Pretty AND Ugly?

Rossy De Palma. What a face. High end model...or side show attraction?

Laide Repoussante comes to mind as an alternative, in a very few extreme cases.

Michael Phelps, Josh O'Connor. For the men. Maybe just "ugly sexy".

For men, the term is "ruggedly handsome". In the early 90s, when NYPD Blue was huge, the media sometimes called Dennis Franz a sex symbol. Straight women have very different standards from straight men.

It's called "fulsnygg" in Swedish...

And that would be exactly Michael Nyqvist

Young Anjelica Huston

I'm thinking Liev Schreiber. At times he can be more than jolie laide; he can be damn cute. Sweet, funny man.

Vincent Cassel (I'm a frau btw)

Bette Davis is an old example but a good one.

Jackie Kennedy

I think it comes down to style and how you carry yourself. You can be ugly, but be admired.

Diana Vreeland, darlings.

Adam Driver. He has big dick face and is so fucking tall. What a mug on that bloke though!

"Ruggedly handsome" is not the male equivalent of "Jolie-laide" (or, my preference, "belle-laide."

Such men are beau-laid. Jesus.

For example, as a young man Jean Paul Belmondo was not ruggedly handsome, not even when he was older. But he WAS a beau-laid man, if only because of his nose. Benedict Cumberbatch is in the category, as it's not just broken noses that take a man there.

The DL has had a thread about this, OP, dear.

For some reason, the late French actress Valérie Quennessen comes to mind.

She was the "other" girl in the dumb1982 movie "Summer Lovers". She had her own unique beauty, but next to Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah, she just looked plain.

But I thought there was something gorgeous about her...she had these huge, luminous green eyes.

She left Hollywood right after "Summer Lovers", left the film business altogether not long after that, and died in a car crash in her early 30's.

Arthur Dupont.

Cute/Ugly.

I love Arthur Dupont- a great example. R14 you must be a real hit at parties. FUCKSSAKE.

Michael J. Pollard...had that quirky cool, but looked like a troll doll.

Liam Neeson?

R19 YES! He has that big dick energy too, but a face that might stop a train.

I think what they are saying is attractive but not beautiful . 70% of people fall into that category.

It seems to me that many French leading men fall into this category.

Daniel Auteuil (in his younger years), for example

Max Mauff

Ludovico Girardello

Gisele Zelauy, a late 1980s/ early 1990s top model from Brazil.

Moises Arias

Fixed the link

Young Denis Lavant

Adrien Brody

Jon Bernthal.

To me Jean Paul Belmondo is/was full-on hot. Nothing merde about him.

Joaquin

Javier and Penelope

Olympic speed skater KC Boutiette

Would Kirsten Mcnemany qualify? I’d also vote for Karen Black, Sofia Coppola and SJP.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Camille Cottin

I’d also add Michael Phelps

Ansel Elgort..the new Tony in 2021 West Side Story..

Daniel Craig, Sophia Loren

Bea Arthur.

Sarah Jessica Parker Sophia Loren Julia Roberts

It is usually the women and men who have over exaggerated features that would fall in this category

Eh, R35 -- you beat me to it!

I LOVE me some Camille!

Not so much her profile though.

Meryl Streep

But R43, don't forget -- they also have to be pretty!

Juliette Lewis

R44...Meryl Streep was quite pretty in movie, Manhattan...

Agree that Jean-Paul Belmondo was just hot. His face looks it was carved from stone, made for the movies. Nothing "ugly" about him, he just didn't look like Tab Hunter or Troy Donahue.

Meryl was pretty in the patrician way, nothing sexy about her. She actually looks better as an older woman.

Robert Mitchum.. rough character roles, but sexy.

Camille Cottin looks a lot like Marlee Matlin.

I just remember Meryl...in Manhattan...first showing her, with that long, flowing golden hair, walking down the street. She even flipped it. It was impressive.

Too many commas...oops^^

Rob Gronkowski

The late Amy Winehouse.

Janis Joplin.

R43- Meryl Streep was LITERALLY( so dl people I had to use that word) beautiful ca. 1979.

What about ME?

( cool HALF Jew)

Agnes Moorehead....(watching Bewitched..lol).

R21, I say this with the utmost respect and admiration: you're a whore, darling.

Alex Kapranos lead singer of Franz Ferdinand. And yet I would push my grandmother out in heavy traffic to get to him.

Stop posting people who are just conventionally attractive. So stupid.

Roger Waters...an Adam Driver type...though tbf in hhis old age he became outright good looking.

Lady Gaga

Lena Dunham

Seann William Scott

Timothee Chardonnay

Roger Waters looks great now...wow. Great example of getting better when getting older.

