Iconic (and not-so-iconic) cinematic action stars

Angelina Jolie catapulted to stardom with her emotionally edgy work in “Gia” and “Girl, Interrupted,” and found box office success and icon status as the titular action hero in the “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” franchise. Her best work in an action film came in the form of a bored housewife who is also a secret assassin, as is her on-screen (and later off-screen) husband, Brad Pitt, in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” 

Perhaps the most iconic action hero on the list, “Ahnuld” skyrocketed to stardom as ‘The Terminator’ in James Cameron’s apocalyptic thriller. The former Mr. Universe struggled at first due to a weird body, a funny accent that had to be overdubbed and an unwieldy last name, but hit big and often with “Commando,” “Total Recall,” “True Lies” and many others. His iconic status even reached into reality when the mega star became governor of California.

Landing on the “100 Greatest College Players of All-time” list demonstrates that The Boz was kinda like that cool kid who peaked in high school. Yes, he did play two years in the NFL, but after a career-ending injury, his first foray into film, “Stone Cold,” was also the peak of his acting career.

The San Francisco-born martial arts legend was indeed a pop-culture icon and still graces the walls of many college dorm rooms. He was the founder of a new field of martial arts (Jeet Kune Do), and despite only starring in five major motion pictures, helped change the depictions of Asians in American films. Lee’s final film (not counting the then-unfinished "Game of Death"), “Enter the Dragon,” was released six days after his death and was one of the highest grossing movies of 1973.

Bruce Willis brought a blue-collar cockiness into the fold and was described as an action hero who might actually lose after bursting onto the scene as John McClane in “Die Hard.” His legitimate acting chops and comic swagger were displayed in “Pulp Fiction,” “12 Monkeys,” “The Fifth Element” and as a repeat offender with M. Night Shyamalan. You’ll never look at broken glass without thinking of Bruce Willis. Yippee Ki Yay!

The action hero with the “Clark Gable good looks” starred in nearly 100 films, often as a gunfighter or vigilante. He was one of “The Magnificent Seven,” and spaghetti western director Sergio Leone wanted him for the role that made Clint Eastwood famous, though they got to work on “Once Upon A Time in the West.” Bronson is most well-known for the “Death Wish” franchise.

After playing a number of supporting roles in big-budget Hollywood films during the late ‘90s, Charlize Theron won a Best Actress Oscar for her work as a serial killer in “Monster.” This certified her ability to be a lead actor, which led to helming “Aeon Flux,” “Atomic Blonde,” portraying the main antagonist in “The Fate of the Furious” and receiving critical acclaim in “Mad Max: Fury Road” as Imperator Furiosa.

The Hong Kong-based actor established himself in the heroic bloodshed and gangster films by John Woo including “A Better Tomorrow” and “The Killer.” His success reached new heights with his performance in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

Rising from obscurity and homelessness to the public eye as the lovable office goofball in “Parks and Recreation,” it is nothing short of transcendent that Chris Pratt is now an action movie megastar. He is the leading man of the rebooted “Jurassic World” franchise, and his role as Peter Quill / Starlord in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers” series is the gift that keeps on giving.

Though Lambert may not have icon status, he achieved international success starring as Connor MacLeod in the “Highlander” films. He also appeared as the title role in “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes” and as the teleporting thunder god Raiden in “Mortal Kombat.”

The star of “Walker, Texas Ranger” has seen his popularity bloom because of a simple internet meme. But after a stint in Korea with the Air Force, the martial artist rose to fame as Bruce Lee’s nemesis in “Way of the Dragon.” He is also well known for his philanthropy and politics. Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.

Say what you want about his politics or how he speaks to empty chairs, Clint Eastwood was a certified grade-A action star thanks to his role as the Man With No Name in Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy and as the titular cop in the five “Dirty Harry” films. Eastwood’s most acclaimed work would come later in the Oscar-winning “Unforgiven.”

