The Current Manliest Men of Television

Television has given us some great men. From Andy Griffith to The Fonz to Coach Eric Taylor, we’ve seen men of all shapes, sizes and creeds grace the small screen and impart wisdom on us. And while many are no longer currently on-air, there are still several manly men worth tuning in for every week. Now listen up, you might learn a thing or two from:

 

Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin, Hawaii Five-0) – Former Navy Seal? Check. Ability to basically bend the law to his will? Check. Catch phrase? Check. He might not be the brightest bulb on the H50 task force, but he’s the unequivocal leader and manliest of the group.

 

Marshall Erikson (Jason Segel, How I Met Your Mother) – You might think Neil Patrick Harris’s Barney Stinson is the manliest member of the HIMYM gang (if you think it’s Ted, GTFO) but let’s look at the facts. Barney uses his suits and womanizing ways to hide a crippling daddy and commitment issue. Not to mention he’s always busting out the corniest jokes. Marshall on the other hand? He’s a devoted husband (soon to be father), respectable lawyer, and is unafraid to show his emotions at the proper time. He’s totally the man to look up to—after all, he is 6’4”.

 

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones) – From the tallest man on our list, to the shortest. Tyrion is far and away the best character, let alone the best male character, on the epically sprawling show. His quick wit is almost a lethal weapon and the ladies (whores) love him. You’ll tune in for the swords and dragons but you’ll come back for Tyrion.

 

Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant, Justified) – He’s a cowboy. ‘Nuff said.

 

Cameron & Mitchell (Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family) – Wait, aren’t these guys, you know, gay? Yeah, they are. So what? They’re two men in a relationship that recognize the faults in each other and still care anyway. They help each other and make the other person better because of it. Not to mention they’re raising an adorable child. What could be more manly than that?

 

Don Draper (Jon Hamm, Mad Men) – Don Draper might not be the greatest role model on our list. He cheats on his wife, drinks heavily and (spoiler) lied about his past. But he’s damn good at his job and no one wears a suit better than him. He’s an extremely flawed character, but aren’t we all?

 

Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin, Archer) – Like Draper above, he’s a flawed character (egotism verging on the delusional) but he gets the job done. And he gets the job done while falling out of an exploding helicopter with a Russian Model making love to him. Only to then float safely into a hot tub with Kenny Loggins playing in the background.

 

Stephen Colbert (Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report) – Neither Jon Stewart nor Colbert are willing to back down from a fight. But Stewart flaunts his intelligence (as he should) whenever he can. Colbert, on the other hand, hides behind a mask of childlike evil-innocence bringing out his superior wit and intelligence at the exact right moment to topple his opponent/interviewee. He’s smart, handsome and willing to go to great lengths to prove a point. Now that’s a man.

 

Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock) – He’s calm, cool and collected. He’s suave, smooth and sophisticated. Don’t even think of messing with him when he’s Reaganing and try not to stare too hard into those baby blue eyes. There’s only one person on television that could possibly hold their own against him and that person is…

 

Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation) – Meat. Wood working. Meat. Extreme distaste for government interference. More meat. Moustache. These are only a few things that embody the manliest man of television, Ron Swanson, but like a few whiskers of a moustache they never truly encapsulate the entire thing. Get on his good side and he’s the greatest ally you could ask for. But cross him? God help you.

 

Who’s the manliest man on television to you?