Ron Perlman is my go-to ugly/hot.

Chloë Sevigny, although she might be too pretty. I think most celebrities are going to be too attractive for this label. I suspect this quality comes across better in person.

Sophia Loren is conventionally beautiful.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards...in fact, all of the Rolling Stones..

I'd say Chloe Sevigny is conventionally beautiful.

R67- In 1966 they were The Rolling Stones now they're the Rolling SKANKS

R68 I don’t think people see Chloe as conventionally beautiful at all. She has a bit of an “always tired” look but that’s just her face and it’s a bit severe-looking. I’d say she definitely fits this thread because her style and movie choices are what people appreciate about her, not so much her looks.

Babs Streisand isn't even joile laide, she's laide laide.

R61 I think that the actual candidates here are ones you really have to stare and ask "are they truly ugly or so ugly that they're beautiful?" I can't stop staring at their faces. For conventional folks I'm just "meh."

I think of the actress who played Georgette in the movie Amélie as jolie-laide

Fanny Ardant is truly beautiful in real life, but the way they styled her in Elizabeth as Marie de Guise was jolie-laide.

Charlotte Gainsbourg

R65, YES to Ron Perlman! I thought I was the only one who wants that man to fuck my brains out every time I see him in something. I should have known there would be others though, especially on the DL.

In my neck of the woods, it's called MONEY/POWER/FAME BEAUTY.

Here's an old one. Paloma Picasso.

You missed the joke, R69.

Sandy Bullock and most of those Culkin boys come to mind.

Charles Bronson

Humphrey Bogart

Ahhhhrnold Schwarzenegger & ex Maria Shriver (funny, huh?)

Benicio del Toro

Javier Bardem & Penelope Cruz (she can look like an ugly duckling or a doormouse, or strangely hot - it's like who is going to show up today?)

Sandra Bernhard

Parker Posey

Mick & Bianca Jagger and also another ex of Jagger's: Jerry Hall (depends on the light/shot- she can be quite beautiful or ugly)

Gia

Roger Daltrey

Robert Plant

Cyndi Lauper

Grace Jones (terrifying and alien but beautiful)

Walter Matthau and Jack Klugman (Quincy ME)

Later in life Crawford, after she ruined her face with the harsh plastic surgery and styling of the 50s- her Grand Guignol phase (and I love her dearly)

Def agree with Babs, Adam Driver, Bette, Daniel Craig, Amy W, Ron Perlman, Jon B, Chloe S.

Timothee is just beautiful and so is Meryl

Janis Joplin was just plain ugly. Sorry

Seriously, some of you are really not getting the concept of jolie-laide.

R81- about Grace Jones- TERRIFYING yes but NOT beautiful

R81- Charles Bronson always looked kind of Latino/Mexican to me but he was actually Hungarian- either way there was something HOT about him in the 1970's and into the 1980's.

I bet between the legs he had a COBRA. I bet he was HOT in the sack too.

God, I'm HORNY today.

Check out this weird/sexy Japanese commercial with Charles Bronson from the mid 1970's.

Yes, r74, Fanny is jolie-jolie.

Some of the people you're listing are insane. I've already commented on Belmondo. World class beauty Sophia Loren? Fanny Ardant? Jon Berthanal, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are also just plain hot.

R81 Has a mostly good list. Sandra Bernhard is just plain ugly though.

Gia was hot, too.

I feel like for women, they need to wear clothes well and that usually means being thin and/or angular. So I don’t agree about Cyndi Lauper, but this is all obviously a matter of opinion.

Maggie Gyllenhaal

The blonde Brit on Girls.

Maybe I’m cynical but a lot of these people are just ugly.

On what planet is Gronk ugly? He’s the stereotypical dumb hot jock football player.

Jesse Plemons. I have the hots for him.

80% of the time it just means "hot with a large nose".

Jesse Plemons aka Meth Damon?

Adam Driver

Benicio Del Toro

Willem Dafoe

R63? In what world is Lens beautiful enough to be on the "pretty" side of UGLY?

That girl is just plain fug.

Parker Posey!!?? She's fucking gorgeous, cute as hell. She does not belong on this list.

Dave Grohl

Definitely Javier Bardem (I consider Penelope as conventionally pretty)

Yeah, young Meryl was a real uggo.

Defoe and possibly a young Eric Roberts. Definitely Barbra. I just rewatched What’s up Doc and she was striking and homely at times, but riveting. I love that movie.

