Never Say Die: 17 Beloved Pop-Culture Immortals

From the Buffyverse's Angel and Spike to sexy ''Lord of the Rings'' elf Legolas, we pledge undying admiration for these characters who can take a lickin' but will just keep on tickin'

By Erin E. Stevenson

Updated July 01, 2008 at 11:00 PM EDT

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Credit: Mitchell Haddad

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Credit: Everett Collection

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Credit: Pierre Vinet

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Credit: Everett Collection

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11. Laurence Olivier in Clash of the Titans (1981)

Credit: Everett Collection

It had to suck to be Laurence Olivier. Sure, you're one of the world's greatest actors. But the catch-22 is that you can't just say ''Screw it, I'm gonna cut loose, throw on a toga, and ham it up as Zeus.'' Or can you? Olivier lets his Athenian freak flag fly as the original god father. While Harry Hamlin undergoes the trials of Perseus, Olivier kicks back on Mount Olympus making googly eyes at Ursula Andress' Aphrodite.