Role model
Writers on which movie characters they emulated growing up - or they still model themselves on today
Why I'd like to be … Patricia Arquette in True Romance
In the final part of our series in which Guardian writers nominate their cinematic heroes, Ellie Violet Bramley raises a Snapple to Alabama Whitman, the lovely badass who rises above the violence of Tony Scott’s True Romance
Why I'd like to be … Matt Dillon in The Outsiders
Dallas Winston, Dillon's wrong-side-of-the-tracks rebel, is a shirtless man of his word, a fearless social climber and, in the right circumstances, the world's wisest man, says Kaleem Aftab
Why I'd like to be … Mark Ruffalo in The Brothers Bloom
Richard Trenholm: Ruffalo ramps up the rumpled charm as Stephen Bloom, the coolest conman since Robert Redford, in a caper that makes me want to write my life the way Bloom writes his con games
Why I'd like to be … Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth
Goblins, animatronics and David Bowie’s trouser bulge aside, Jim Henson’s adventure is really a universal coming-of-age tale, and a reminder to persevere when life gets tough, writes Liz Cookman
Why I'd like to be … Samuel L Jackson in Do The Right Thing
Spike Lee's film has it all. Comedy, murder, politics, a stellar R&B soundtrack, and some of the best lines in cinema history. And at its centre is Jackson, on the cusp of fame, playing DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy, writes Ashley Clark
Why I’d like to be … John Cusack in Grosse Pointe Blank
This, perhaps the greatest romcom ever conceived with the male viewer in mind, sees puppy-eyed Cusack reinvented as a hard-edged hitman healed by his love for Minnie Driver – exactly the kind of guy my adolescent self couldn’t help but aspire to, writes Mike McCahill
Why I'd like to be… Michael Caine in The Quiet American
Michael Pattison: Caine gives a definitive, jaded, lovelorn performance in Phillip Noyce's 2002 version of Graham Greene's stunning 1955 novel
Why I'd like to be … Jason Miller in The Exorcist
You don't have to be a tortured Catholic to admire the actor's tough, redemptive film debut – but it helps
Why I'd like to be … Antonio Banderas in Desperado
Nineties indie cinema wasn't short on cool dudes – but there's something irresistible about the grand tradition of the silent action hero stacking up the bodycount, writes James Luxford
Why I'd like to be ... Dan Aykroyd in The Blues Brothers
Wearing sunglasses at night is cool, neo-Nazis are rubbish, soul music is brilliant … I learnt some of life’s most important lessons from the loyal and taciturn Elwood Blues in one of the greatest comedies of the 80s, writes James Walsh
Why I'd like to be … Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation
Johansson's Charlotte – uncertain, unsure and about to embark on an exciting journey – is a refreshing change from most heroines who are easy-going in social situations, writes Hope Whitmore
Why I'd like to be … Cary Grant in Charade
Gentlemanly and intelligent with a hint of vulnerability, the Cary Grant of Charade is the perfect version of the great man himself, writes Paul MacInnes
Why I'd like to be … Reginald VelJohnson in Die Hard
George Bass: John Wayne he ain't, but Die Hard's deskbound cop, Sgt Al Powell, offers the perfect protection during McClane's fantasy rampage – and sees off some demons of his own
Why I'd like to be … Malcolm McDowell in If …
You don't need to be an Old Etonian to identify with anti-hero schoolboy Mick Travis when he goes to war with the establishment, writes John Keenan
Why I'd like to be … Keanu Reeves in Speed
He began the 90s with Bill and Ted's silliness and ended them with The Matrix's existential angst, but in between came Keanu Reeves's greatest role as Jack Traven, a taciturn, tough-guy cop who oozed charisma. Just getting the job done never looked so cool, writes Alex Hess
Why I'd like to be … Chewbacca in Star Wars
He's a giant dog/bear with a blood-curdling howl who oozes cool as he flies spaceships around the Star Wars galaxy and shoots clone fascists with lasers – plus he saved me from the terrors of Watership Down, writes Luke Holland
Why I'd like to be … Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird
Even from a small English village, Atticus Finch, the lawyer defending a wrongly accused African American in the deep south of America, seemed the epitome of quiet decency, fatherly tenderness and physical courage, writes Neil Mitchell
Why I'd like to be … Julie Christie in Billy Liar
Teenage angst and procrastination still linger for Nick Dastoor as he admires the daydreaming Billy Fisher's best chance of a life beyond fantasy – the vivacious Liz
Why I'd like to be … Patrick Fugit in Almost Famous
He's awkward, nerdy and refuses to go with the 70s rock'n'roll flow, but teen writer William Miller in Almost Famous has been my hero since I clandestinely watched the film at the age of 10. Not cool, writes Hannah Ellis-Petersen
Why I'd like to be ... Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink
Together with John Hughes, Molly Ringwald created a character that is plain and beautiful, confident and insecure, wise and foolish – a credible teenager, in other words, but one who has learned some crucial life lessons
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