Some of the Most Recognizable Smiles Today

Everyone in the world is different, which makes us so interesting. Sure, some might have the same hair color or style, or the same eye color, but where two people might have the same voice, they may have entirely different eyebrows, teeth or hands. Many pass through our gazes on a daily basis without another glance, but there are people out there with very recognizable features. Either in the grocery store or on the big screen, if you see a person’s features often enough, and they are unique enough, you can name them just by their individual features alone. Take smiles for example. When a person is happy, a natural reaction is to smile by flexing our muscles near the mouth and sometimes eyes. Many famous people have recognizable smiles.

Famous Smiles You May Know

Tom Cruise

Long before his biggest roles that made him as famous as he is today, Tom Cruise didn’t have perfectly straight, bright white teeth. Born in New York, the 5′ 7″ actor  moved to Canada and began taking classes in drama in the fourth grade. He excelled in these classes along with sports until the sixth grade, when his mother finally left Cruise’s abusive father, moving back to the United States. Cruise thought at one point of becoming a priest, but then turned back to acting, and got his first role in 1981 in the movie Endless Love. However, Cruise’s smile is known not for straight, white veneers and dental work that corrected some pretty crooked teeth, but for the fact that his mid-line is very off. What this means is that the space between his two front teeth do not line up with the middle of his nose. You may not have even noticed it yet, but if you look at his smile close up, you will definitely will. A dental defect like this can be corrected with orthodontic work, if it is wanted. Mr. Cruise seems to be perfectly happy with his smile the way it is.

Anna Paquin

Speaking of dental midlines, Anna Paquin, the actress known most for her roles in the HBO television series True Blood (as Sookie Stackhouse) and in some of the X-Men movies (as Rogue), has a large gap between her two front teeth, creating a memorable smile. This canadian actress’ first film appearance was in the early 90s when she was only 11 years old. She had no previous experience with acting, but when she read her part in the audition, she was so impressive even as a child with acting that she was picked from out of over 5,000 other children. Like Tom Cruise, although she has straight, white teeth, it seems that she also doesn’t feel the need to get what is considered a defect in her smile fixed. She is asked about it often in interviews, and each time, she firmly explains she will never need to correct it, as it brings character to her face and smile. Paquin even feels she gets more roles because of it. Regardless, she has a gorgeous smile, and we are happy she isn’t going to change it just because others might not like it.

Steve Buscemi

Born in the late 50s, this American born actor, writer and director was a wrestler in high school before he joined drama classes. The first film he starred in, Trees Lounge, was also written and directed by him. The star is notorious for playing slightly creepy or disturbed characters over the years, and having a set of crooked chompers helped him play the part. In interviews, Buscemi, too, explains he will never fix his famous grin. He explains that it gives him so much character, that without it, he might never work again.

The Cost of Perfection

Anna Paquin and Steve Buscemi are both very good examples of celebrities who refuse to alter their looks to fit into societies definition of perfection. Unfortunately, there are few famous people like them who feel the same way. Too often we see stars get too much plastic surgery and other cosmetic work that it completely changes their appearance, which was perfectly fine to begin with. Celebrities such as Michael Jackson or Lindsay Lohan go from looking soft and innocent with good bone structure and cute dimples to looking like a plastic doll without much personality or expression in their faces at all.

How Much Is Too Much?

Unfortunately, it is not only a common practice but also widely accepted that celebrities use surgery and other cosmetic procedures to alter their looks, making themselves “perfect” in the eyes of society. Many stars such as Joan Crawford went to certain extremes such as having healthy teeth extracted just so her cheekbones would sink in and look more accentuated. She along with others have even become hospitalized as a result of their extreme beauty measures. This is not only unhealthy and sometimes even dangerous, but it also sends the wrong message to those who look up to them.

Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder

A face or a smile doesn’t have to be perfect to society’s standards to be beautiful. We should have more celebrities like Anna Paquin and Steve Buscemi out there showing our children and teens that it is better to be who you are. However, it is extremely important to follow up with your dentist to make sure you have healthy teeth and gums. No matter how straight or crooked your teeth are, they need to be checked and cleaned at your regular exams, otherwise you might end up like Clark Gable: a near full set of dentures at the tender age of 32 and with such bad breath that each of his costars – especially the women he kissed – would constantly complain!