Kubrick Stare / Live-Action TV

• Common for Gomez Addams (John Astin) in The Addams Family. In particular, it's his expression in the opening credits. [1]◊ is a good example, as is [2]◊.
  • Wednesday herself sports one at beginning and end of the opening.
• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.:
  • Grant Ward does this in the stinger of "Turn, Turn, Turn" as he is shown to be helping Garrett. Following it right after what looks like he may snap back just serves to drive the point home.
  • Garrett himself does one to Coulson and Fury after Fury shoots him several times in the finale.
  • Fitz pulls one off at the end of "Rewind" after he is asked by Enoch on whether he can survive amongst the galaxy's worst "monsters, mobsters, and mercenaries." Spoiler! He totally does.
• Alias: Allison Doren delivers one during the epic fight scene in the second season finale.
• Angel: Wesley is impersonating the titular hero and gets cornered by two threatening goons. Since he isn't actually supernaturally strong or fast like Angel, he has to bluff them by playing on Angel's reputation and tries a standard death glare on them, hoping to look scary and demonic. He fails. Then he uses the Kubrick Stare instead, and suddenly he really does look scary and demonic, even though the difference in expression is quite subtle. (This is, in fact, the story that marks the beginning of his transformation from comic relief to tragic hero.)
• Babylon 5:
  • Mr. Morden flashes one of these at the brig's security camera at the end of the episode "In the Shadow of Z'ha'Dum", right at the point where Sheridan is looking at him in the monitor and sees the two Shadows among him detectable at different wavelengths — it is almost like Morden knows exactly when Sheridan was looking at him, and what he saw.
  • Sheridan also gives a haggard but defiant Kubrick Stare a couple of times while under Earth Government interrogation in the episode "Intersections in Real Time".
• Norman Bates in Bates Motel, channeling the original character from Psycho, does the Kubrick stare many times in promotional◊ photos◊, the show itself,◊ and even in funny promotional skits.
• BattleBots: Daniel Freitas, driver of Minotaur, often looks this way before a battle.
• Battlestar Galactica (2003): Gaius Baltar combines this with a Death Glare to rival Adama's. When he's not crying that is.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the first season opening (and the episode that scene was taken from).
• Cheers. Diane does this a lot when speaking/listening intently to someone — and as such, it's usually played for cute (and sometimes for sexy, a la Lauren Bacall). There are moments, however, when she really is ticked off when giving the Stare — though it's usually just a quick flash of one, in those instances.
• In Coronation Street, whenever David Platt gets this look, you know he's planning something and things aren't going to end well.
• Dallas. J.R. Ewing has done this....◊
• Doctor Who:
  • Our first glimpse of the Twelfth Doctor is an Eyed Screen of him doing one. It becomes a trademark of Twelve's, particularly toward the end of Series 9. Considering the Darker and Edgier nature of this Doctor and his particular story arc, plus the eyebrows, it's really to be expected.
  • The Cheshire Cat Grin variant is one of the main expressions in the Fourth Doctor's repertoire, with the brim of his hat substituting for eyebrows. He does this when he's being particularly creepy.
• Alpha is good at these on Dollhouse. Fits his Ax-Crazy, Manipulative Bastard Serial Killer personality well.
• Firefly's River has also been known to do this, particularly in Serenity.
  "Also, I can kill you with my brain."
• The Flash (2014): Hartley Rathaway delivers one from inside his jail cell.
• Fortitude: Jason gives one when looking out his window shortly after being infected by the parasite.
• Frasier and his brother Niles do this quite a bit when driven to a near breaking point.
  • Interestingly enough, Kelsey Grammer actually has been known to give a pretty terrifying Stare, as evidenced by this publicity poster for◊ Boss.
• Frontline: "Supreme Revenge" ends with a still of Mitch McConnell doing this in shadow as voiceovers talk about possible departures from the Supreme Court of the United States, either by retirement or by death.
