matinee idol
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even better, he has used his beauty not to become a matinee idol but to unsettle and surprise us, portraying characters whose handsomeness is very much the point but not the whole story.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
He’s a dashing, square-jawed, clean-shaven matinee idol with a luxurious head of long, curly black hair.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025
Olivier, who was playing Archie Rice, was at the peak of his acting career and considered something of a matinee idol.
From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025
He has matinee idol looks, but if you film him from another angle, he can look very disturbing, and that makes him rather ambiguous, and I wanted this ambiguity for the audience.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2022
There was a comedian in this cast, and a matinee idol for a leading man, and Magsie must content herself with a part and a salary much smaller than was given to either of these.
From The Heart of Rachael by Norris, Kathleen Thompson
