Mustaches have been popular throughout history and the variety is amazing.
From pencil-thin whiskers to full horseshoe mustaches, men sported a stunning range of facial hair in the past.
But not only men have been wearing mustaches. We also spotted a few women who made a mustache look sexy in film and TV adverts.
If you are after some inspiration for this Movember or you just want to see how others styled their mustache in the past, then here are our top 40 most famous mustaches.
The 40 Most Famous Mustaches In History
From actors and film directors to politicians and sport personalities, we found a huge range of mustaches that are worth a look.
1. Charlie Chaplin
One of the most famous silent actors of the 20th century, Charlie Chaplin sported a traditional toothbrush mustache.
This mustache style was hugely popular in the 1920s although it quickly fell out of fashion, and you don’t really see this type of mustache anymore today.
2. Albert Einstein
Einstein was known for his fun mustache style, and if you don’t think immediately of the Theory of Relativity when you hear Einstein, then you definitely remember his mustache.
It’s a little wild and unkempt which isn’t very fashionable today.
3. Friedrich Nietzsche
It was quite a common facial hair style amongst philosophers to show off a large mustache but Nietzsche’s facial hair left such an impression with people that it even has its own Facebook page.
4. Sam Elliott
While he was still clean-shaven at the beginning of his career, Sam Elliot quickly became famous for his prominent facial hair.
5. Salvador Dali
Dali’s stylish mustache doesn’t really come as a surprise when you look at a picture of Dali after looking at his paintings.
It’s wild, wacky and just untamed with a seriously sharp edge. He expresses his artistic understanding in his mustache turning his facial hair into some serious art.
6. Mark Twain
While most of us may have just read Twain’s books, it’s worth taking a closer look at the man’s classic American walrus mustache for inspiration.
7. David Harbour (As Hopper)
David Harbour is seriously rocking a good looking mustache in his role as Hopper in the series Stranger Things.
8. Emiliano Zapata
Politicians are famous for their neatly trimmed mustaches. The Mexican leader Zapata created a revolution in the country.
The figure Zapata inspired loyalty and awe at the time, and his commanding and dramatic mustache played a big role.
9. Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury became not just famous for his amazing performances as Queen frontman but his mustache was part of the role he played on stage.
10. Burt Reynolds
One of the best known actors from the 1970s and 80s, many of us couldn’t even imagine Burt Reynolds without his iconic mustache.
11. Mandy Patinkin (As Inigo Montoya)
The movie The Princess Bride was hugely popular in the 1980s, and Mandy Patinkin played one of the main roles with a rather good looking mustache.
12. Theodore Roosevelt
The 26th US President Theodore Roosevelt was known for his passionate speeches as well as his authoritative signature mustache.
13. Walter Cronkite
The anchor-shaped mustache of the TV commentator Walter Cronkite was a regular sight for many.
14. Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo may be best known for her colorful designs today, but she rocked a very subtle female mustache.
Many say that her mustache wasn’t intended but whatever the reason, it suited her style of being an independent woman at the time.
15. John Waters
The well-known American movie director John Waters wasn’t in the spotlight very often.
Whenever a journalist managed to get a shot of him, Waters’ thin trademark mustache was simply the center of all attention.
16. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King’s speeches for civil rights and social change were just as sharp as his clean-cut mustache which gave him a trusting look.
17. Mike Ditka
One of the most famous sports mustaches, Mike Ditka’s facial hair was the subject of much discussion in the press.
18. General Ambrose Burnside
This is the famous man who inspired the sideburns, and when you look at his impressive mustache, you can clearly see why.
19. Clark Gable
Clark Gable and the film Gone with the Wind, where he played a main role, are forever fused together.
The mustache of this Hollywood icon was beautifully sculpted and sleek.
20. Milo Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia has gone through so many different versions of facial hair in the past, that you might not recognize him instantly in a sporty mustache.
21. Will Ferrell (As Ron Burgundy)
One of the most famously thick TV mustaches, Will Ferrell managed to play his role as Ron Burgundy in Anchorman only thanks to his iconic mustache.
