What girl can resist a charming bad boy, especially when good looks are part of the package? Though we may not like to admit it, rogues can be very sexy. These popular actors aren’t necessarily bad boys in real life, but they have an undeniable talent for playing them on-screen. From the gritty Mark Wahlberg to sophisticated Hugh Grant, here are five big screen bad boys we can’t resist.
Leonardo DiCaprio: A versatile actor who became famous for portraying tenderhearted romantic leads in such movies as mega hit Titanic and Romeo + Juliet in the 1990s, the baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio later stunned audiences with his aptitude for playing bad boys. Although Leo hasn’t completely given up playing good guys, he seems to be gravitating more toward anti-hero roles like the controversial Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Johnny Depp: A popular actor with audiences and critics alike, Johnny Depp has played such a wide range of characters he could never be labeled a typical bad boy, although a number of his most memorable roles have been in the bad boy vein, particularly the darkly comical villain Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Most recently, he impressed moviegoers with his portrayal of mobster Whitey Bulger in Black Mass.
Matthew McConaughey: With his sly Southern charm, Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey can get away with the kind of bad boy high jinks on-screen that would be difficult for other actors to pull off. Whether he’s playing the scheming advertising executive Benjamin Barry from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, charmster Dallas in Magic Mike, or a gangster in The Newton Boys, he usually comes out smelling like a rose.
Mark Wahlberg: The kind of bad boy who is popular with both male and female audiences, the tough and earthy Mark Wahlberg is a natural bad boy in roles such as Daniel Lugo from the hit 2013 film Pain & Gain, as well as essentially edgy characters who are basically good like Micky Ward in The Fighter.
Hugh Grant: Although he’s portrayed plenty of good guys in movies like Notting Hill, suave Brit Hugh Grant excels at playing bad boys, most famously as cad Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones’ Diary. However, Grant’s real specialty is the reformed bad boy, who starts out as a rogue at the beginning of the film and becomes the perfect combination of naughty and nice by the end, such as the character of arrogant playboy George Wade in Two Weeks Notice.