• In the Full House episode "Comet's Excellent Adventure", this is Played for Laughs. After shooting down Michelle's suggestion of herself walking Comet on her own due to Comet being much bigger than Michelle is, Danny says that the schedule he sets up dictates that Jesse is the one to walk Comet the next day and that "he's gonna do it with a smile". Jesse, who's already in a bad mood after his band members fired him while a scheduled band performance gig is approaching, reacts with a grimace while looking upwards at Danny.
• Game of Thrones:
  • Tywin Lannister, whose default facial expression is this combined with a stoic scowl of utter contempt. This expresses his cerebral calculating mentality, his no-nonsense "Well-Intentioned Extremist" attitude, and his near-psychopathic ruthlessness against all who dare threaten the pride of the Lannisters (the song "The Rains of Castamere" was dedicated to how he exterminated a rival House). He had mastered this expression to the point that he can Death Glare and scare the hell out of Joffrey, aka the psychotic and sadistic dictator of Westeros.
    (after Joffrey bursts out, Tywin stoically does his Stare) "The King is tired. See him to his chambers."
  • The look Sansa Stark often manages to give Joffrey Baratheon. She does it after having to watch her father's decapitated head on a spike, and when Joffrey acts as her "father" giving her away at her wedding to Tyrion.
  • After spending two seasons as The Stoic and a serious supporter of Robb's regime, Roose Bolton puts out a flat out disturbing one after he's revealed to Catelyn that he's wearing chainmail and is about to betray Robb along with the Freys thus starting the Red Wedding, one that quickly turns into a subtle but noticeable Psychotic Smirk.
  • Tyrion gives a fantastic one while threatening Joffrey in "Second Sons" and another to Tywin and the entire Decadent Court in "The Laws of Gods and Men."
  • Dany keeps an impassive expression throughout Master Kraznys' string of insults because she's pretending not to speak his language, but the last time he calls her a bitch, she gives him one of these when he's not looking. Kraznys' horrible flame-y death ensues shortly after.
  • Osha is good at these, and they are aided by actress Natalia Tena's huge eyes.
• The Handmaid's Tale: June makes one at the camera as she roped into appearing in the Waterfords' appeal for Nichole's return from Canada, clearly infuriated as her fists clench.
• Adrian Pasdar uses the Kubrick Stare both in Heroes and Profit.... It's very, VERY creepy.
  • Zachary Quinto plays his Kubrick Stare to terrifying perfection as both Sylar and Spock have had Kubrick Stare moments, even demonstrating it as to why he's often cast as the bad guy. (He cites his "strong brow" as the reason.)
• Dafne Keen is proving quite adept at this: Lyra does one in the poster for the HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials, and it shows up a few times in the show itself.
• Horatio Hornblower, "The Even Chance": Jack Simpson, a depraved tormentor of his fellow midshipmen, has this disturbing and ominous look when he comes aboard the Indefatigable and confronts poor Archie Kennedy. Horatio, the only one who stood up to him back on their old ship, makes it clear to him that these are new times and that he's not going to bother them anymore. Simpson then makes a swinging move, tilts his head down, and looks up beneath eyebrows, being half-hidden in a shadow. During his next scenes, he tries to murder both Archie Kennedy and Horatio when they take part in a covert night raid and Boarding Party of a French ship.
• Greg House from House almost always wears a Kubrick Stare, as shown in many publicity shots. It works to make him look like a strung-out crazy asshole. Which isn't far from the truth.
• iCarly: Freddie of all people, in iWin A Date. They are trying to comfort Gibby, who's crazy for a girl named Shannon who actually likes Freddie. After Gibby runs off, Carly comments on how sad it is to be in love with someone who won't love you back. Freddie gives her a well-deserved stare, and Carly goes 'Sorry'.
• Interview with the Vampire (2022):
  • Towards the end of a "Family Portrait" promo, Lestat de Lioncourt's menacing gaze at the camera during his close-up conveys that he's Obviously Evil.
  • Similarly, in the first 30-second TV spot for Season 2, Santiago seems to be glaring intimidatingly at the audience, and it leaves no doubt that he's a nefarious vampire.
