Does Hollywood Typecast Bald Actors?

Hair loss affects 6.5 million men in the UK. The most common cause for hair loss is male pattern baldness, which is thought to affect 50% of men. Male pattern baldness is where the hairline recedes over a period of years, until the person has lost most of their hair.

For some men, losing their hair can come with several concerns, as a common stereotype of bald men is that they are considered less attractive, both physically and socially. This can come with an acute sense of dread as there is often very little that can be done to stop the effects of hair loss. Researchers at Oxford Online Pharmacy wanted to determine if film and TV are helping reinforce the stereotype. 

With award season around the corner, we’ve analysed the top fifteen films from the top ten bald actors to determine if casting in Hollywood plays into stereotypes when it comes to men who have hair loss. We reviewed a range of factors, from the genre of films, what role they play (good vs. evil), and which traits are the most common.

Which Genres are Bald Actors Most Often Cast In? 

Action and adventure is the most common genre, with 111 (28%) of the films in this category. Actors such as Vin Diesel, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, and Ving Rhames are well-known action heroes, often cast in big action blockbusters. Our bald action heroes include Vin Diesel’s character Dominic Toretto from The Fast and the Furious series (2001 – present) and Bruce Willis playing John McClane in Die Hard (2006).

The second most common film genre bald men are often cast in is drama, with 86 (22%) of films in this category. Actors associated with drama films include Stanley Tucci, Jack Nicholson, Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins, and Ed Harris. Well-known roles include Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Stanley Tucci as Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

Crime, comedy, and thriller complete the top five most common genres of films featuring top bald actors, making up 14%, 12% and 9% of their combined filmography. Only 3% (11) of the genres identified fell into the romance category, and of this 3%, 72% of the bald actors had a supporting role. The lack of bald main characters in romance films further cements the stereotype that bald men are viewed as less attractive than men with hair.

Good or Bad? – The Most Common Roles for Bald Actors to be Cast in

Characters in films are often thought of as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, with some falling into the anti-hero bracket. When it comes to typecasting our bald actors, this isn’t necessarily true, as 43% of roles fell into a more neutral role, as the characters portrayed neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’ roles.

Whilst a smaller percentage of roles, ‘good’ characters are more common at 37%, with 14% of characters being considered ‘bad’, 7% of characters fell into the ‘anti-hero’ role, with a change from ‘good’ to ‘bad’ within the film.

The actor with the highest number of ‘good’ roles is Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, with 73% (11) of the characters he plays falling into this category. The actor with the highest number of ‘bad’ roles is Ed Harris, with 40% (6) of his characters in this role.

Which Characteristics are the Most Commonly Portrayed?

There is more that goes into a role other than a character being ‘good’ or ‘bad’, as each one is made up of several characteristics. Each role can come with both positive and negative traits, despite the characters identified being mostly ‘neutral’ in their roles. 

Negative traits were most identified in six of our ten actors, who portray characteristics such as cynicalness, gruffness, and volatility. Negative traits made up the largest portion at 47%, with positive following closely at 46% and neutral traits making up the smallest portion at 6%.

The actor whose characters have the most negative traits overall is Jack Nicholson. Some of his traits include ‘violent’ and ‘tyrannical’, and some of his biggest roles - the Joker and The Shining - see his character described as ‘a psychopath’, ‘rebellious’, ‘troubled’, ‘hedonistic’, and ‘unlikable’.

The actor who most commonly portrays characters with positive traits is Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson. His characters are often ‘tough’, ‘strong’, and ‘disciplined’ - think Hobbs in The Fast and The Furious series and Spencer in Jumanji (2017). 

Just 7% of characters portrayed by bald actors are neutral – the smallest overall. Descriptors for neutral characteristics include ‘complex’, ‘hacker’, and ‘sarcastic’. The actor who most frequently portrays more neutral characters is Ving Rhames, known for his role as Luther Stickell in Mission: Impossible (1996), where his character portrays a ‘hacker’.

Does Hollywood Reinforce Stereotypes or Challenge Them?

Studies have shown that bald men are considered to be more dominant and authoritative, and experts explain that baldness can be used as a visual marker of extremity or deviation. . It’s well known that when it comes to film and TV, everything is there for a reason, meaning that baldness is intentionally used as a visual cue to portray ultra-masculinity and exploit bias towards men with hair loss.

Bald actors are most frequently cast in action and adventure films, genres that tend to emphasise toughness and aggression, and are rarely cast in romance films. Whilst some of our actors are cast in a more positive light, overall, the characters identified played characters with negative traits. From our research, bald characters are more likely to be written with morally ambiguous traits rather than emotionally complex or romantic ones. This pattern of casting and character development points to a limited and more stereotypical portrayal of bald men in film, rather than a diverse or progressive representation.

Hair loss is a normal part of life for millions of men, and these harmful stereotypes can negatively affect not only how others see you but also how you see yourself. There are treatments for hair loss, for example, Minoxidil encourages regrowth, and Finasteride can slow or even encourage regrowth.

Before you start any treatment, you should have a consultation with a healthcare professional to ensure the medication is suitable for your hair loss. At Oxford Online Pharmacy, we offer a range of regulated hair treatments and online consultations, so you can find the option that works best for you.

Methodology

A seed list of 10 famous male actors who are well recognised as either bald or with thinning hair were selected and researchers analysed 15 films in which they played a main or supporting role.  
Films were excluded from the data if the actor wore a wig, only their voice was used (animated) or if they only gave a cameo performance. 

Character traits were recorded through desktop research across reputable sites such as IMDb. 

https://www.imdb.com/