Though not a typical household name, Cynthia Rothrock achieved success in the Hong Kong film industry due to her black belt status in seven styles of martial arts. Her most well-known film overseas is “Yes, Madam” and has had a longstanding career as a B-movie action star here in the states.

The muscular, 6’5” Swede trained as a chemical engineer and worked as a bodyguard for Grace Jones before getting his breakout role as Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV.” He went on to star as He-Man and “The Punisher” before sharing the screen once again with Sylvester Stallone in “The Expendables” series.

Given his age, it may seem surprising that Donnie Yen is a rising star, but the Wing Chun martial arts master is hitting his stride. He broke out with his role in “Once Upon a Time in China II,” achieved success as the lead role in “Ip Man” and had a massive year in 2016 with “Rogue One” and “xXx: Return of Xander Cage.” He is signed on to star in the sequel of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

The ten-time, world wrestling champion stormed onto the acting scene as The Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns.” The Rock has been a fixture in the “Fast and Furious” franchise and has shown versatility while averaging 3 major motion pictures a year since 2013. The People’s Champion also joined the Five Timers Club as a host of Saturday Night Live. 

Gal Gadot was crowned Miss Israel in 2004, and the former combat instructor in the Israeli Defense Forces earned her first role in the fourth film of the “Fast & Furious” franchise. Gadot’s performance in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” was the best part of the movie and was the launchpad of her iconic stardom, which was on full display in her solo film “Wonder Woman.”

The Scottish actor gained worldwide recognition for his role as King Leonidas in “300,” but has not quite matched that accomplishment as an action star despite starring in action schlock like "Olympus Has Fallen" and its sequels. He has demonstrated the ability to cross over to other genres such as romantic comedy with “P.S. I Love You” and animation with “How to Train Your Dragon.” 

Harrison Ford has two of the most iconic roles on his resume with the classic anti-hero Han Solo and adventuring archaeologist Indiana Jones. What made him such a compelling action hero was not the way he threw a punch, but rather the way he took one. His frame might not match the Schwarzeneggers and Stallones, but his swagger and acting skills certainly surpasses.

When it comes to numbers, the martial artist is a virtuoso. Acting in over 150 films since the 1960s, the Hong Kong-born Chan broke into American films with “Rumble in the Bronx” and his acrobatic choreography and improvised stunts. He also demonstrated a great sense of comedic timing as evidenced by his verbal and physical sparring with Chris Tucker in “Rush Hour.”

The British beefcake broke onto the scene with “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and reunited with Guy Richie on “Snatch.” He does all of his own stunts and landed the title role in the “Transporter” trilogy. The former model is also featured in “The Expendables” and made cameos in the “Fast and Furious” franchise.

Appearing in over 50 films, the Belgian-born martial artist had his breakout in the cult hit “Bloodsport.” His dashing good-looks and athletic prowess resulted in the lead role in the “Universal Soldier” franchise, as Guile in “Street Fighter” and, like any bonafide action hero, a role in “The Expendables.” He also set the internet ablaze doing the splits between two moving trucks in a recent commercial.

Jean Reno had the blessing of beginning his career working alongside famed French filmmaker Luc Besson. He is most well-known for his title role of “The Professional” opposite a charming, young Natalie Portman. An icon of French cinema, Reno has found American box office success with “Mission: Impossible,” “The Pink Panther” and “The Da Vinci Code.”

Beginning as a martial arts champion at the young age of 12, Jet Li blasted into stardom in Chinese film with the “Shaolin Temple” series as well as “Once Upon a Time in China.” He crossed-over into American films as the villains in “Lethal Weapon 4” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” and has appeared in “The Expendables.”

While getting his big break as Brand Walsh in “The Goonies” began a long career for Josh Brolin, he has given iconic and nuanced performances in “No Country for Old Men,” “Milk” and as the 43rd President of the United States in “W.” His role as a younger Tommy Lee Jones in “Men in Black 3” gave him the action movie cache to then do double duty in the Marvel Universe as Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” and Cable in “Deadpool 2.”

