Which movie star, of any era, do you consider to be most quintessentially American?

26 comments

  1. I think John Wayne was a piece of shit but I also think you’d be very hard pressed to pick anyone else.

  2. Jimmy Stewart comes to mind for me. He epitomized the modest but capable American, with whom audiences identified. He was equally at home in small towns, big cities, and the Old West. Directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Mann, and Frank Capra could bring out the dark side lurking under his affable exterior.

  6. Are we talking the roles they play or how they were in real life, because I think those can be two very different things.

  7. It’s Tom Hanks, I think. He’s sorta a Forrest Gump of his own – as his family and history basically has all these little connections with American history. They are related to Abraham Lincoln and Mr Rogers. Dad’s English and Mom is Portuguese. Dad’s in WWII as a Navy Machinist – uses the GI Bill. Becomes a cook– the restaurant he works at is he Sea Wolf Restaurant in Jack London Square!

    His dad was murder by a hired hand with a pitchfork, leaving his wife with kids during the depression. His Kentucky born great grandfather’s name was Daniel Boone Hanks – he moved them to California.

    He didn’t play mythical men like Clint or pretend to be a war hero but refuse to go like John Wayne. He just portrayed lots or real, decent Americans and seem to really have a thing for America and it’s past.

  10. A few come to mind: Kris Kristofferson, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Robert DiNiro are east choices

  20. Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello owned an entire genre of teen beach movies in the 1960s

  26. Tom Hanks and Chadwick Boseman (Rest in Peace)

    Chadwick Boseman played an American Icon in a movie titled 42, It’s a really good movie too!

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