While a perfect set of pearly whites was once Hollywood’s most coveted accessory, a new generation of stars are shunning veneers in favour of their natural, gap-toothed grins.
Straight, blindingly white teeth were once something of a prerequisite for Hollywood stardom – with icons like Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, and James Dean all in possession of a million-dollar smile.
But it appears the tide is changing in 2025, as a raft of stars with famously wonky teeth have proven they can be an asset – not a liability – to their acting careers.
Sometimes dubbed ‘British teeth’ – because those in the UK are apparently a little less obsessed with dental perfection, a characterful smile is proving a hit with fans who favour authenticity over artifice.
And while there’s a new roster of advocates for natural gnashers, the trend was first sparked by sultry French songstress Vanessa Paradis, who shot to fame with Joe Le Taxi at the age of just 14 in 1987.
When asked whether she’s insecure about the gap between her front teeth, Vanessa playfully quipped: ‘I can spit water through them. They’re useful!’
The ex of Johnny Depp also credited her distance from Hollywood as the reason she never felt the need to undergo dental work to alter her smile that became something of a trademark.
Much like Vanessa, these stars all have their own signature smiles – but can you match them to their famous owners?
1. Bullied for ‘Bugs Bunny’ teeth
Her stint on The White Lotus’s third season, released earlier this year, catapulted the Manchester-native to global fame – an outcome she never expected considering her working-class background and unconventional looks
The 31-year-old has previously revealed she was bullied by her ‘posh’ classmates for her Stockport accent and relentlessly teased about her ‘Bugs Bunny’ teeth while growing up.
The star, who lives in South East London but has already left her mark on the world stage, also admitted her decision not to get Botox or have her teeth straightened feels ‘rebellious’ as the spotlight shines brightly on her.
This week, she also discussed how her chompers have become a hot-button topic in the dentist community during an interview with Jonathan Ross.
‘I can’t believe the impact my teeth are having. The Americans can’t believe it. They’re being lovely [and there’s] videos of orthodontists coming up [online] analysing my teeth,’ she shared.
2. Going for gold
This Hollywood hunk, who wears his natural smile with style, has played the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, starred in one of the most divisive films in recent memory, been the face of Calvin Klein, and was appointed Bottega Veneta’s brand ambassador
This Australian heartthrob has charted an unconventional career path; after being signed to one of Netflix’s most successful rom-com franchises in 2018, he was cast as TV’s baddest boy in a part that’s earned him widespread critical acclaim.
Since then, he has played the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, starred in one of the most divisive films in recent memory, been the face of Calvin Klein, and was appointed Bottega Veneta’s brand ambassador.
He has also had a slew of high-profile romances, including with Zendaya, Joey King, and Kaia Gerber, with the 6’5 hunk currently rumoured to be dating Olivia Jade Giannulli, an influencer and YouTuber.
3. Model smile
In 2008, this ‘nepo baby’ and model told the Daily Mail: ‘I wouldn’t even have braces on my teeth. I like the fact that I have good old-fashioned British teeth with a big gap’
When this ‘nepo baby’ and model first posed with red lipstick in the noughties, showcasing her gap-tooth grin, the then teenager caused a storm in a good way.
In 2008, she told the Daily Mail: ‘I wouldn’t even have braces on my teeth. I like the fact that I have good old-fashioned British teeth with a big gap.
‘Who wants those gleaming white cosmetically enhanced American teeth?’
In fact, the 33-year-old, who recently welcomed her first child last October, has made a career out of the gap in her front teeth, with agencies desperate to sign the daughter of one of England’s most famous musicians for her original look.
4. Sweet tooth
If he’s not in the news for his Oscar-worthy performances, this 29-year-old is making headlines for his current relationship with one of the most famous women in the world.
5. Chef’s kiss
While she made her film debut with an uncredited role in the 2020 dramedy Shithouse, it was her turn as a sous-chef with impressive omelette-making skills that made the talented comedian a household name
This 29-year-old actress and television writer, who hails from Massachusetts, Boston, has been a regular fixture on the awards circuit in recent years.
While she made her film debut with an uncredited role in the 2020 dramedy S**house, it was her turn as a sous-chef with impressive omelette-making skills that made the talented comedian a household name.
6. Defying the norm
She maybe of the hottest stars of the moment, but she’s also holding space for dental authenticity.
This Oscar-nominated actress, 38, graduated from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and earned a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple five years after she graduated.
7. Fit for a Queen
The music icon’s celebrity impersonator went to such extreme lengths to copy her appearance that she asked a dentist to drill a gap between her front teeth so her smile was just like the singer’s
In 2018, a celebrity impersonator – who became almost as famous as their muse – made headlines for their commitment to their job.
Chris America, from Washington D.C., went to such extreme lengths to copy the appearance of this musical icon that she asked a dentist to drill a gap between her front teeth so her smile was just like the singer’s.
Chris described the gap as a ‘staple’ of the popstar’s look, adding: ‘It’s very endearing.’
8. In the game for tooth long
This Oscar-nominee famously bragged about the dismal state of his teeth in a 1995 Premiere magazine interview, when he admitted he had ‘loads of cavities‘.
The remarks were unearthed by American outlet Page Six after his appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, which prompted fans to troll him for his ‘rotten’ gnashers.
In the Premiere article, he had previously declared: ‘I’ve got loads of cavities. I had a root canal done eight years ago that’s unfinished. It’s like a rotten little stub.’
He insisted: ‘But I like it. It’s like when the Indians would make something beaded, they would always put imperfections on it.’
9. Rapper’s delight
Character: Top Boy star Kano has a perfectly imperfect set of gnashers, says body language expert Judi James
The actor, who was once approached by men’s fashion designer Hugo Boss to model for the brand, has remained true to his roots in more ways than one.
Not only does he continue to speak on behalf of Britain’s youth, the MOBO award-winning performer has held on to his natural gnashers and continues to smile for the cameras, proudly displaying his natural smile.
His reluctance to ‘fix’ his smile has not so much detracted from his appearance as made him more magnetic as an actor – on-screen and off.
10. Normal teeth
Alison Oliver shot to fame as Frances in the BBC adaptation of Conversations with Friends, and also starred in Saltburn
While her teeth are a natural colour rather than a bright white, what really separates her smile from the classic Hollywood version is the slight cross of her front teeth and their different lengths.
11. Mean teeth
Angourie Rice, an Australian-born actress who fronts the Mean Girls reboot as Cady Heron, has also held onto her natural gnashers
While many of her peers would have plumped for a false, bright white smile, this actress is unafraid to bare her natural teeth, which, although perfectly formed, don’t match the brilliant white of the Hollywood smile.
12. Doctor teeth
Peter Capaldi is best known for his role as child-friendly character Dr Who, and The Thick of It’s not-so-child-friendly Malcom Tucker
In a career spanning four decades, he deserves another accolade – for refusing to swap his natural teeth for a picture perfect smile in line with the expectations of the entertainment industry.
While his teeth are normal in size and fairly evenly spaced, he has a noticeably gummy grin, which is particularly obvious when he smiles.
Another exceptionally unstarry aspect of his gnashers is their yellowy colour, which strongly contrasts with the almost luminous white that celebrities tend to favour.