22. Alex Trebek
As the face of Jeopardy since 1984, Alex Trebek and his mustache has been part of our TV life for many years.
The American-Canadian TV personality even received a number of Emmys (though sadly not for his mustache).
23. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy isn’t just known for his acting and singing career but the neatly trimmed and subtle mustache of the comedian makes him fit so well into a range of roles.
24. Reggie Jackson
As the iconic Mr. October with the Yankees, the baseball player Reggie Jackson sported a truly good swing as well as a sweet mustache.
He clearly proved that you can focus on your game and look good at the same time.
25. Efren Ramirez (As Pedro)
There are quite a few impressive mustaches in the iconic film Napoleon Dynamite but we found that Efren Ramirez as Pedro just showed the most iconic ‘stache.
26. Henry Cavill (As August Walker)
Cavill’s mustache in his role as August Walker must have been the most expensive mustache throughout history.
Cavill was growing his neat mustache for this iconic role in Mission Impossible: Fallout but he also played a key role in Justice League at exactly the same time.
One role with and another without mustache cost the production company millions of dollars to simply remove Cavill’s mustache after production.
27. Steve Harvey
Actor, presenter and comedian, Steve Harvey will be forever remembered for his different TV shows, as well as his classic mustache.
28. Geraldo Rivera
As a talk show host and journalist, you have to go with the times but Geraldo Rivera often resisted any trends sporting his signature mustache for many decades.
29. Rebecca Romijn
This mustache isn’t quite as obvious as with some actors or sports personalities. Rebecca Romijn was the cover girl of the “Got Milk?” campaign.
This meant she ended up drinking plenty of milk and quite a lot of it was left above her upper lip in different adverts.
30. Prince
If you didn’t look close enough, you could have missed it. Prince’s legendary mustache was barely there, even with the bright stage lights.
31. Brian Cranston (As Walter White)
Brian Cranston in his iconic role as Walter White occasionally swaps his traditional mustache into a goatee.
32. Wilford Brimley
As an outspoken actor and a spokesman for Quaker Oats, Wilford Brimlet chose to keep an almost timeless mustache.
33. Groucho Marx
Today, we know that Groucho Marx’s mustache was fake but in our heads, it will forever be one of the best known mustaches in the world.
34. Daniel Day Lewis (As Daniel Plainview)
Daniel Day Lewis is quite famous for sprint some of the most iconic film mustaches. You can see a neat 19th century mustache in his film Gangs of New York or his role as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.
35. Sacha Baron Cohen (As Borat)
Nobody probably remembers Cohen’s real name but when we say Borat, you probably start to imagine this funky figure with a super prominent mustache (and a lime green mankini).
36. Tom Selleck
There are quite a few mustache styles name after Tom Selleck’s iconic 1970s ‘stache. It was the perfect facial hair for the era.
37. Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers’ mustache was a financial deal at first.
He was initially paid to grow his facial hair, and a few decades later, he loves his waxed handlebar mustache making him the most iconic baseball faces ever.
38. Hulk Hogan
If you type in horseshoe mustache into Google, you will get plenty of pictures of Hulk Hogan pop up. His mustache is just unforgettable.
39. Lionel Ritchie
Lionel Ritchie once has been asked how he keeps his mustache so neatly trimmed. His simple answer was “with tweezers”.
A good mustache takes a little bit of time, so if you want to enjoy a neat ‘stache, then spend a few spare minutes in front of the mirror.
40. Nick Offerman
American Nick Offerman has a love-hate relationship with his mustache. Perhaps that’s the reason why he occasionally switches over to a beard.
But whatever his facial hair at anytime, he always seems to look the part in a classic mustache.
Final Thoughts
Mustaches have been around for hundreds of years, and we hope that other men will love them in the future.
Looking back in time, mustaches may have changed with every era, but the iconic men wearing them stayed true to themselves at all times.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good, but there is such a lack of resources out there for men!
This website is for people like past me, who would have loved some guidance when first starting out.
Please enjoy my content. Trust me, bro - we’ll find you the perfect regime within no time.
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