15 Hollywood Archetypes

Well, another summer is about to begin, and, once again, I don’t plan on seeing any of the summer “blockbusters” that are coming out. I just can’t work up much enthusiasm for the big summer debut. The problem is that now, in my 50s, I have seen so many movies that I recognize the same characters over and over in an endlessly repeating loop.  Don’t believe me? Check out the list below…

The Dark Prince

Brooding, sexy, and smart, the Dark prince is often caught up in a hopeless battle against a larger system that is both impersonal and oppressive. These guys don’t smile a lot.

Famous Examples:

• Errol Flynn
• Robert Redford
• Nicholas Cage
• Leonardo Dicaprio
• Matthew McConaughey

The Vixen (with a Brain)

This archetype is reserved for actresses whose sex appeal is so strong that it blasts off the screen like a blowtorch. But the magic comes when the viewer realizes that there is much more to these women than just a pretty face. Often portrayed as a scarlet woman or a femme fatale, this archetype always has a troubled past and is unable to sustain a genuine relationship.

Famous Examples:

• Marlene Dietrich
• Elizabeth Taylor
• Kathleen Turner
• Kim Basinger
• Scarlett Johansson

The Man’s Man

(a.k.a., The Thinking Woman’s Bit of Rough)

These guys are great-looking and athletic. But they also have a dark, deflected aspect that makes them difficult to accept in leading-man roles. (They also tend to have cleft-chins; go figure.)

Famous Examples:

• Clark Gable
• Robert Mitchum
• Sean Bean
• Jeremy Renner
• Channing Tatum

The White Queen

These beautiful, WASPy actresses have an intellectual presence and intensity which reminds one of, well… a queen.  (This is a role which they often play). They are sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, and—not surprisingly—sexy.  They have tragic romances with men who are not as smart or commanding as they are.

Famous Examples:

• Katherine Hepburn
• Meryl Streep
• Judi Dench
• Helen Mirren
• Cate Blanchett

Athena the Warrior Princess

Brave, athletic, smart, and self-reliant, these women are born fighters. But their main appeal lies in a combination of defiance and vulnerability. These are the tomboys that all real boys secretly fall in love with.

Famous Examples:

• Ursula Andress
• Carrie Fisher
• Sigourney Weaver
• Angelina Jolie
• Jennifer Lawrence

The Goddess Next Door

This archetype is a variation of the Vixen with a Brain, but with a more reserved kind of sex appeal. Although these actresses are classically beautiful, they manage to project the illusion of ordinary good-looks while at the same time giving intense psychological performances.

Famous Examples:

• Nathalie Wood
• Michelle Pfeiffer
• Julia Roberts
• Kate Winslet
• Keira Knightley

The Terminator

An invincible killing machine, the Terminator is all about size and overwhelming strength (which means the actor in question is usually a big dude). As a result of his awesome physical power, the Terminator is unable to maintain any kind of meaningful human relationship. This is perhaps the most ancient of all the archetypes.

Famous Examples:

• John Wayne
• Clint Eastwood
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Vin Diesel
• The Rock

The Noble Everyman

An ordinary man faced with an impossible situation, the Noble Everyman turns heroic when the situation calls for it.  This is the guy that most nebbishes can imagine themselves turning into when things get rough.  

Famous Examples:

• Jimmy Stewart
• Jack Lemon
• Harrison Ford
• Tom Hanks
• Liam Neeson

The Trickster God

Trickster Gods are a special form of anti-hero. They tend to be underdogs who use their brains instead of their muscles, turning their enemies’ strengths against them. Motivated primarily by selfish desire, greed, or even cowardice, they still do the right thing when it’s required.

Famous Examples:

• William Holden
• Burt Reynolds
• Jonny Depp
• Robert Downey, Jr.
• Chris Pratt

The Black Trickster God

This is an inner-city variation of the Trickster God, wherein a quick-witted black guy uses his street-smarts and humor to outsmart the dumb (and usually white) bad guys. These tricksters are much beloved characters whose niche is particularly American.  Best of all, they always get the last laugh.

Famous Examples:

• Richard Pryor
• Eddie Murphy
• Martin Lawrence
• Chris Tucker

Hamlet the Thinker

The characters have all the appeal of the Dapper Rake (see below), but with a brooding edge.  They tend to be very fine Shakespearean actors who can play intense, dark roles.  They also use their voices to great effect (often earning the scorn of American actors who see them as “reciters”).

Famous Examples:

• Lawrence Olivier
• Richard Burton
• Richard Harris
• Ian McKellen
• Benedict Cumberbatch
• Eddie Redmayne

Prince Valiant

This is a variation of the Terminator archetype (see above), but with less emphasis on brawn and more on courage and valor.  The Prince Valiant (a.k.a. Achilles) figure tends to be less physically imposing but more athletic (not to mention more brave).  

Famous Examples:

• Tom Cruise
• Brad Pitt
• Matt Damon
• Will Smith
• Chris Hemsworth

The Dapper Rake

These are English actors who always look like they just stepped out of a GQ cover. Their sex appeal is based on style, humor, and a particular kind of British Elegance.  These are also amoral and selfish, especially to women. But they are lots of fun.

Famous Examples:

• Cary Grant
• Michael Caine
• Roger Moore
• Hugh Grant
• Jude Law
• Idris Elba

The Existential Anti-Hero

The existential anti-hero is the most important film archetype of the post-war era. From Rick Blaine in Casablanca to Jake Gittes in Chinatown, the antihero is a man who has suppressed his fundamental decency in order to survive in a corrupt, amoral world. Only when he is confronted with an irresistible emotional impulse (usually in the form of a beautiful, helpless woman) does he break out of his shell of callous indifference.   

Famous Examples:

• Humphrey Bogart
• Paul Newman
• Jack Nicholson
• Gene Hackman
• William Hurt
• Jake Gyllenhaal

The Method Dude

It might seem strange to state that method actors, who spend enormous energy in their attempt to submerge their own egos into that of their characters, might comprise their own kind of archetype. But I think they do. The archetype of this archetype is, of course, Marlon Brando, who revolutionized not only film acting but acting in general. All of our great “heavy-weight” actors since have, to a greater or lesser degree, emulated Brando in their mannerisms and  vocal technique. They also share a specific interpretation of masculinity that has more to do with exploration and intellectual courage than with mere muscle.

Famous Examples:

• Marlon Brando
• Montgomery Clift
• Al Pacino
• Robert Deniro
• Dustin Hoffman
• Daniel Day-Lewis

Author’s Note: a slightly different version of this post first ran on my old blog, Bahktin’s Cigarettes, in 2016.