Why is Michael Fassbender so cool? Well, it seems like an easy answer when esteemed actors such as Gary Oldman give nods like, "I don't think he needs any advice from me. I think he's the bollocks. The real deal." as well as Oscar winning beauty Kate Winslet, openly expressing her admiration for him "He is a-dor-able—that's broken up into those three separate syllables. I adore this man," Even Harry Potter famed Daniel Radcliffe chooses roles by asking himself: ‘What would Michael Fassbender do?’ This half-German, half-Irish actor makes cornering the market on both sexes seem easy - but ‘easy’ is not why we’re here, is it? We want more than that. We want some deep, true knowledge, that we can really believe in, so that we too can know the secrets of what makes someone like Michael Fassbender so effin’ cool.
Photo by Matias Indjic
You would think that being cool is all style, looks and attitude - and to some degree, you would be right, but the more you get to know someone, those superficial things start to fade and you’re left with one's true self. The core. It takes soul, substance and character to keep it all going. So, if all you have is a cutting edge 'do' and a tough guy 'tude', well, that will get you about a year or two before they find you out. Your public, that is. The spotlight always comes with a price. We have all seen it happen so many times before. Remarkably, Michael Fassbender has been in the public eye since he hit mainstream with his film 300 back in 2006. It's been eleven years now, that we've had our eyes on him, and his star just keeps on rising! Why? What is the mystery? How can he keep his cool going for that long? --- That's because the man 'really is cool'.
If anyone were to witness Fassbender himself zoom past, all in leather, on his BMW 1200 GS motorcycle, they would have no problem agreeing that the man was the ultimate cool dude - but behind the image that just blew past, you would have no idea that the partner he was travelling with was actually his dad! Yes, this A-list actor is all heart under that rockin' gear. Reminiscing on some of the special moments he's spent with his parents, Michael recalled the unique trip he went on with his dad. "Once, with my father and my best friend, we left for an amazing motorcycle roadtrip. Over 3,000 miles from The Netherlands to Germany and Austria, up to Dubrovnik and then to Italy. Bari, Taormina and back to the Amalfi Coast until Rome, Florence and Lake Garda. I think it's amazing to sit at the table and dine until 1 am, like Italians do," he enthused. A 'real' cool guy loves his family, and Michael obviously has that covered. "I feel very lucky to have been raised by my parents. They taught me to be a good person and work hard during the years I was working at the family's restaurant. Now they have retired and they have a life at last," Michael told Italy's Vanity Fair magazine.
To be honestly cool, there is something that many celebrities always seem to forget, and that is to lose-the-ego. Cause that ain't cool, that's an 'attitude'. A bad one, at that. You can still be confident and take pride in your success, but you surely don’t need to brag about it. Again, a solid Fassbender trait is his 'realness' and lack of egotistical drivel. When asked if he ever stopped and thought to himself: 'fucking hell, I'm a movie star', Michael answered perfectly, "I don't ever think 'you're a movie star'. I stop most days and think: 'jeez, you're fucking lucky'. The dream was to work with the best people and that's what I've achieved. When I'm stood on a Ridley Scott set and we're doing Alien, I definitely pinch myself for sure."
Fassbender is also so friggin’ cool, that he doesn't have one superficial bone in his body while choosing his special lady friends. "I find women attractive in all shapes and sizes and although it’s a bit of a cliché, what’s attractive is someone who’s confident and doesn’t mind showing elements of themselves that society might consider weak or making a fool of themselves." Michael remarked to Irish Tatler magazine, "It’s a prison to be constantly worrying about what others think of you and wondering if you are coming across as attractive or interesting or socially popular."
Mr. Fassbender also has a compassionate side, and nothing says cool like a man who loves animals. “I love animals and would love to have a dog, but the nature of my work means I’d have to put it into a kennel and put it through quarantine and all that sort of thing and it really wouldn’t be fair to the animal.” Fassbender shared with Irish America magazine back in 2012. He also cares enough to support some of life's good causes such as The Texas School For The Deaf and TIFF’s year-round programs that brings films and filmmakers to young people, as well as outreach to five area hospitals for people with mental health issues. “It’s fantastic. I mean, where are we without the next generation? I think it’s all about really giving kids the opportunity to engage in creative arts in a way to express themselves, especially kids that don’t perhaps have the financial means to do it or even, as you say, if they are handicapped in any way to give them an opportunity to express themselves and just sort of communicate,” Fassbender said at last year's TIFF Soirée.
It is well known that Michael Fassbender is quite a passionate man when it comes to his work. An extremely creative and talented individual that can, not only act his face off, but dance, sing, play the piano, and even surf like nobody's business! Sometimes the thought of Fassbender and his many talents brings to mind Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day. It took Murray an entire movie of countless Groundhog Days to become the perfect man, honestly and permanently. Mr. Fassbender 'is' that final transition of Murray's fictional character. A man that can sincerely back-up all that his coolness suggests.
Of course, it is easy for us to sit here and point out all the fantastic things about Michael Fassbender, because we absolutely love the guy - but one or two opinions do not give someone the right to wear that sleek, smooth badge of 'coolness'. No, it takes more than that. So, how about the opinion of countless Fassy fans from all over the world? Michael's fans have sang his praises for years now. They gush about how kind, sweet and charming he is and how he has given his time to them at premieres, movie sets, and even after coming out of the Four Seasons Hotel in Hollywood. Fellow co-stars, directors and crew sing those same praises. Even journalists appear to take a liking to him. How’s that for credentials?
Photo by Josiah Kamau
Putting all of this knowledge together, can make for only one conclusion. It's no secret at all why Michael Fassbender is so cool. The example has been right in front of our faces all along. Michael Fassbender looks, acts and seems cool, because he REALLY is. There aren't any holes. Any way you look at it, you want this man as your best friend, your lover, your brother, or even your son --- because he isn't faking it. Tear away the layers, and you get the same thing again and again. All the way through, this man is authentic. The image is real and it lasts. --- but, of course, if all of this still hasn't convinced you that Michael Fassbender is most likely the coolest guy on the entire planet, then just stick with that kick-ass, leather clad, action hero image zooming past you on the BMW motorcycle - Because, let's face it, Fassbender's got that one covered too.
---By M. Shepherd - July 2017