A beard makes a man look older. If you're young and want to look older -- (or if you don't have a chin) grow a beard. If you're old and want to look younger -- shave it off.

Ken V.

I've had a mustache since my teens, and had a mustache and beard until the latter went mostly gray, when I shaved it off. A mustache is often not noticed by witnesses to alleged crimes (trust me on this---I know), but a beard usually is. RJ could not maintain his complete anonymity with a beard, but a mustache is optional, especially in this era.

My suggestion, FWIW, is to let the actor decide on the mustache, but forget the beard.

Well. He does look goofy without the beard, but beyond that, he is smokin' hot with it. It's the difference between, "Gee, I don't know officer, he was tall and had brown hair," and "Well, officer it was this smooookin hot guy with a full beard." Of course, I know that's a matter of perspective, but that's my perspective after being greeted by those pictures. :p

Honest response: I don't know. It really is a dilemma because he does look much more serious and much more dangerous with the beard than without.

You don't WANT to look dangerous if you are. That makes you a suspect!

[SIZE="3"]I think a three-day stubble would be a workable compromise.[/SIZE]

I agree Paul, or as I said a mustache sans beard. When I used to go from 'stache to no 'stache (my teens), my friends would ask if I'd lost or gained weight. But they always noticed whether I had a beard or not. I know a beard is too distinctive in the real world. I deal with witness identification issues often.

How sweet, you want to make all of us happy!

That's Paul, a real socialist.

My vote goes to the unshaved for three days or close beard look.

I always thought that Jack’s way of blending in would be to have a kind of maybe that guy is a construction worker, or cabbie, perhaps a graphic designer; maybe he’s a grad student kind of vibe.

Not too flashy, not too square. Looks like he works out, but not some sort of steroid freak, probably a runner.

Just a fairly typical New Yorker.

Spot on!

I think Jack would specifically NOT have a beard. It would be one more thing to make him standout. Police (or any other interested parties) would know to look for "a guy with a beard." A 5:00 shadow or 3 day stubble is less hard to describe and less noticeable when shaved.

I really like the casting. Reynolds is one of my favorite, young actors and he has shown that he can pull off more serious parts. I think if you mix his "Blade:Trinity" character (awful movie, but Reynolds stood out) with his character from "Smoking Aces" you get a solid Jack.

I thought he was great in Blade: Trinity. Easily the best performance in the movie.

I agree Paul, or as I said a mustache sans beard. When I used to go from 'stache to no 'stache (my teens), my friends would ask if I'd lost or gained weight. But they always noticed whether I had a beard or not. I know a beard is too distinctive in the real world. I deal with witness identification issues often.

It's fascinating -- what people do or do not notice.

I knew a guy back in the late '60's who was going bald and hated it (I'm bald and it doesn't bother me in the slightest -- kind of like it actually.) He grew a full beard, and kept it for nearly a year. Then one day he came in to work with his beard gone and wearing a hair piece.

EVERYBODY noticed that he had lost the beard, but there were only two of us who noticed the hair piece -- and that was only because he worked on an assembly bench opposite us and we mostly saw the top of his head.

Ken V.

I was gonna say no beard until I saw him with one.
Damn he is hot with a beard!

But even better would be a goatie ... I just love a man with a goat.

Apparently you ladies don't suffer whisker burn(or don't care).

You don't WANT to look dangerous if you are. That makes you a suspect!

Agreed, however... I think there are times when Jack looks plenty dangerous, beard or not. I totally agree with the thing about people really noticing beards as well. I do legal transcriptions as a side business and that's one of those things that really pops out for people.