Hollywood loves perfect teeth. Blinding white, perfectly straight, practically identical from star to star. But a surprising number of famous people looked at that trend and just said no thanks. Their crooked, gapped, and slightly wonky smiles became part of what made them memorable in the first place.
Quick Facts Table: Celebrities With Crooked Teeth at a Glance
| Celebrity | Known For | Dental Feature | Fixed It? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Buscemi | Boardwalk Empire, Reservoir Dogs | Misaligned, overlapping teeth | No, by choice |
| Anna Paquin | True Blood, The Piano | Gap between front teeth | No |
| Jewel | Singer-songwriter, “Who Will Save Your Soul” | Snaggle-toothed, natural smile | No |
| Madonna | Pop icon | Gap in front teeth | Fixed briefly, then reversed it |
| Keira Knightley | Pride & Prejudice, Atonement | Slightly crooked front teeth | No |
| Channing Tatum | Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street | Mildly misaligned teeth | No |
| Keith Urban | Country music superstar | Naturally crooked teeth | No |
| Katherine Heigl | Grey’s Anatomy, 27 Dresses | Charmingly misaligned smile | No |
| Kirsten Dunst | Spider-Man, Marie Antoinette | Crooked front teeth | Refused to fix them |
| Lara Stone | Supermodel | Gappy grin | No |
| Clint Howard | Character actor | Gapped, elongated teeth | No |
| Gary Busey | Actor | Prominent teeth | Yes, veneers after accident |
| Tom Cruise | Top Gun, Mission Impossible | Chipped “middle tooth,” misalignment | Yes, braces and cosmetic work |
| Justin Bieber | Pop singer | Crooked teeth as a teen | Yes, braces then clear aligners |
| Cheryl Cole | Girls Aloud singer | Prominent crooked teeth | Yes, veneers and aligners |
Why This Topic Actually Matters
There’s a strange thing happening in Hollywood right now. Every smile begins to feel indistinguishable from the next. Ultra-white, ultra-straight, almost identical from one red carpet to the next.
That wasn’t always the case. Go back and look at photos from the ’90s and early 2000s, and you’ll notice something refreshing. Plenty of huge stars had teeth that looked, well, human. A little crooked. Sometimes gapped. Occasionally even a bit yellow.
Some celebrities have deliberately held onto that natural look, even as cosmetic dentistry became easier, cheaper, and more common than ever.
Steve Buscemi: The Actor Who Turned His Teeth Into a Career
Steve Buscemi might be the most famous example of an actor who used his imperfect teeth to his advantage instead of fighting against them. His teeth are noticeably overlapping and misaligned, and he’s talked about it openly.
In interviews, Buscemi has said dentists have offered to fix his smile over the years. His response has stayed remarkably consistent: he worries he “won’t work again” if his teeth end up looking too perfect.
Think about that for a second. An actor turned down a straighter smile because his crooked teeth were part of what made him castable. That’s not something you hear very often.
Anna Paquin: The Gap That Made Her Unmistakable
Anna Paquin won an Oscar at just 11 years old for her role in “The Piano.” Since then, she’s built a long, respected career, most notably starring in HBO’s “True Blood.”
Throughout all of it, she’s kept the noticeable gap between her front teeth. Plenty of actresses in her position would have closed that gap years ago with veneers or orthodontic work. Paquin never did.
One writer described her gap perfectly: it’s the small imperfection that sets her apart from a sea of otherwise identical Hollywood faces.
Jewel: The Teeth That Actually Landed Her a Role
Here’s a story that sounds almost too good to be true, except it’s completely real. Singer-songwriter Jewel, famous for hits like “Who Will Save Your Soul,” has naturally imperfect, slightly snaggled teeth.
When she decided to try acting, she landed a role in the film “Ride With the Devil.” According to Jewel herself, she got the part specifically because of her teeth. Her exact words: “I got the job because I was the only actress in Hollywood who hadn’t gotten her teeth fixed!”
Her natural, unaltered smile fit the period setting of the film perfectly. Sometimes what looks like a flaw is actually exactly what a role calls for.
