They say that people either love or hate Marmite – and it turns out, this sentiment can also currently be applied to actors Barry Keoghan, Adam Driver and Timothee Chalament too.
Barry Keoghan’s performance as the troubled, intelligent and scheming Oliver in Saltburn has caused an industry stir and earned him a flurry of award nominations.
But one thing the Irish actor, 31, probably wasn’t expecting when he took on the somewhat disturbing role was that he would become a sex symbol among fans.
Earlier this week, Ulrika Jonsson admitted she found herself ‘stirred inappropriately’ by the star’s performance in the hit Emerald Fennell film.
Writing in her column for The Sun, the TV presenter, 56, said: ‘His looks, to me, are nothing short of beguiling, exciting and captivating, and I can’t deny being stirred inappropriately by his presence on screen.
‘In fact, I already fell for the 31-year-old in 2022 film The Banshees Of Inisherin. Like, I’m talking in a big way.’
However, the matter has caused quite the debate on X, formerly known as Twitter, where fans of the film have been divided on whether or not Barry should be considered a Hollywood hunk.
One gushed: ‘Barry Keoghan is hot in the odd, sickly way that only the Irish can pull off.’
Meanwhile, another asserted: ‘I will not be gaslit into thinking that Barry Keoghan is hot. I’m sorry but y’all are tripping.’
But the Irish actor isn’t the only unconventionally attractive star who has caused a stir among fans recently.
Here FEMAIL delves into the rise of the ‘Marmite Man’ – the stars fans either love or hate, from Adam Driver to Timothee Chalamet.
Barry Keoghan
Following the success of Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin, Barry Keoghan’s star is only going to continue rising in coming years – with the star being cast in sequels to Dune and Gladiator.
Pictured: Irish actor Barry Keoghan, 31, wore a red-and-black checked suit to the Golden Globes on Sunday
Pictured: Barry Keoghan, 31, played Oliver in Emerald Fennell’s hit black comedy movie Saltburn
Born in October 1992, the father-of-one – who has recently split from his girlfriend Alyson Kierans – grew up in and out of foster care and appeared in the Irish soap Fair City when he was 18.
The star’s first major role came in 2017 when he appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, swiftly followed by The Killing of a Sacred Deer – also starring Colin Farrell.
However, his performance in 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin catapulted Barry’s career – earning him a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor and an Oscar nomination.
That said, it’s Barry’s leading role in the black comedy Saltburn that has helped him earn sex symbol status in Hollywood.
Following Barry’s appearance at the Golden Globes on Sunday, fans continued debating his ‘Marmite Man’ status on X.
Taking Ulrika Jonsson’s side, one user wrote: ‘Barry Keoghan is hot to me. I’m sorry!!!’
Another added: ‘Is Barry Keoghan hot? I’m leaning towards yes.’
Meanwhile, a third said: ‘I don’t understand why people say Barry Keoghan isn’t “conventionally attractive”, he’s so hot.’
Pictured: the actor shared this behind-the-scenes image from the Saltburn set on his Instagram page
The matter has caused quite the debate on X, formerly known as Twitter, where fans of the film have been divided on whether or not Barry should be considered a Hollywood hunk
However, others weren’t so convinced by this argument – with one joking it was ‘f***ed up’ that women were being ‘gaslit’ into lusting over Barry.
They wrote: ‘It’s truly, deeply, madly f***ed up that women are being gaslit into thinking Barry Keoghan is hot.’
‘In no world will y’all convince me Barry Keoghan is hot,’ another said. ‘Have y’all lost your God damn minds?’
Following his recent split from his girlfriend, it has been reported that the actor has moved on with singer Sabrina Carpenter – who bears an uncanny resemblance to his ex.
Marmite Man Meter: 100%
Adam Driver
Pictured: Actor Adam Driver seen promoting his new movie Ferrari in New York City in October 2023
Adam Driver is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand leading men right now, having starred in everything from Star Wars to Marriage Story.
The actor, 40, has been the subject of debate among on fans ever since he appeared in the HBO series Girls opposite Lena Dunham in 2012.
However, Adam’s new role in the movie Ferrari – where he has a dramatically receding hairline and grey locks – has reignited the debate over his status as a Hollywood heartthrob online.
One fan tweeted: ‘I don’t trust people that think Adam Driver is unattractive.’
Another added: ‘Imagine thinking Adam Driver is unattractive. Absolute fools. Morons.’
The actor – who first starred in the HBO drama Girls – underwent a dramatic transformation to play Enzo Ferrari
A third argued: ‘It’s impossible that people can somehow think Adam Driver is unattractive.
‘If someone says it in front of me EVER, they’ll be hearing a word or two from my lawyers for lying.’
On the opposing side, one X user joked: ‘At first, I thought Adam Driver was unattractive – then I saw Star Wars and now I still think he’s unattractive.’
Taking her side, another added: ‘Adam Driver is so unattractive, how do y’all call him daddy? I could never.’
