Phil Collins
You may not realize that Phil Collins (who is, sadly, retiring from music) at one point had an enormous beard. Clearly, Phil Collins does not mess around when it comes to beards — that thing is serious. [Thanks, Eric K]
Wyatt Cenac
Wyatt Cenac is the only Daily Show correspondent rocking a beard (notwithstanding Jon Stewart’s short-lived goatee experiment). Notice how in one picture he’s holding a microphone, and in the next he’s holding an Emmy. Thanks, beards!
William Hurt
Yes, there are pictures of William Hurt with a closer-cropped, more refined beard, but Jesus Christ — look at that thing. That beard is not kidding around.
Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges has been Academy Award nominated for the last two years in a row for roles in which he was bearded. The moral of this story? If you want to be successful, grow a beard.
Alec Baldwin
Oh, beards: is there any face you can’t improve? [Props to the almost disturbingly Alec Baldwin-obsessed Jashugan for the suggestion]
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Ejiofor is already pretty classy without the beard. With the beard? The picture speaks for itself.
Jason Sudeikis
Jason Sudeikis can grow a pretty sweet beard, and yet he was clean-shaven for Hall Pass, which didn’t exactly light the box office on fire over the weekend. Could a bearded Sudeikis have saved that film? Yes. The answer is yes.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale showed up at the Oscars this year with a shaggy, questionable beard that, at first, gave me pause: does this disprove my thesis that every man looks better with a beard? No, of course it doesn’t. Just because you have a bad haircut, doesn’t mean you’d look better bald. Some simple beard maintenance, and Bale will be looking tip-top in no time at all.
