GregHowley.com

Here's a trend that I've noticed amongst notable actors. They have an excellent career as a young attractive actor, then reach a certain age and undergo an image change. The actor will grow a beard and forego any attempt to look young, adopting an older distinguished look. It's often difficult to even tell that it's the same actor.

I first noticed this with Sean Connery. The earliest movie I can remember seeing him in was Darby O'Gill and the Little People, in which he had to have been in his twenties. Then, somewhere in the 80s, after his James Bond days are done, he shows up in The Highlander sporting grey hair and a beard. For some reason it didn't strike me until I saw The Hunt for Red October in the theater. Odd that I remember thinking that.

Another actor who's pulled pretty much the same thing is Jeff Bridges. I loved him in Tron and The Big Lebowski, but he retained his young image even as late as K-Pax in 2001. It wasn't until he played Obadiah Stane in Iron Man that he wore a bald cap and showed off his new old guy image. Then he appeared in True Grit and just delivered a kickass performance. He was so great in that.

But the actor who (to me) is really unrecognisable when you compare young-him and old-him is James Spader. I mean, check this out. Remember what he looked like in Sex, Lies, and Videotape? Yeah - that was the same guy. I wish I gotten the picture of him with big hair. Now he's doing The Blacklist and he is so very different.

Anyway, this is just a point of interest I felt obliged to discuss. Talk amongst yourselves, internet.