Adam’s new role in the movie Ferrari – where he has a dramatically receding hairline and grey locks – has reignited the debate over his status as a Hollywood heartthrob online
What’s more, the star has even previously acknowledged the debate around his appearance in interviews.
While appearing on Chris Wallace’s CNN show last year, Adam was told by the journalist that he ‘doesn’t look like the typical movie star’.
Chris then went on to explain how Adam has been compared to Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson.
Adam then recalled how a publication once described him as having a ‘horse face’.
The actor said: ‘I remember reading one reviewer [who said]: “His agent probably doesn’t know whether to put him in a movie or the Kentucky Derby.”
Pictured: Adam Driver starred alongside Lena Dunham in the hit HBO series Girls from 2012 onwards
‘So if you believe the good thing, you have to believe the bad thing. So I try to not absorb anything.’
Speaking to The Guardian in 2015, Adam said: ‘I have been told before that I have an unusual face. But my face is my face.
‘I had a whole life before acting, over the years. Lots of things have been said about my face.’
Marmite Man Meter: 75%
Matt Smith
Matt Smith, 41, pictured in September 2011. The actor shot to fame in 2010 when he was cast in Doctor Who
Matt Smith was catapulted to fame in 2010 when he was cast as the 11th Doctor in the hit BBC franchise Doctor Who.
After the news was announced diehard fans of the show cruelly moaned online that Matt was ‘too ugly’ for the role – and compared his appearance to an ’emo rock star’.
Speaking to The Guardian ahead of his Doctor Who debut, Matt said: ‘What is my retort to them?
‘Thank you for your kind and considered comments. Everybody’s entitled to an opinion. But an emo? Maybe it’s my hair.’
Since then, the actor, 41, has gone on to star in Pride & Prejudice with Zombies, Netflix’s The Crown and HBO’s House of Dragon.
Matt Smith pictured in 2010 – shortly after it was announced he had been cast as the eleventh Doctor
Since Doctor Who, the actor, 41, has gone on to star in Pride & Prejudice with Zombies, Netflix’s The Crown and HBO’s House of Dragon (pictured)
But while some of his diehard fans have always been convinced of his heart throb status, other online critics said they’ve never understood the appeal.
While the first season of House of Dragon was airing, one fan wrote on X: ‘matt smith’s charisma and flirty personality makes him so attractive.
‘It’s literally impossible to not love this adorable and hilarious puppy of a man.’
Another added: ‘This show is doing the impossible: making me find Matt Smith attractive.’
A third gushed: ‘MATT SMITH IS SO EFFORTLESSLY ATTRACTIVE, I CANT ANYMORE.’
While some of his diehard fans have always been convinced of his heart throb status, other online critics said they’ve never understood the appeal
Meanwhile, others also commented on how the star’s talent was what made him so attractive.
A fourth said: ‘The thing about Matt Smith is that he’s not super conventionally attractive, but he has frankly ridiculous levels of natural charisma that make it very easy to understand the women who fall in love with the various characters he plays.’
However, others weren’t so flattering – with a fifth writing: ‘My toxic trait is finding Matt Smith attractive.’
‘Matt Smith is weird looking the way people think Pete Davidson is weird looking,’ a sixth said.
‘Matt Smith is a weird looking dude,’ another said.
‘I will never understand that appeal,’ a third wrote. ‘HOWEVER, that man can ACT.’
Marmite Man Meter: 90%
Timothee Chalamet
He’s the indie movie darling whose starring role in Call Me By Your Name established him as one of the most exciting actors in Hollywood back in 2018.
But while Timothee Chalamet’s star is only continuing to rise thanks to his performance in Wonka, fans seem to be divided on the matter of his heart throb status.
Pictured: Timothee Chalamet playing a friendly game of basketball with Adam Sandler in New York in July 2023
Pictured: the 28-year-old actor seen at the California premiere of his movie Wonka in December 2023
Following his performance as Roald Dhal’s quirky chocolatier, one fan wrote on X: ‘I watched Wonka with my little cousin the other day, thinking it would make my Timothée Chalamet ick worse but somehow it completely erased it and i now I think he’s hot- send help.’
Another added: ‘I’ve never thought Timothee Chalamet was that hot but I just saw Wonka and seeing him be strange and off-putting really did something to me.’
A third replied: ‘Watching Wonka for the first time and what the f***?!
‘Both Timothee Chalamet and Willy Wonka are naturally extremely sexy beings.’
However, others also posted on X arguing that they didn’t understand the hysteria around the actor.
Fans of the film said they left theatres having found Timothee Chalamet strangely attractive in Wonka
While Timothee Chalamet’s star is only continuing to rise thanks to his performance in Wonka, fans seem to be divided on the matter of his heart throb status
‘Timothee Chalamet is average looking to me,’ one said. Leave me alone.’
‘Maturity is realising that Timothee Chalamet is not that hot lol,’ another added.
Last month, writer Alison Davis argued that Timothee was purposefully taking a ‘sledgehammer’ to his heart-throb status by taking on the role of Wonka.
