Tough guy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A tough guy is an intimidating man who excels at personal combat. Such people are commonly thought to be athletic, laconic, ruthless, stoic and virile.
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[edit] Synonyms
- Badass
- Hard Man, common usage in Britain
- Man's Man
The phrase "real man" is also is used but it now has humorous connotations, being used to lampoon stereotypical tough guy behavior; for example, "real men don't eat quiche".
[edit] Examples
Real tough guys in history include:
- Attila the Hun
- Blackbeard the pirate
- Liver-Eating Johnson
- Shaka, King of the Zulus
- Spartacus
- Wild Bill Hickock
- Wyatt Earp
Actors who are famous for playing this role include:
- Bruce Willis
- Charles Bronson
- Clint Eastwood
- Humphrey Bogart
- James Cagney
- James Coburn
- Lawrence Tierney
- Lee Marvin
- Ray Winstone
- Robert Mitchum
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Sylvester Stallone
Some tough guys were cast in movies because of their previous macho credibility in genuinely super tough to the max activities such as martial arts or sports such as:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger - bodybuilding champion
- Audie Murphy - war hero
- Bill Goldberg - wrestler
- Bruce Lee - kung fu master
- Chuck Zito - bodyguard
- Chuck Norris - karate champion
- Dolph Lundgren - karate champion
- Hulk Hogan - wrestler
- Ice Cube - gangsta rapper
- Ice T - gangsta rapper
- Jet Li - wushu champion
- Jean-Claude Van Damme - karate champion
- Steven Seagal - aikido master
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - wrestler
- Vinnie Jones - footballer
Notable fictional tough guys
- James Bond - an archetype which transcends the actors playing the role
- Ripley from Alien - notable in that a woman is the tough guy.
