10 Film Actors Who Had the Balls to Go Full-Frontal On-Screen
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There is a clearly disproportionate display of female nudity compared to male nudity in Hollywood, in both film and TV (with anything on HBO perhaps being an exception to the rule). Seeing a woman naked on-screen is basically a given for any film with an R rating at this point, whereas male full-frontal is a rarity.
Men are often ‘tastefully shielded’ out of view with a strategically placed prop. But why? Is the male body so much more offensive? (It’s not.) Or do we just treat women’s bodies as commodities in our culture? (We do.)
What we can determinately say is that there are a handful of men who haven’t let us down. These actors had the balls (pun very much intended) to sign on for male full-frontal on-screen, and we want them to know that we appreciate them. All of them.
Here are 10 actors who didn’t shy away from male full-frontal on-screen:
1. Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley
Jude Law will be hot forever, but 1990s Jude Law was on another level. In The Talented Mr. Ripley he plays Dickie Greenleaf, a rich Princeton graduate who gets caught up in Tom Ripley’s madness. But not before baring it all on-camera, of course.
2. Kevin Bacon in Wild Things
Is Wild Things a good movie? Maybe. Does it give us a male full-frontal shower scene with Kevin Bacon, as well as a whole slew of steamy scenes? Yes. And for that, we appreciate it.
3. Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting (and at least four other films)
Trainspotting, Pillow Book, Young Adam, Long Way Round and Velvet Goldmine … take your pick. Ewan McGregor is no stranger to male full-frontal scenes, and seems to be somewhat of a romantic. In an interview with Out magazine, he said, “I’m always interested in playing different people, in different situations. It doesn’t matter to me whether someone is in love with a man or a woman. I find the idea of love and romance interesting. I’m a sucker for it. I like playing someone who’s falling in love because I like the sensation of it.”
4. Diego Luna in Y Tu Mamá También
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, this coming-of-age story is filled with sex, infidelity and more sex. Both Diego Luna and Gabriel García Bernal take part in some steamy sex scenes, including a threesome with actress Maribel Verdú.
5. Gabriel García Bernal in Y Tu Mamá También
We cannot stress enough how insanely hot both Diego Luna and Gabriel García Bernal are in this film.
6. Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
For those of us who fell in love with Aragorn, this gangster film offered us a new … perspective … on the actor. Eastern Promises was critically acclaimed when it came out in 2007, and its naked bathhouse fight scene is a sure highlight.
7. Tom Hardy in Bronson
Yes, Tom Hardy plays British criminal Charles Bronson, who was notorious for how violent he was. Yes, Tom Hardy is incredibly terrifying in this role. Yes, Tom Hardy is also incredibly sexy. All of these things can be true.
8. Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained
Tarantino’s revisionist Western has Jamie Foxx playing the titular role of a freed slave hunting criminals in the South, ultimately on a mission to rescue his wife. While the film is undoubtedly less sexy and more brutal, Foxx is still — forgive me — a major fox.
9. Michael Fassbender in Shame
This film by the great Steve McQueen is emotional and difficult, detailing the life of Brandon (played by Fassbender), who’s a sex addict. It also features male full-frontal scenes that even George Clooney was a fan of.
10. Ken Jeong in The Hangover
A comedy classic involving a tiger, a missing groom and Mike Tyson, The Hangover also features Ken Jeong jumping out of the trunk of a car completely naked and beating three men up with a crowbar. Everyone has a good time … eventually.
Potentially: Harry Styles in My Policeman
We don’t know a ton about My Policeman yet, but we do know that Harry Styles is reportedly starring in some pretty intimate scenes — and with another man (David Dawson). While the details of these scenes are just speculation at this point, it is rumored that “Harry will be having sex on-screen and they want it to look as real as possible.” Could that mean some male full-frontal moments? Doubtful, but hey, one can hope.
