How burly Hollywood tough guys have been replaced by slim & sensitive ‘Soft Boys’ who all have the same four features

IT seems a cataclysmic event has hit Hollywood and wiped out the once- worshipped tough guy – on and off the big screen. The burly leading man has given way to the sensitive “Soft Boy” — defined by a slender frame, sharp jaw, androgynous style and gentle nature. The burley Hollywood hardman is a thing of the past, pictured star Tom Holland Credit: PA Hunk Jacob Elordi Credit: Getty Rejecting the traditional, hyper-masculine actors and characters that have dominated films for decades, this modern archetype is more art-throb than heart-throb. Cinema’s newest generation of stars now look and act like they would rather write a poem than tear off a woman’s dress or shoot a baddie. Two such actors hit the big screen last Friday with the release of their films — post-apocalyptic drama The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi, and rom-com One Night Only with Callum Turner (Mr Dua Lipa). Their characters are nursing broken hearts and opt for fully clothed cuddles over a wild, naked romp that is offered to them. And while both are handsome gentlemen, they are certainly brains over brawn — a quality likely tailored to cinema’s largest audience, the hyper-sensitive and woke Gen Z. This year’s Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue also intimated the end of the ultra-masculine male movie star, with cover headline Let’s Hear It For the Boys! Featuring photos of big- hitters Glen Powell, Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Bailey, Paul Mescal, Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler on a beach, the article claimed leading men are also playing characters defined by “vulnerability”. The story read: “The era of the remote matinee idol — the untouchable, deeply mysterious Hollywood star of the past — is over and the dawn of the almost approachable, appealingly authentic modern actor is in full swing. “Meet the new class of leading men. They’re still fantasy men, yes, but boyfriend-shaped: accessible, kind, vulnerable, and recognisably human.” US actor Michael B. Jordan dons full black earlier in the year Credit: AFP Ultra-masculine male movie star’s are harder to come by, pictured Brit star Andrew Garfield Credit: Getty Long gone are the dominant alpha males who were allergic to self-doubt — like Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo, Die Hard’s John McClane, played by Bruce Willis, and even James Bond. Rugged characters, who spoke the loudest in the room, while pouring a whiskey, have been replaced by sensitive souls who likely have a lactose intolerance. Off screen, the once- unattainable macho stars, such as Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen, have been superseded by actors who are willing to open up about their feelings and post online about their personal life. Their gender-fluid outfits and viral skincare routines resonate with screen-addicted youngsters. Timothee Chalamet has been a regular feature on our screens in the past years Credit: Getty Callum Turner is not like the traditional burly movie star Credit: Getty Hamnet and Gladiator actor Paul Mescal, 30, reflected at last year’s Cannes Film Festival on how masculinity is represented in film, saying that he thinks cinema is departing from classic male roles. He said: “It’s ever-shifting. “Maybe in cinema we’re moving away from the traditional, alpha leading male characters.” Meanwhile, Tom Holland, whose films Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Greek epic The Odyssey are both in cinemas, is not a typical action hero either. Turner is married to Dua Lipa Credit: AP Zendaya, partner to Tom Holland Credit: AP Holland, 30, recently shared that he often crafts at home with his wife Zendaya and that they “absolutely love” crocheting. And recalling his flamboyant, viral performance of Rihanna’s Umbrella on US TV show Lip Sync Battle, he said: “I’ve grown up in the most non-toxic masculine environment possible. “I didn’t realise what I was doing was so forward-thinking. I was just like, ‘Yeah, f**, I’ll put some fishnets on and dance in the rain. That’ll be really fun. I don’t care’.” Compare that to James Bond star Sean Connery, 90, who once famously said: “I like women. I don’t understand them, but I like them.” For decades, male characters were expected to be emotionally unavailable, with rock-hard muscles and steely gazes. Jacob in The Dog Stars Credit: PA Chalamet and Zendaya in Dune Credit: Alamy Crying was unthinkable and, if they were close to tears, it was usually over the death of a faithful dog, or quickly followed by a violent brawl. The emotionally vulnerable characters were often awkward