In an opinion piece for Vulture, Alison argued: ‘In the movies that followed [Call Me By Your Name], Chalamet continued to play the object of someone’s affection, and it’s in these roles that his sex appeal is clearest […]
‘So perhaps Wonka is coming at the perfect time in his evolution as an actor. It might just be Chalamet’s sledgehammer to the whole Internet Boyfriend enterprise.’
Marmite Man Meter: 50%
Pete Davidson
Comedian Pete Davidson seen on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in April 2023. The star joked about having ‘butthole eyes’ last year
Comedian Pete Davidson is the first to admit that he isn’t the most conventionally handsome man in Hollywood – even making reference to a publication that said he had ‘butthole eyes’ on Saturday Night Live last year.
In recent years, the star, 30, has enjoyed romances with a string of A-List women – including Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Kaia Gerber, Phoebe Dynevor and Kim Kardashian.
Pete’s status as a ‘Marmite Man’ has also been the subject of debate on X – with fans dividing themselves into two clear camps.
One recently wrote: ‘Why do people say Pete Davidson is unattractive????? Like????’
Another argued: ‘If you actually believe Pete Davidson is unattractive then you need to get those damn eyes CHECKED.’
Pete’s status as a ‘Marmite Man’ has also been the subject of debate on X – with fans dividing themselves into two clear camps
A third wrote: ‘I used to not get why people thought Pete Davidson was hot… but I’m kind of getting it.’
Meanwhile, a fourth argued: ‘One day, y’all are going to realise that Pete Davidson is sexy as hell.’
However, not everyone was so convinced – with one critic writing: ‘If you think Pete Davidson is hot, please reevaluate your life.’
Another argued: ‘Pete Davidson is not hot and y’all only romanticize him because he’s a average looking white man.’
‘He was attractive before all the tattoos,’ a third said. ‘Now he’s not.’
So what is it that makes all these attractive women fall for him? Amber Kelleher-Andrews – dating and relationship expert, celebrity matchmaker, and CEO of – said the star has a lot going for him.
Amber believes that his sense of humour is most likely an instant draw for women – especially since ‘laughter is the best medicine.’
‘This is not a cliché. If you follow the science, research has proven that our attitude and state of mind is directly related to our overall health and wellness,’ she explained.
Marmite Man Meter: 80%
Jeremy Allen White
Jeremy Allen White arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of A24’s The Iron Claw in December 2023
Last week, Jeremy was announced as the new face of Calvin Klein as he showcased his chiseled chest in a new advert
He made his small screen debut in the comedy drama Shameless – but his performance in The Bear is what really put Jeremy Allen White on the map.
On Sunday night, the actor scooped two Golden Globes for his starring role in the critically acclaimed Disney+ drama.
Last week, the star – who shares two daughters with ex-wife Addison Timlin – was announced as the new face of Calvin Klein as he showcased his chiseled chest in a new advert.
Following this, fans on X have divided themselves into two different camps over Jeremy’s Hollywood hunk status.
One queried: ‘Is Jeremy Allen White attractive or am I delusional?!’
Another added: ‘People really don’t find Jeremy Allen White attractive!? Y’all CRAZY.’
Taking the opposing side, a third said: ‘I only find Jeremy Allen White attractive when he’s acting in The Bear or smoking.’
‘I don’t understand the hype with Jeremy Allen White,’ a fourth replied. ‘He isn’t attractive at all.’
‘Women have successfully gaslighted themselves into believing Jeremy Allen White is attractive and there’s nothing I can do about it,’ a fifth added.
Marmite Man Meter: 50%
Tom Holland
Tom Holland, 27, seen promoting his series The Crowded Room in Los Angeles in November 2023
He may have started out on the stage in Billy Elliott – but Tom Holland has carved out a devoted fanbase thanks to the Marvel Spiderman franchise.
But while some fans are constantly swooning over the star’s luscious locks and chiseled jawline online, others have argued that he’s an ‘average’ looking actor.
One recently wrote on X: ‘People who think Tom Holland is not gorgeously handsome should get tested for COVID-19 because they do not have taste.’
Another argued: ‘Have you ever seen a man this handsome?!!??? Only Tom Holland.’
Countering this point, a third said: ‘Tom Holland is literally such an average looking guy but we all obsess over him because he’s Tom Holland.’
The Spiderman actor, 27, has been dating his co-star Zendaya since November 2021. The actor pictured filming abroad in 2020.
While some fans have been swooning over the star’s luscious locks and chiseled jawline online, others have argued that he’s an ‘average’ looking actor
‘The way I would risk it all for Tom Holland and he’s literally just an average looking white guy,’ a fourth joked. ‘I hate me too, it’s okay.’
Last month, the actor, 27, gave a rare glimpse into his relationship with co-star Zendaya.
The 27-year-old actor took part in a Q&A discussion for his new film The Crowded Room for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversions Series.
When the talk turned to his 27-year-old girlfriend – who he’s been dating since November 2021 – Holland reveals he loves her honesty the most.
‘Zendaya is probably the most honest with me,” he said. ‘Which I love, ‘cause you need that,’ Holland said.
Marmite Man Meter: 30%