Oscar's Foreign Race Pt 5 - Beauty Break, International Male
Friday, October 12, 2018 at 9:13AM 
Chino Darín, son of Argentina's most prominent movie star Richardo Darín, stars in two of the Foreign Film Contenders this yearby Nathaniel R
We've been digging into the 87 films that are up for the Academy Award in Foreign Language Film. So far we've watched the trailers, talked abotu the female directors, and introduced the first time filmmakers.
Today something more fun but of vital importance: hot men. Please enjoy this beauty break featuring snacks from all over the world. We scoured the entries for the eye candy (it was painstaking research!) and here's what we found. If we missed someone from your country, we apologize because we haven't seen all the film so someone just gorgeous could have easily slipped through the cracks.
SO. Which of these dozen men do you already love and which do you want to love just by looking at them? They're presented in random order after the jump...
Gorgeous Adnan Malik plays "Romeo" in Pakistan's Cake (2018) and certainly looks the part. Plus he's a goodwill ambassador for WWF so he's got a fine heart, too. He speaks English very well so we're hoping he'll get more of an international profile. You can follow him on Instagram.
Oh daddy... It's Barry Atsma of The Netherlands' WW II drama The Resistance Banker. The Dutch actor is a major star at home and also occasionally spotted in English language productions (American action film The Hitman's Bodyguard, the BBC series The Split). You can stream The Resistance Banker on Netflix right now.
"Weir" is his nickname and how fans and magazines refer to him (for reasons we do not know) but professionally he's Sukollawat Kanarot. The 33 year old Thai actor has been famous for about 10 years or so back home. He's currently starring in Thailand's Oscar submission, a gay drama Malila: The Farewell Flower. He previously starred in a TV series and does a lot of spokesmodelling, too.
If you like things on the edgier side there's Dawid Ogrodnik (Poland) who is part of the large international cast of Brazil's The Great Mystical Circus. You might remember him as the handsome travelling saxophonist who romances the novitiate in Poland's Oscar-winner Ida (2013).
If you swoon for the twinks you'll love French-Canadian Théodore Pellerin. He's in two Oscar hopefuls this year: he plays the violent out-of-control protagonist in Canada's Oscar submission Family Ties and, in an about face performance, a gentle romantic in a small but pivotal role in Boy Erased.
Chino Darín was genetically predisposed to become a movie star. He's the son of Argentian superstar Ricardo Darín (a regular in this Oscar category). Darín made a name for himself on Spanish TV series but the filmography is rapidly growing. He's now starring in not one but two of the foreign contenders this year. In Argentina's El Angel, produced by Pedro Almodóvar, he plays a homophobic but 100% homoerotic criminal who the titular character, a young serial murderer and thief, falls hard for. Darín also stars in A Twelve Year Night, Uruguay's Oscar submission. You can follow his generous thirst-trapness on Instagram.
Eddie Peng, is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor who is a regular in Asian action flicks and well known for his insane physical regimen to prepare for these films (see proof above). He's co-starring in China's submission Hidden Man. This isn't his first time starring in an Oscar submission, since he was also in To the Fore, three years ago. You can follow him on Instagram.
Alban Ukaj stars in Kosovo's groundbreaking drama The Marriage, about a woman who isn't aware that her fiance is in love with his best friend. You might have previously seen him in the Dardenne brothers' Cannes prize winner Lorna's Silence. Here's a good interview with him about being an actor in the post-Yugoslav space.
Radovan Vujovic, another actor from the Post-Yugoslav region, stars in the Serbian submission Offenders. He's been working in film and television since the early Aughts and has won two Best Actor awards for this film already. He had a small role in Ralph Fiennes Coriolanus (2011) as well.
Ezra Mabengeza is a model turned actor who is starring in South Africa's submission Sew the Winter to My Skin where he plays a real folk hero of South African legend (Robin Hood like) in the 1950s who the authorities are trying to hunt downl. He gets an "introducing" credit in the film but he's been in a few other things before including Spike Lee's Miracle at St Anna's. You can follow him on Instagram.
Johnny Huang (also known as Huang Jingyu) is a 25 year-old Chinese actor/model with several 'brand ambassador' gigs already. He's part of the ensemble of the action film Operation Red Sea which was a box office phenomenon in China.
And we'll end with the most familiar man to American audiences...
Steven Yeun is famous from several seasons on The Walking Dead but he's a revelation in South Korea's Oscar contender Burning by master auteur Lee Chang-dong (Poetry, Secret Sunshine) as a mysterious wealthy playboy with a strange hobby. Here's hoping Yeun is inspired to take more daring roles moving forward since he aced this challenge. Did you know he was raised in Michigan? (I only mention it because he grew up just 20 miles from me. Say yes to Michigan!)
In addition to being a fantastic actor, he's also easy on the eyes... but you knew that already. You can follow him on Twitter.
Reader Comments (11)
GOOD LORD. I'll take one of each please.
Oh, I met Chino! He's super tiny
Back in 2010, just like his son Chino now, Ricardo Darín was also in two different BFLF submissions. He was in Spain's "The Dancer and the Thief" and in Argentina's "The Secret in Their Eyes". "Dancer" didn't make it to a nomination, and "Secret" won the Oscar.
At Spain's Goya Awards, he was nominated as Best Lead Actor for "Secret" and as Best Supporting Actor for "Dancer". He lost in both categories.
Sheesh, so many hot man things here. I'm partial to a handsome bespectacled face, so my #1 pick might just have to be Alban Ukaj. But that's just at the moment. Chino Darín is just plain intimidating, he's so beautiful.
Nathaniel: I am from Michigan, too! Sing along, won't you? "Say YES to Michigan! Say Yes, Yes, Yes!"
Lukas Dhont for me ... LOL ... I know he's the director but he's just perfection.
Chino Darin is sexy and talented. He first caught my attention in "Death in Buenos Aires" (2014) where he plays a rookie policeman who is use as bait to snare a gay criminal. Hot Chino also arises homosexual urges in his other macho officers- a stylish sexy noir
why is no one thirsty. I really thought y'all would drool for this post.
@NATHANIELR We are better than that. ( Looking down at you, Michelle Yeoh in CRA style.)
@Jaragon
I knew I saw his face somewhere before! Good lord, even the straight guys in that movie lusted after him. Sheesh!
Steven Yeun is SO so good in Burning. Comfortably on my Supporting Actor ballot this year. Less of an obvious hunk but also stellar is Arieh Worthalter in Girl.
Good list Nathaniel. You forgot Javier Gutiérrez in "Campeones" ;)