Madonna: The Gap She Fixed, Then Un-Fixed
Madonna’s dental story is genuinely one of the more interesting entries on this list. She’s long been known for the noticeable gap between her front teeth, a feature that became part of her signature look for decades.
At some point, she actually had that gap corrected. But according to multiple reports, she later had the correction removed, apparently deciding that the gap was too iconic and memorable to give up permanently.
In 2014, she even drew attention with a gold teeth accessory, keeping the conversation about her smile very much alive. It seems her gap has narrowed somewhat over the years too, though she’s never made a big public announcement about any specific dental work.
Keira Knightley: Crooked Teeth, Classic Beauty
Keira Knightley has built a career playing elegant, period-drama heroines in films like “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement.” Despite that classical, old-Hollywood image, her teeth have a noticeable natural crookedness that she’s never corrected.
Rather than detracting from her look, her slightly imperfect smile adds a layer of authenticity to her overall appeal. It’s one of those features that makes her instantly recognizable rather than blending into the crowd of identical Hollywood smiles.
Channing Tatum: The Smile Behind the Muscles
Channing Tatum built his early career on being a Hollywood heartthrob in films like “Magic Mike” and “21 Jump Street.” Despite his leading-man status, his slightly misaligned teeth have never been cosmetically corrected.
If anything, his natural smile adds to his down-to-earth, approachable charm. Fans have consistently pointed to it as part of what makes him feel relatable rather than unreachable.
Keith Urban: A Country Star Who Never Chased Perfection
Country music superstar Keith Urban has built decades of success without ever getting his naturally crooked teeth fixed. His warm, genuine smile has become part of his stage presence, something fans consistently connect with.
Even after years in the public eye and appearances at countless award shows, Urban has kept his natural teeth, choosing authenticity over the polished look often associated with Hollywood.
Katherine Heigl: The Smile That Feels Real
Katherine Heigl, known for “Grey’s Anatomy” and “27 Dresses,” has a naturally misaligned smile that’s never been cosmetically corrected. Fans and critics alike have pointed to her teeth as part of what makes her feel relatable rather than manufactured.
In an industry where cookie-cutter beauty standards dominate, her natural smile has become part of her charm rather than something she’s needed to hide.
Kirsten Dunst: The Actress Who Said No in the Car
This story is one of the more dramatic entries on this list. When Kirsten Dunst was just 19 years old, working on “Spider-Man,” a producer reportedly drove her to a dentist’s office without any warning, intending for her to get her teeth fixed.
Dunst refused to even get out of the car. She’s been quoted since as saying, “I will never fix my teeth.” That’s a level of conviction most 19-year-olds under industry pressure wouldn’t have been able to hold onto.
She’s continued starring in major films for decades since, crooked teeth and all, proving her point completely.
Lara Stone: The Gap That Changed an Industry
Supermodel Lara Stone built an entire career around her trademark gappy grin. According to reports from the Daily Mail, her imperfect teeth didn’t just help her personally — they reportedly helped shift the modeling industry’s obsession with perfectly straight “pearly whites.”
That’s a genuinely significant impact for one feature. An entire industry standard nudged, even slightly, because one supermodel refused to hide her natural smile.
Clint Howard: Keeping It in the Family
Clint Howard, the character actor and brother of director Ron Howard, has long, gapped teeth that are noticeably dingy compared to typical Hollywood standards. Interestingly, gap teeth actually run in the Howard family, with Ron sporting a smaller version of the same trait.
Rather than correcting it, Clint has used his distinctive smile to land a steady stream of quirky, memorable character roles throughout his career.
Gary Busey: The Exception That Proves the Rule
Not everyone on this list kept their natural teeth forever. Gary Busey is known for his prominent, noticeably large teeth, which are actually veneers. Reports suggest he had this dental work done following a serious motorcycle accident in the 1980s.
This is an important distinction. Busey’s dental work seems tied to a medical necessity following his accident, rather than a purely cosmetic choice.
Tom Cruise: From Crooked Smile to Hollywood Perfect
Tom Cruise’s dental journey went in the opposite direction from most names on this list. Early in his career, in films like “Risky Business,” he had visibly discolored and misaligned teeth, along with a chipped front tooth from a childhood hockey accident that was later covered with a cap.
