What characters in films or television influenced you as a young person?

[Simply Sci-fi]

When I was growing up, there seemed to be no end of heroic, potent and down-right macho characters on television and the cinema. They also showed a more sensitive and caring side. I had many characters as my role models, so I wonder what other peoples were.

Mine would include:

Adam West in Batman (when I was a young kid).
Jack Walsh in Midnight Run. "I've come too far, too far to give up now."
Kirk Douglas in Sparticus.
Nick in Oxford Blues.
Han Solo in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
Hutch in Starsky and Hutch.
Sam Neill in Dead Calm and Until the End of the World.

I wonder what male characters the Millennial generation have as role models, who are adventurous, confident, wise, caring but also potent and quick to action.

 

[pizzathehutt]

Big one for me was Data in Goonies, loved all the gadgets and tricks, I wanted to be him!

I also wanted to be Daniel larusso from The Karate kid

 

[StarWarsFan]

Luke Skywalker
Spider-Man/Peter Parker
Tintin
Alan Grant
Solid Snake

 

[Simply Sci-fi]

Luke Skywalker
Spider-Man/Peter Parker
Tintin
Alan Grant
Solid Snake

Thanks for sharing. What an eclectic selection. What year were you born?

The Tobey Maguire Spiderman?

Alan Grant from Jurassic Park? Sam Neil often plays inspirational good guy roles.

I forgot about cartoon and video game characters (Tintin, Solid Snake). I loved the Trigan Empire comic book series as a kid - plenty of heroic action!

 

[StarWarsFan]

1987, yer the Toby Maguire Spider-man at that age was very much like him shy around girls and not very popular in school could relate to him in a lot of ways.

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

Apart from Luke Skywalker and Han Solo I loved Ponch from Chips, Face from the A-Team and the Hoff in Knightrider. All were so effortlessly cool.

But my all time favourite was Bo from The Dukes of Hazzard. I used to slide across our Vauxhall Chevette bonnet, try and get in and out of the front passenger seat window when my Dad wasn't looking and dreamed of dating Daisy Duke.

I had a dream once that Bo and Luke had been replaced by some crappy wannabe actors and I was haunted for weeks because I wasn't sure if it was real or not. Still don't to this day!

 

[tobedesu]

This is a great thread and I can recall most of my childhood heroes.

It started with Adam West's Batman from the original TV series and Spiderman from the old films.
Christopher Reeves Superman.
Lou Ferrigno's Hulk.
And the Lone Ranger.
I was also a fan of military stuff which I think were influenced from Action Man rather than characters. I wore my dads old RAF beret and had some toy machine guns.
That was the very early days for me.

Then Star Wars came along and Luke Skywalker was the coolest. I never had a toy lightsaber but remember using a plastic sword as one.

John from CHIPS, Face from A-Team, and David Soul from Dukes of Hazard rounded my childhood off.

I got a bit older and got into Bruce Lee.

 

[Dr_Ball_MD]

I always wanted to be Bodie from the Professionals.

 

[Palifan]

John Holmes :wink:

Ian

 

[x-pack]

Short Round from Indiana Jones. I remember something about his auditions on tv and being so envious. Jammy little ****!

 

[yoda]

John Holmes :wink:

Ian

:mrgreen:

 

[poncho]

corey feldman in gremlins goonies lost boys and the burbs. he was the coolest kid in town

 

[Lindo]

Debbie from Debbie does Dallas

 

[Twin30mm]

Roj Blake
Tucker Jenkins
Bodie & Doyle
Indiana Jones
Buck Rogers
Luke & Han

Debbie from Debbie does Dallas

Ah yes, good old Debbie. Up there with Electric Blue videos and 'hedge porn' as quintessential 70s/80s filth.
None of this modern 'shaven haven' malarkey.
'Full bush' all the way.

 

[Section 8]

Star Wars aside. Indiana Jones has to have been the character I copied or imagined being the most.

Others:

Bryan Robson
John Barnes

I wanted to be a hard tackling footballer with silky dribbling skills.

Stringfellow Hawk

I also wanted to blow **** up and fly around in a cool helicopter.

Chorlton (and the Wheelies)

I used to enjoy saying "Hello little old lady".