Leotardo DiCaprio

Lucas Haas

Andrew Garfield

Brad Pitt

Adam Driver

Ross Gellar

Jack Quaid

Chris Pine

Those inbred-looking werewolf Twins, Max or something.

Willem Dafoe has bad teeth. Just saw him in The Last Temptation of Christ and thought stop smiling Jesus! Bette Midler is ugly. She may have a sexy body but I cant stand looking at her face.

Brad Pitt doesn't fit this category. He's conventionally good looking.

Tilda Swinton

I think she's beautiful...in an unusual way.

Steve Buscemi

Yes r94 meth Damon! So rude 😡!

Donald Sutherland Sandra Bernhard

Peter Sarsgaard. My favorite.

Ringo Starr

She's a full on money - she looks ok from afar but up front she's a big, old mess.

Oops - monet!

Just ugly R111

Rose McGowan - present day

Don’t call me ugly R114!

Pretty ugly and pretty apt to stay that way!

Chis Pine still is/was too conventionally good looking to be on this list.

If the face fits! R116

Gisele Bundchen, Kristen McEnemey, Kate Moss

John is too, now that I think of it. But Ringo is more ugly/cute and John is more ugly/sexy.

There’s no way Kate Moss could ever be described as ugly.

Barbara Streisand Sophia Loren Meryl Streep Giselle’ Javier Bardem Daniel Craig

Brad Pitt mad Chris Pine are handsome men. They do not belong on this list.

Okay, attention gays- watch this live concert performance. You’ll be so glad you did. IT’S FUCKING FANTASTIC! -OP

Oh shit, wrong thread! FUCK.

Daniel Craig

Who would want to have sex with Daniel Craig? What a horror show!

Anya Taylor Joy. I have heard many people call Kate Moss ugly R122

Used to think I was a cute-ish and pleasant if slightly weird and homely-looking 4.5, but lately after looking at some photos of myself (both naked and clothed) I’ve realised I’m just straight clapped actually. Probably a 3 at best, with humour and charisma I’ve developed over the years.

While I still grant that I can look cute-adjacent facially with good light and angles, generally speaking there’s a lot of ugg going on. No jawline, small features on a large head, sloping narrow shoulders but fat/big arms, dumpy belly, pancake ass, short vertical line & limbs despite average-tall height, average-big and unshapely feet, veiny skin, cellulite, droopy tits that sit sideways and so create no cleavage....

My mother and her family are 90% dawgs, and my father while ok-looking himself (a 4-5) comes from a Deliverance hillbilly background, so I guess I should have seen the light sooner. Think I just desperately conned myself into believing my Mom who told me too often growing up that I was pretty and cute and gorgeous (of course I look that way to you, woman, you birthed me) and the other kids were just mean.

Still, I feel lucky all the same to be somewhat healthy (there are a few issues, but we move), mobile, youthful (a young looking 30), and a passably smart and funny and likeable person. I think I’m probably one of the more interesting, thoughtful, tasteful, and decent people I know, so I guess...there’s that.

Lili Taylor, although she didn't play the provocative/eccentric roles associated with a French jolie-laid icon because those roles are rarely green-lighted in film, and when they are, they go to conventionally attractive actresses who "pretend" to be Jolie-laid.

Fairuza Balk is/was maybe closer in that direction.

I have never felt comfortable calling anyone ugly, unless I was referring to their personality. Not only is it unkind and reductive, it shows that the person using the term about someone's face doesn't have the intellectual curiosity to relate to another human being in a positive way.

R81- Putting a HUNDRED names at once =

Less Is More And More Is TOO much

Eliot Spitzer

I met him about a year after he resigned (before the divorce) and he was goofy and self deprecating and shorter than I expected with a fit body for a man of his age.

Everything about him exuded "fun fuck".

OP's mother was a black tranny whore with the aids on the inside. She was superlatively ugly.

Martina Navratilova.

Most of the current England senior football squads (mens’ and womens’).

There’s three or four genuinely pretty/handsome ones on both teams, but the rest just stand for a spectrum of degrees on uggo scale from plain albeit cute enough (Patrick Bamford) to charmingly homely (Declan Rice) to alarmingly grotesque (Harry ‘Slabhead’ Maguire).

Vinnie Jones

The term was invented for Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Vincent Cassell (Eastern Block, Black Swan)

In British society, if a girl is described as 'spirited' it's code for ugly as fucking sin.

[quote] The same idea for men is "beau merde."

No, the same idea for men is "joli-laid."

"Beau merde" means "good shit."

The ultimate joli-laid male actor is the Frenchman Dominique Pinon, who you may remember from Jeunet et Caro's "Delicatessen" in the early 90s.

R15 she looks like princess Diana