This list is little more than a love letter to the actors that have brought me one of my favorite brand of films: the unapologetic action flick. Shit blowing up, over dramatic fight sequences, and high octane chase scenes is where my heart is. The summer is just around the bend, and these popcorn flicks are almost ready to plague the big screen. Over the years there have been a many an actor who’ve attempted the feat of becoming a huge action hero. But as many that have done it well, some of them have done it great, and even today I feel like the 90′s and especially the 80′s have left the last decade vacant of the true action star, but save a few. Here are the ten best, as I see fit.
10. Matt Damon
He rules as Jason Bourne and being Bourne has made him one of the best icons for action star in the past ten years easily, but Damon isn’t really an action hero, he’s just a good enough actor to play one really well. He’s just as content doing artsy flicks. Either way that range and ability to emote more than a stagnant face is what sets him apart from the crowd and definitely is one of my favorite actors working period right now.
9. Steve McQueen
Steven McQueen is the man, and people in today’s generation that haven’t explored his awesomeness need to go back and start looking up his movies. He’s still one of the smoothest dudes to ever grace the screen and is one of those guys who is actually a star. Unfortunately his untimely death from lung cancer in 1980 prevented him from making anymore movies but he’ll never be forgotten and has left us movies like Bullit, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, and The Magnificent Seven to forever remember him.
8. Clint Eastwood
You can’t have a list like this and not include Clint Eastwood for Dirty Harry alone. Even though his career has been full of other wicked cool action heroes, Dirty Harry is probably the one that rings most true in mind. Eastwood has proven in his career that you can play fun, gun toting roles and still have it well acted with character. Mel Gibson can thank him for opening that door, which is essentially why Martin Riggs had a chance to exist.
7. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan has been busy making movies for fifty plus years and even today is still turning out the crazy action packed flicks, doing martial arts that some men in their twenties can’t do. What he really integrated was a great sense of humor and comedy, but still with some of the best martial arts ever on the big screen. Today he’s just as lovable and entertaining and with the release of the remade and vamped Karate Kid, he still has claim to the throne as one of the best action heroes of all time.
6. Harrison Ford
Han Solo, Jack Ryan, Indiana Jones, and Rick Deckard? Need I say more? Harrison created his own special brand of action hero. A guy who based his prowess on charm and charisma and mixed his stunts with a lot of realism giving his moments of action a great mix of comedy and belief.
5. Mel Gibson
He’s Martin freakin’ Riggs for craps sake. One of the greatest action characters ever created. While Gibson is well known for his role in the Lethal Weapon franchise, let us not forget years of work in films like Bird On A Wire, Mad Max, Tequila Sunrise, Braveheart, Ransom, and Payback. He just keeps making him, and his swagger, his likability, and actual true talent makes Gibson one of the greatest action heroes ever.
4. Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee changed action movies forever and will forever remain an icon of Kung Fu flicks and American action films. If not for his untimely death who knows where exactly where his career would have taken him. Even by today’s standards his athletic ability and his charm is unmatched in this part of cinema.
3. Bruce Willis
I could get slack for Willis being #5 instead of #1 or #2 and it’s a fair argument. Aside from his notorious role as John McClane he’s managed to have a solid career existence as mostly just an action guy, and has done it well, with only a few real stinkers in the midst. That’s an incredible feat and well worth acknowledging. Even today he isn’t retired from the action hero, and doesn’t feel tired. Willis is simply a cool fucking dude and few have ever blown shit up better than he has.
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Come on the Governator still has it, but in his heyday Arnold was the epitome of what an action hero should be. Oddly charming, intimidating, and one of the buffest dudes to ever grace the screen. Arnold is lovable and fearsome. He’s made some of the most notorious action films of all time and played some of the most notable roles ever, and probably one of the most successful action stars ever.
1. Sylvester Stallone
In his youth Sly was one of the greatest, but even today there is such high demand for his classic roles that Sly is replaying those that made him famous with the new Rocky and Rambo, which actually were both really good movies, but still he’s now in his fifties and we rely on him for great action movies and stuff to blow up? Hell yes. He’s bringing us The Expendables. Let’s be honest, the trailer alone is any action film junkies wet dream. July is going to rock.