In the early 2000s, following his high-profile divorce from Nicole Kidman, Cruise was photographed wearing braces on the red carpet. Over the following years, he invested in additional cosmetic dental treatments, eventually achieving the straight, white smile audiences recognize today.
Justin Bieber: Braces to Aligners
Justin Bieber’s teeth were noticeably crooked as a young teenager when he first became famous. Over the years, he corrected this with orthodontic treatment, initially wearing traditional metal braces.
At some point, he made the switch to clear aligners, which he’s been photographed wearing at various public events. This shift let him continue straightening his teeth without the visible metal wires and brackets showing up in photos.
Cheryl Cole: A Complete Transformation
Cheryl Cole, known for her role in the group Girls Aloud, had noticeably crooked teeth earlier in her career. Over time, she underwent cosmetic dental work, including veneers and clear aligners, resulting in a dramatically straighter smile.
This transformation coincided with her being named among the world’s most attractive women for consecutive years, though it’s worth noting that her natural smile never held her back from stardom in the first place.
The Bigger Trend Behind This Whole List
What’s interesting is how split this list really is. Some stars, like Buscemi, Paquin, Jewel, and Dunst, have actively refused cosmetic dental work despite constant industry pressure. Others, like Cruise, Bieber, and Cole, eventually went through with corrections.
Neither choice is wrong. But the stars who kept their natural smiles often talk about it as a deliberate act of self-acceptance, a refusal to conform just because an industry expects a certain look.
Why Some Stars Are Bringing Natural Smiles Back
More recently, actresses like Zendaya and Aimee Lou Wood have been recognized for keeping their natural teeth in an era dominated by cosmetic perfection. Aimee Lou Wood has spoken publicly about facing comments over her lack of veneers or cosmetic dental work, choosing instead to embrace her natural smile.
This suggests the pendulum might be swinging back a little. After years of increasingly uniform Hollywood smiles, there’s a growing appreciation for the natural, sometimes crooked teeth that made earlier generations of celebrities feel distinctly human.
Final Words
Famous people with crooked teeth prove something simple but important: perfection was never actually a requirement for success. Steve Buscemi built an entire acting career partly because of his teeth, not despite them. Jewel got her first film role for the exact same reason. Kirsten Dunst refused a producer’s unannounced dental intervention and kept working steadily for decades afterward.
Whether a star chose to fix their smile or proudly kept it exactly as it was, both paths show something true about fame. A little imperfection, whether in your teeth or anywhere else, doesn’t have to hold you back. Sometimes it’s exactly what makes people remember you.
FAQ About Famous People With Crooked Teeth
Q1. Which actor is most famous for having crooked teeth by choice?
Steve Buscemi is often cited as the clearest example, having openly said he fears he wouldn’t get work anymore if his teeth were fixed.
Q2. Did Anna Paquin ever fix the gap in her teeth?
No, she has kept her natural gap-toothed smile throughout her entire career, including her long run on “True Blood.”
Q3. Why did Jewel refuse to fix her teeth?
She has said her natural, unaltered teeth actually helped her land her first film role in “Ride With the Devil,” since she was the only actress in Hollywood who hadn’t had cosmetic dental work done.
Q4. Did Madonna ever fix her tooth gap?
Reports suggest she corrected it at one point but later reversed the correction, apparently preferring her original gap-toothed look.
Q5. Does Keira Knightley have naturally crooked teeth?
Yes, her slightly crooked front teeth are natural and have never been cosmetically corrected.
Q6. Who is a country music star known for crooked teeth?
Keith Urban is frequently mentioned for keeping his naturally crooked teeth despite decades of fame.
Q7. Did Kirsten Dunst ever get her teeth fixed?
No, she famously refused to get out of a car when a producer tried to take her to a dentist during the filming of “Spider-Man,” and has said she’ll never fix her teeth.
Q8. Which supermodel is known for a gappy smile?
Lara Stone is well known for her trademark gap-toothed grin, which reportedly influenced broader beauty standards in the modeling industry.
Read Comprehensive Profiles Of Famous Personalities On Discover Released.