Kate Beckinsale cemented her status as an iconic action film star with her five appearances as Selene the vampire in the “Underworld” franchise. Her skilled acting and versatility in all genres only enhanced her ability to serve up action-packed charisma in “Van Helsing,” “Whiteout,” “Contraband” and a reboot of the Schwarzenegger classic “Total Recall.”

Keanu Reeves single-handedly brought the laid-back, surfer brah into the action hero fold with the all-time great “Point Break.” He continued this aesthetic of hollow/brilliant one liners in “Speed” and as the savior, Neo, in “The Matrix” trilogy. While Reeves diversified his resume with more artistic entries, he has returned to the action genre with the “John Wick” franchise.

The man most known for playing cool anti-hero Snake Plissken in the “Escape from New York/LA” films has had a longstanding film career dating back to the 1960s as a child actor. He had a string of box office success in the '90s with “Backdraft,” “Tombstone” and ‘Stargate,” and he re-entered the picture by joining the “Fast and Furious” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchises.

The husky-voiced action star, most recently acclaimed for talking emphatically into cell phones in the “Taken” series, has shown excellent diversity from “Schindler’s List” to “Love Actually.” The Irish actor was also one of the few bright spots in “Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace” and truly shined as Ra’s al Ghul in “Batman Begins.”

Linda Hamilton is best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor, mother of the revolution in the robot wars to come, in James Cameron apocalyptic sci-fi flick “The Terminator.” 1991 was an iconic year for Hamilton, as her performance of the mentally disturbed yet transformed Connor allowed her to delve deeper into the role, resulting in critical acclaim and two MTV Movie Awards for Best Female Performance and Most Desirable Female.

Already established as a talented actor in the coming-of-age film “Good Will Hunting,” it was a logical step for the handsome and smart Damon to beef-up and try his hand in action roles. He did more than that as Jason Bourne in the impressive franchise and went on to star in “The Departed,” “The Martian” and “The Great Wall.” How bout them apples?

Though popular opinion has waned in recent years, Mel Gibson was a true action star in his prime. From “Mad Max” to the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, the actor could always deliver. His performance (and direction) in “Braveheart” is one of the most iconic in cinematic history, and his “Hamlet” remains one of the best attempts at Shakespeare's tragic hero.

Michael B. Jordan is experiencing a renaissance and is one of the go-to action stars following his titular performance as Adonis Creed in the “Creed” reboot of the Rocky franchise that focuses on the son of the iconic boxer’s former competitor and friend. Jordan also captured the attention of audiences with his role of villain Killmonger in the blockbuster “Black Panther.” His career is on an upward trajectory.

The former Miss Malaysia was an established martial artist and actor doing her own stunts in the Hong Kong film industry most notably in “Yes, Madam” and “Police Story 3.” Her American breakthrough was in the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies,” and she is most well known for her critically acclaimed, leading role in “ Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

The “reigning queen of kick butt” had a dazzling breakthrough as Leeloo in “The Fifth Element” after the young actress and model gained attention in “Return to the Blue Lagoon.” At one point, Jovovich was the highest paid model in the world, according to Forbes, and she is beloved by video gamers across the world for starring in the six films of the “Resident Evil” series.

While his dramatic work in “Raising Arizona,” “Moonstruck” and “Leaving Las Vegas” is legitimately great, it enabled him to catapult his career to the forefront of American culture. As painful as it is to say, Nicolas Cage is an iconic action star thanks to his mid-'90s trio of “The Rock,” “Face/Off” and “Con Air,” and fun can be had from watching his ridiculous but unique acting in "National Treasure" and even, gulp, "The Wicker Man."

Pam Grier is an icon based on the fact that she is the first African-American actress to headline an action film, and her talent was nourished by blaxploitation films of the ‘70s like “The Big Bird Cage,” “Coffy,” “Foxy Brown” and “Sheba, Baby.” She reemerged to critical acclaim and Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for her lead role in Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown.”