• Jekyll in Jekyll usually combines this with a Slasher Smile for pure terror.
• The League of Gentlemen's Papa Lazarou does this from time to time. It's incredibly frightening.
• Of all people on Lie to Me to give this look, we get it from Loker in an episode where he's pretending to be a mobster. It actually is fairly creepy.
• Loki (2021): Loki pulls the expression on the poster◊, continuing his penchant for it from The Avengers (2012). However, unlike in the movie, it's more of a sly look than an unhinged look.
• Lost: Sawyer, especially in the first season. Claire has also come down with this.
• Edward James Olmos as Lieutenant Castillo on Miami Vice does this so frequently and well that it's been nicknamed "the Castillo staredown"◊.
• NCIS. Gibbs is comforting a crying woman whose deceased husband was a cannibalistic Serial Killer... until he's informed that some of the bodies buried in her backyard had been buried after the husband died. Cue instant Kubrick Stare from the woman, revealing her true evil self.
• In Once Upon a Time, after Henry eats the poisoned turnover and is in a coma, Emma gives one when Regina, who gave her the turnover for Emma to eat and fall into a coma arrives at the the hospital, and beats Regina up.
• Our Flag Means Death: Edward gives a particularly menacing one in episode 10 before throwing Lucius overboard.
• In Power Rangers S.P.D., Sky (the Blue Ranger) gets bodyjacked by an alien, and starts doing this◊ a lot. It worked a little too well on the fandom.
• Patrick McGoohan is seen with a Kubrick Stare at least once in the opening credits of The Prisoner (1967).
• Moriarty does this at least once in Sherlock. He really doesn't need to look more frightening than he already is.
  • In "A Scandal in Belgravia" Sherlock deduces that Mrs. Hudson has been attacked. In a few seconds, his expression moves from "Bad stuff happened" to "Oh God, he's actually going to kill someone." It's chilling to see.
  • He also does this when trying to solve a crime in "The Sign of Three". Probably not at the best time though; he does it in the middle of his best man speech at John's wedding.
• One example in Stargate SG-1 is a genetically modified human called Khalek who upon the protagonists realizing his true nature, gives this look. The main light in the room is above him, which enhances the look.
• Stranger Things: Eleven usually pulls a K-stare whenever she is about to do some telekinesis. Of particular note is when she and her friends are cornered by goons with guns; she pulls her most intense stare of the series and crushes all of their brains!
• Supernatural:
  • Meg does this in "Devil's Trap".
  • Cas, while possessed or later cursed, pulls these off. "This is gonna be fun."
  • Lampshaded in "Point of No Return": Dean responds to one of Castiel's way-too-intent angry glares: "Last person who looked at me like that, I got laid," followed by a wink when Castiel promptly turns the Death Glare into a Kubrick Stare. Shippers may disagree.
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has Cameron apt at doing this. Given it's Summer Glau it doubles as Head-Tiltingly Kinky.
• Gary Oldman taught Conan O'Brien how to do something like this during an interview near the end of Conan's run on The Tonight Show (Oldman also related a story how he used it to scare off a paparazzi reporter). Seeing the normally upbeat Conan do this was unnerving.
  • Oldman credited this version to James Cagney. Step one: turn your head to face the opponent, keeping your eyes glued elsewhere. Step two: the eyes follow.
• Jesse from The Twilight Zone (1959) episode "A Game of Pool".
• In United States of Tara, Bryce uses this often.
• In The Walking Dead, you can tell Shane's gone off the deep end when he starts using the stare near the end of the second season.
• Xena: Warrior Princess does this a lot when she goes into Badass Normal mode.
• 7 Yüz: Used pointedly in "Karşılaşmalar". As Gödze intently assesses the results of the app's analysis, the camera frequently cuts to close-ups of Onur's eyes, which glare at his wife with growing suspicion. The unnerving gaze, set beneath a furrowed brow, hints at his sinister secret.

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