Casting Call: Grow It Out For Abe Lincoln

Have you long been an admirer of Abe Lincoln's beard? Well, this Friday, July 22nd, the production company shooting Spielberg's Lincoln movie will be in Richmond, Virginia, to hold an open casting call for men (20 years or older) who have dedicated years to growing out their beards and want to get possible Hollywood recognition for their commitment, potential fame, and a paycheck for their hairy efforts.    

The Virginia Film Office stated, "If you’re interested and presently have long hair and/or a beard, or you are able to stop shaving and cutting your hair until the casting director comes to the area next week, please come to an open call."

This is an all day casting call, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. 
(Photo: Abe)

A Piece of Silly Affection Or A Chance To Grow?

That's the question that faced one of the most well-known beards in our nation's history - Abe Lincoln. As reported in The New York Times, just days after his election Abe made up his mind and proclaimed to his barber, let s give them a chance to grow. Whether camouflage for Abe's scrawny neck or a chance to appear older, his beard defined memorable greatness.

The New York Times also went on to report that: Most American historians, when they have considered the 19th-century whisker revolution at all, have assumed it had to do with Civil War soldiers avoiding the inconvenience of shaving. In fact, the phenomenon predated the war by a number of years and was the subject of a great deal of contemporary comment and debate. By the mid-1850s, talk of a beard movement was sweeping the nation. In 1857, an intrepid journalist strolled through Boston s streets, conducting a statistical survey: of the 543 men he tallied, no fewer than 338 had full, bushy beards, while nearly all the rest sported lesser facial hair of various sorts.

So what say you... most notable beard in U.S. history? Do you side with Team Abe or have someone else in mind?

Watch out Nike - It's Time To Fear The Beard

Jacob Pullen - Build-A-Beard is watching you...  

Kansas State basketball's winning streak (14-2) can be attributed to the scruff of number '0' - Jacob Pullen. Since the fall, this all-star junior guard has been growing his beard - openly stating he trims it along the way - and it's caught the attention of competitors and fans alike.

In years past, a player's success could have easily been attributed to the footwear (quite impressively, Pullen averages 19.8 points a game to pace the No. 13/12 Wildcats to their highest ranking in more than 30 years), but now is the year of the beard.  And not just any beard - Pullen bravely (and proudly) sports the Abe Lincoln-type facial creativity prompting fans to grow their own.  In fact, most Kansas State fans are now beardos!  

It has also been reported that the facial-hair challenged opt for Abe costume beards to show support during games while hundreds hold signs with beard cut-outs to frame their face.  

In a recent interview, Jacob stated:

"Before games I'll walk out there to shoot around and the first 10 fans in the front row will have the 'Fear the Beard' shirts on — that just relaxes me a lot, allows me to loosen up when I see that kind of fan support."

Rock on, Jacob!  We will be sure to follow you more closely as the season progresses, but we're huge fans of your follicles.