Five signature moves from legendary actors that are always on screen
There are some actors who are nearly inseparable from their signature moves and quirks that are peppered throughout their on-screen performances, whether it be a unique walking style or a barely imperceivable facial expression that sneakily crops up with every character.
After becoming familiar with any performer’s work, we slowly start to notice the patterns within it. These patterns are sometimes intentional decisions they are proud to have recognised or unconscious decisions they don’t understand themselves.
Over the years, some actors have become associated with a collection of strangely specific gestures that we begin to look out for whenever they appear on screen, almost becoming a form of entertainment in itself as we eagerly watch for them.
It can be as simple as a sordid smile, a raised eyebrow or always, constantly chewing. But whether we like it or not, think it enhances the movie or takes away from it, some actors are as intrinsically connected to their move as they are the face and body they use to implement it.
Signature moves from classic actors:
Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh is one of the greatest actors of her generation, with an intense vulnerability and mesmerising star quality that adds to her magnetic screen presence. Through an intense escalation to global stardom in 2019 with the likes of Midsommar and Little Women, Pugh has gone on to star in films like Dune, Don’t Worry Darling and Oppenheimer, but has become known for one quirk in each of these performances, with a heartbreaking ‘sad face’ as her she tries to refrain herself from crying, resulting in a subtle frown.
Pugh is aware of this expression and has explained how it isn’t an intentional choice; it is just something her face naturally does when she is upset.
Matthew McConaughey
While Pugh’s acting trademark is a facial expression, Matthew McConaughey has a very different move that is probably better known as a catchphrase. After his breakout role in Dazed and Confused, the actor became known for saying the phrase, “alright, alright alright”, in his famous southern drawl.
It has snuck its way into a few of his characters since, with the actor even referencing this in his Oscar acceptance speech in 2014. If you haven’t noticed it before, you certainly will now, and it’s something that sneaks its way into my head whenever I think of his work. Few actors on our list have a genuine catchphrase, and what would be cheesy for any other performer somehow works for McConaughey,
Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson also has a similar verbal tick, with the actor regularly saying the word “wow” in a distinctly Owen Wilson way, something that has been endlessly referenced and made fun of on the internet. Perhaps the word sticks out in his vocabulary because of his particular accent, or maybe it’s an intentional choice, but it is extremely funny when you begin to notice it and watch one of the many compilation videos that are circling the internet.
While there’s a good chance Wilson himself would rather never see the word written on any upcoming script, there’s something wholesome and endearing about Wilson’s general performances that means a doe-eyed “wow” is necessary from time to time.
Kristen Stewart
On a completely different note to a verbal signature move, Kristen Stewart has established her own acting mannerisms over the years. A repeated move has become associated with her characters as the actor often resorts to biting her lip in scenes.
While it is something more obvious in her early roles, naturally being kicked out of her habits in later years following the online scrutiny, the actor occasionally still falls victim to gnawing on her lip. It’s a habit that has been hard to fully shake and was intensely observed following her role in Twilight.
Brad Pitt
Lastly, there is one actor who has become known for a very different trademark: Brad Pitt. Pitt is often featured in scenes in which his characters are eating. There are many movie moments in which Pitt aggressively chomps down on apples, burgers, ice cream, and sandwiches, with his particular eating style becoming recognised for its slightly frenzied nature.
Films like Moneyball, Oceans Eleven, Se7en, and Mr and Mrs Smith all show scenes in which he devours a meal in a rather frantic way, remaining one of the oddest common threads connecting his performances.
