Here’s to you, Mr Robinson
Across all forms of storytelling: Films globally, television shows, books, graphic novels and even Japanese anime, there is one standard character that always makes an appearance — the cool older guy. He combines style with wisdom, is stronger and smarter than his younger protégé when called upon to fight, and is highly popular with
the ladies. The cool older guy (c.o.g) has been played to perfection by popular actors like John Travolta and Bruce Willis — both in their late 50s, and George Clooney — nearly there, at 49. Stretch the age bar by a decade and we have our very own Amitabh Bachchan, with his roles in Bunty Aur Babli and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.
Whether it’s because we’re so used to their onscreen personas or it’s because they actually possess these attributes, many older men continue to enjoy the iconic status they have on screen, off it as well. And while younger actors like Robert Pattinson or Jake Gyllenhaal enjoy a devoted teen female fan following, the older lot has a dedicated fan base that includes not only women, but a sizable chunk of men as well.
Says biotech student Pramod K.P., “If you take someone like Bruce Willis, who is a c.o.g. in real life too, and have him do roles in films like The Sixth Sense or Sin City, where he played the cop Hartigan (another c.o.g character in the original graphic novel), his real life and onscreen personas sort of feed off each other. Willis plays the wisecracking tough guy perfectly.”
For women, the allure of the c.o.g lies in his maturity and confidence. “Confidence in an older man comes across as self-assurance whereas in a younger guy, it may come across as cockiness,” says HR professional Aditi Pewekar, a George Clooney fan.
TV actor Sanjeeda Sheikh agrees: “Men who are 40+ stand out with their grace, maturity, talent and sheer personality. The Khans can still pull off the role of a college student. The younger crop of actors have miles to go before they steal their thunder.”
While the appeal of men in their 40s — like Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman Khan and Brad Pitt — who haven’t yet played quintessential c.o.g characters on screen — has been written about, the appeal of the mentor-like c.o.g figure could do with further exploring. Photographer Shobhan Singh says it may be because the c.o.g falls somewhere between a father and an older brother figure. “He’s not old enough to be part of the earlier generation, but he’s not so young that he hasn’t gained any life perspective,” Singh muses.
Whatever the allure, age is definitely on the side of these cool, older men.
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