Introduction

Since the very start of this feature Mr Clint Eastwood has been high on the list. 

Something that impressed us especially here at braingunk was that Clint has managed over the years to cement himself at the very pinnacle of not one, but two highly competitive and totally masculine archetypes and all without rapping at the door of cliché once.

The phrase "Wild West Hero" could have been coined just for the man himself.  From his early work as Rowdy Yates on the TV show Rawhide, through his unforgettable performances in the "Dollars" trilogy of spaghetti westerns, to the brilliant bookend of his western career Unforgiven, Clint always managed to portray a new kind of western man who was distinctly different to those everyone was familiar with and yet instantly felt right...

It's been almost an entire year since we started the Man's Man's Man feature.  There have been some controversial choices along the way and a lot of rubbing of heads trying to work out who should be next. But there was never a shadow of a doubt that the following gent would make the list.  In fact he was the very first one we thought of, but we've been saving the best until last.  As you know the criteria by which the Man's Man's Men are selected is not as obvious as one might expect and although all of our previous nominees have ticked all the boxes, this our final Man's Man's Man takes those boxes, folds them up and puts them in his pocket and saunters off with them, probably to a lavish casino or something. 

Yes when the concept of Man's Man's Man came into being this was the guy we were thinking of, the top dog, the A number 1. the king of men (sadly no longer with us), he lit up the silver screen and the racetrack alike, yes none other than Steve McQueen...

braingunk's latest Man’s Man’s Man is possibly a bit of a surprise for some, but he impressed us with his portrayal of a killer with a heart in Leon.

Yes, it's Jean Reno, that smouldering slice of Gallic charm. Or is it? Turns out, he was born in Morocco to Spanish parents (slight clue: real name Juan Moreno y Herrera Jiménez ).

He didn't move to France until he was 17.

Who'd have thought it?...

Welcome intelligentsia one and all to this week’s Man’s Man’s Man (wasn’t that a Spencer Tracy movie? Or was that mad, mad... no matter).

Our person of epicness is none other than Christopher Walken. Much to my amazement, he clocks in at 6 foot (1.83m for those of the offshore disposition). He looks about 6 foot 3 to my eyes such is his presence, so that’s a big tick right there.

One day, I found myself downing a pint or two with the esteemed Mr braingunk himself, when we started talking about who was a proper “man’s man” and why.

Now, I suspect that because we’re both ‘of a certain age’ our idea of what that constitutes compared to other people’s idea might be on slightly different buses. But our criteria were as follows:

1. He has charisma overload
2. You wouldn’t want to fight him
3. He's not a twat
4. He is über cool