What is an iconic action hero list without the original James Bond? A terrible list, Miss Moneypenny. Beyond the great British agent 007, other classic Connery performances can be seen in “The Untouchables,” “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “The Rock.”

Scarlett Johansson rose to prominence in Hollywood for her work in dramas, most notably in her BAFTA award-winning role in “Lost in Translation.” But soon the action films came calling, beginning with her role as Black Widow in “Ironman 2” and followed by leading roles in “Under the Skin” and “Lucy.” Her time as Black Widow in the Marvel Comics Universe has spanned four more films and does not look to be slowing down.

The sci-fi queen is best known for the role of Ellen Ripley in the four films of the “Alien” franchise, which launched her career. But aside from the “Ghostbusters” films and “Avatar,” Sigourney Weaver’s bread and butter is drama. In 1988, she received the Best Actress nomination for “Gorillas in the Mist” and the Best Supporting Actress for “Working Girl” as one of only a few to be recognized in two Oscar acting categories in the same year.

The “King of Cool” was maybe the first real anti-hero to grace the silver screen, and Steve McQueen made a living off it. From his Academy Award nomination in “The Sand Pebbles,” to his title roles in “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Bullitt,” to his featured performances in the great ensembles of “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Great Escape” and “The Towering Inferno,” McQueen was, for a time, the highest paid movie-star in the world.

While never achieving full-blown icon status, Steven Seagal put together a solid career in action films. After training as a black belt in Aikido and working as a fight choreographer in Hollywood, his breakthrough came with “Above the Law” in 1988. His best work was ripping out that bad guy’s throat in “Under Siege.”

When it comes to action films, there may be no one more iconic than Sylvester Stallone. While "Rocky" might technically be a drama, you cannot say that the film and its sequels aren't filled with action. But with a pedigree that in includes the "Rambo" series, "Demolition Man," "Tango & Cash," "Cobra," "The Expendables," "The Specialist" and now the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films.  Fuhgeddaboudit. Not only is Stallone the hero of Philadelphia, but the megastar was nominated for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for “Rocky.” The only other two in history, Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles.

Tom Cruise is an immensely talented actor and an iconic action hero. From “Top Gun” to “Mission Impossible” to “Jack Reacher,” he has the resume. And his ability to portray charisma and vulnerability in films ranging from “Rain Man” to “Jerry Maguire” cement his legendary movie star status.

Uma Thurman rocketed to A-list celebrity status by starring in one of the greatest movies of all time — Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” Her appearance as Poison Ivy in “Batman & Robin,” arguably one of the worst movies of all time, did not diminish her career. Fortunately, she reconnected, in muse-like fashion, with Tarantino and helmed his two-part “Kill Bill” epic in all her violent and sword-swinging glory.

The deep-voiced strongman has three major franchises with recurring roles under his belt. He burst onto the scene with “Saving Private Ryan” and “Boiler Room,” but the “Fast and Furious,” “Chronicles of Riddick” and Xander Cage “xXx” series are what clarify Diesel’s iconic status. Getting to say “I am Groot” over and over again in the "Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise isn’t too bad either.

His career really took off running as Willie Mays Hayes in “Major League” and showed his comedic side in “White Men Can’t Jump” and “To Wong Foo….” The star of the “Blade” trilogy had a good string of action hits in the 1990s including “Passenger 57,” “Money Train” and as one of the most underrated villains, Simon Phoenix, in “Demolition Man.”

The Fresh Prince has the distinction of being the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million dollars. That’s a lot of good posters! From “Independence Day” to the “Men in Black” franchise to “Ali” to “I Am Legend,” Will Smith is box office gold, a talented actor and an action film icon.

Zoe Saldana stormed onto the action film circuit in 2009 with two major roles as Uhura in “Star Trek” and Neytiri in “Avatar.” She also plays Gamora in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Considering that all three films have already had sequels and show no signs of slowing down production, we will be seeing a lot of Saldana in the future, and her action hero status is indisputably iconic.