nerds or bumbling sidekicks, only there to bolster the main man and show how hard-as-nails he is. But now, our on-screen heroes are encouraged to show empathy and sensitivity wherever they turn. These characters cry, fret, question their own behaviour, and write in journals. Callum Turner in new movie One Night Only Credit: Alamy Traditional Hollywood hardman Sean Connery as Bond Credit: Getty Images – Getty Jacob Elordi, 29, has also spoken openly about leaning into his own femininity. Reflecting on being teased as a teenager for doing theatre, the Saltburn star shared: “When they said I was gay, I remember leaning into the make-up . . . I was like, ‘If I’m going to be the King of the Fairies, I’m going to be the fing hottest King of the Fairies you have ever seen’. “I stepped away from beer culture and from sport culture, and I was like, well, ‘If you think this is gay, I’m going to be who I am’.” Our modern action stars now talk about self-care. Sylvester Stallone as iconic Rambo in 1985 Credit: Alamy Clint Eastwood starred as the tough guy in his movies Credit: Getty After standout roles in the Running Man and Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell has been touted as the new Tom Cruise, 64. But the muscleman said in an interview with GQ last year: “I feel it’s cool and tough to be open and vulnerable.” Powell, 37, added that, rather than meet friends at a bar, he brings them to a sauna or an ice bath, as it’s better for his health and wellbeing. But the ultimate poster boy for Hollywood’s Soft Boy is, without a doubt, Timothee Chalamet, 30. With tousled hair and the sharpest of jawlines, he didn’t even beef up to play warrior Paul Atreides in sci-fi epic Dune. And on the red carpet, Chalamet has leaned into boundary-pushing tailoring including a red backless co-ord at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, and a shimmering tank top to the Wonka premiere in Paris a year later. Bruce Willis in Die Hard 1995 Credit: Getty American actor Steve McQueen on the set of The Great Escape Credit: Getty On representing masculinity on screen, he said there was “a real excitement from our generation about doing things in a new way”. Chalamet added: “There isn’t a specific notion, or jean size, or muscle shirt, or affectation, or eyebrow raise, or dissolution, or drug use that you have to take part in to be masculine. “It’s exciting. It’s a brave new world.” And experts agree with him. Last year, a report from the National Research Group (NRG) found 47 per cent of men aged 13 to 30 look to celebrities and fictional characters as role models. Fergus Navaratnam-Blair, research direc-tor for NRG, said: “You don’t necessarily see one concrete vision of what masculinity is in Hollywood. “Timothee Chalamet is a great example of trying to create this newer version of masculinity. “In something like Dune, he balances the action-hero element with the philosopher element.” Even the old guard are trying to get in on the scene, too. Last year, human bulldozer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 54, wore a pleated skirt over trousers to the Met Gala, telling reporters: “The most masculine men wear skirts.” It seems Hollywood really has gone soft. Gentle giants on film HERE are some recent movies where The Soft Boy is centre stage. THE DRAMA: An explosive confession throws a perfect couple’s wedding into disarray. This forces Robert Pattinson’s character to spend much of the film talking about his feelings to a pal and trying to win over his love interest, played by Zendaya, by discussing books. TONY: Superstar chef Anthony Bourdain described his younger self as “narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless”. Yet, in this film based on his early life, Dominic Sessa plays him as a quiet, deep thinker who chooses not to have sex with a girl because he feels bad about lying to her. THE INVITE: The hilarious story about horny neighbours who are trying to entice their new friends into swinging sees Seth Rogan’s character excited by the prospect, but unable to get over his insecurities about his failing relationship. HAMNET: William Shakespeare, played by Paul Mescal, is portrayed as quite the feminist in this story about the death of his son, Hamnet.Not only does he marry an older woman, but he also supports her when family members despair of their union, which was pretty progressive for the time. DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE: Bruce Springsteen openly talked about “womanising” early in his career. But, in this story about the recording of the album Nebraska in the 1980s, Jeremy Allen White’s portrayal is a man who often stares off into the distance and mostly wants to be left alone by the opposite sex.