "unpretty" women. But they're not allowed to be considered "romantic". Delta Burke, however, had to battle her weight throughout Designing Women and was under constant pressure to keep it as low as possible. Then after that show ended- so did her career, essentially. Meanwhile, Kevin James is an ugly slob and he had a lead and did even a couple movies revolving around him with a Romantic plot. Steve Buscemi is a good example of a man who's considered lead material solely on his acting and cult status. Alec Baldwin has a huge career and a huge ass as well.

• Cillain Murphy is a male lead whose physique is more suited TO BE the female lead!

• R45, what about Cillian's physique is more suited to be the female lead? Are there other males whose physiques suit them to be the female lead?

• OP, r4, the majority of Forest Whitaker's roles have been character roles; at best, second or third lead. Let's stop pretending he's getting the Denzel and Jamie Foxx roles.

  Anonymous

• And further to r47's comment, Forrest Whitaker can actually act, brilliantly, in fact. He SHOULD get leading roles, although maybe not romantic leads (and, as has been pointed out, he doesn't get those). The only true shame here is the Hollywood misogyny that denies talented female actors who don't happen to meet the 20th century's narrow standard's of female beauty to play lead roles too.

• I really don't have a problem with actors, male and female, not being traditionally attractive. But I do think the double standard for men/woman is bogus and REALLY outdated.

• [quote]The only true shame here is the Hollywood misogyny that denies talented female actors who don't happen to meet the 20th century's narrow standard's of female beauty to play lead roles too. Yes. But don't feel bad for the "second-rate" looking ones who make it to juicy supporting roles, indie films, comedy, and/or inside of an influential network of Hollywood friends (the formers usually go along with the lattermost). They get really rich, too. The ones who mostly get discriminated against are the ones who haven't, for whatever reason, gained social value in Hollywood.

• Forrest has a glass eye. Ernest Borgnine

• Straight men who look like teddy bears, seldom have a problem getting a date. I don't know why gay men have such a phobia about weight? It's kind of weird.

• By the way, Ryan Gosling has NEVER been fat. Never.

• American movies are made for the international audience and international audiences want sex, violence and crude humor. Women who don't look like porn stars don't really fit into that paradigm.

• "Micky Rourke" Mickey Rourke was at one time a damn good-looking guy. His physique has never been an issue; he was never fat or overweight. He did get maybe too muscular due to steroids or something. Anyway, when he started out he was leading man material. The years of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, smoking, boxing, steroids and bad plastic surgery have now rendered him a character actor. He could still be in some types of leading roles, but would never be a contention for a romantic leading man part. Not with that face! It's a shame he ruined it.

• Queen Latifah Kathy Bates Renee Zelwegger Sarah Jessica Parker Not exactly classically gorgeous women.

• Both Renee Z and SJP are very much in shape.

• Latifah has a classic gorgeous face, high cheekbones and all. Do not discount her R56 because she is fat. Latifah is more beautiful than horsey face SJP, bitter lemon pinched face Zelllewellleger and Kathy Bates I wonèt go there, cause I respect my elders

• [quote]The only true shame here is the Hollywood misogyny that denies talented female actors who don't happen to meet the 20th century's narrow standard's of female beauty to play lead roles too. It's a double edged sword though. If you are a talentless and very good looking woman you can be A list based on looks alone (see Megan Fox ..well used to be..maybe B list).

• Ryan Gosling would still be hot if he weight 190 lbs.

• Jack Nicholson for years and years and years.

• This is what I've been trying to tell you!

  Lena%20%22Lens%22%20Dunham%20

• RYAN GOSLING WAS NEVER FAT! POINT BLANK PERIOD!

• Michael Moore. Scratch that, Lena is in right now.

• Michael Moore isn't a "lead".

• "Steve Buscemi is a good example of a man who's considered lead material solely on his acting and cult status. " Has he ever headlined a film? I know he's the lead in a TV show, but he's spent his career as a character actor. I don't think he's ever headlined a film, and the only movie I can think of where he had a romantic relationship was in "Ghost World", where the relationshp was SO wrong. I'd be happier living in a world where films were headlined by Steve Buscemi and Kathy Bates, than in the world where we live now.

• Nathan Fillion Vincent D'Onofrio -- how did he get away being so bloated for so long on Criminal Intent? Jack Black and Kevin James are different. They do comedy and physique isn't all that matters -- either for me or women.

• Settle down, shrieking Ryan Gosling troll.

• nathan fillion

• Jack Nicholson - fat, bald and nasty Javier Bardem - big head, broken nose. He is yummy though, and super talented Philip Seymour Hoffman - overweight, balding. Major acting talent! Ryan Gosling - fugly, chicken legs, weird shaped head, thick neck. Johnny Depp - dirty, grumpy, overall yuck Leonardo DiCaprio - big head, puffy face John Goodman - very fat but very talented

  anonymous

• [quote]Ryan Gosling - fugly, chicken legs, weird shaped head, thick neck. Are you retarded? Seriously? Ryan is gorgeous.

• [quote]Jack Nicholson for years and years and years. [quote]Jack Nicholson - fat, bald and nasty Yeah, but Jack kinda "earned" it.

  Anonymous

• Owen Wilson and his scary broken nose