Honorable Mentions: Charles Bronson, Jason Statum, Wesley Snipes, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Jean Claude Van Damme, Antonio Banderas, Steven Segal, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fet, Chuck Norris, John Wayne, and Sean Connery
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Great piece! It’s really amazing to see that Sly made it as a movie star despite relatively nonexistent acting skills. The guy can barely mumble half-articulate sentences most of the time and yet, he is #1 on many people’s list of Top action movie star! Love the inclusion of Harrison Ford as well
I dug it. Gang up people!
http://digg.com/movies/Top_Ten_Action_Stars
and thank you.
Action heroes don’t need acting skills, Castor, it’s kind of a ‘nice to have’ he..he.. Fun list, Heather, and timely too with Summer blockbuster just around the corner. I’d add Jason Statham here too, and as long as we’re talking about action star (not serious thespian), Keanu belongs here, too. Glad to see Gerry Butler is nowhere on this list. Though some people starts labeling him ‘action hero’ after 300, I think he’s more than that. Damon is definitely the most versatile one on this list, but yeah he can kick ass. Harrison Ford is the reigning King of action flicks, I think all this movies have grossed over a billion dollars by now.
Unfortunately Butler has gotten McConaughey syndrome and been too busy making RomCom’s to remember us men and women want him to occasionally blow shit up.
His accent would be more forgivable then.
Of course, he can do more than the RomCom or action, but it is what it is.
I think he’d be blowing stuff up in his next two flicks, well at least in the modern day Coriolanus anyway. The first stills I saw are reminiscent of The Hurt Locker. He’s playing villain again, not sure what accent he’d be using though. But please, please, don’t associate him with McConaughey yet, that’s just cruel!
Hahahahaha! He’s not in McConaughey world yet. I think he’s better than him anyway, and has more actual range, but I hope he doesn’t make those choices. We just need to encourage him to stay away from the RomCom’s. He’s got to know we support him out here!
On the upside I just saw Lawabiding citizen and he was good in it, even though the movie was just OK.
I actually prefer Arnie over Sly as a personal choice but I felt I had to give Sly props where props were due. He might not be articulate or the best actor, but whatever “It” is, he’s got it, and he’s had the most consistently good career as an action star, I feel. Nonetheless, I think you could swap any of the top three here. Sly, Arnie, or Willis are all epic icons of the action movie community, and should all be highly respected for their achievements, whether it’s your cup of tea or not.
Nice list! As I was going through the first couple, I was like, “Wait for it… wait for it… there’s Harrison Ford!” You covered almost everyone I would put on there (I would have included Jason Statham just because of the extent of his badass-ness and also Ron Perlman). Thanks for posting though!
Statham was close to taking Damon’s place, as he is more of an actual action star, and Damon does a mix of both, but my Bourne obsession gave him the edge.
And Ron Perlman is a gangsta!
Thought Eastwood would be higher, but still a great list.
Thank you. I truly can’t explain the conflict of finishing this list. I spent twice as much time as I usually do, trying to make the right choices and fair representatives of certain specific genre’s and area’s of the action arena, and admittedly the order was the part that became even more distressful after the narrowing of ten.
A great list! You definitely covered all the bases of classic to modern, but Sly number 1? You must be one of those Stallone people. Brian warned me about your kind… His greatest contribution was Demolition Man, but even that alone should get him on the list anyway.
I too felt an obligation/duty to include Dirty Harry on a similar list that I did… I dunno though, The Rookie really ruined him for me.
Anyone with even a mild interest in Jackie Chan as an action star has to see Supercop – 100% It’s on DVD in North America finally.
And I never thought I would be the one to bring him up, but Keanu Reeves didn’t even make your honourable mention list? Between Point Break, Speed and The Matrix, he at least deserves a little ink in the “also ran” section. No?
Great list, Heather!
There’s always going to be at least one good one to miss, and Keanu is definitely an example of that. He really has done a superb job of taking his career in the direction of an action star, which is really where he belongs, instead of the sappy low energy flicks he is so found of making, but even now I look at the list and don’t know who I’d replace him with.
Maybe Matt Damon? Otherwise, I just can’t see where.
Great to see Bruce Willis so high on the list, Die Hard reinvented the action movie. The only name that springs to mind I would also have added is Yun-Fat Chow
He is incredible Andy! I full on agree with you there.
And anyone who doesn’t give Bruce Willis their props probably doesn’t appreciate the action genre.
It’s a good list. Not sure Sly would top mine (and I just don’t like Matt Damon for some reason), but it’s solid.
Since it’s all men, does this indicate we need more action chicks though? (I suppose you have to write the roles before you can create the stars.)
There were only a few women I could even consider. It was kind of sad. I would love for the day when action women become just as big as our action men! Let Tarantino make more movies like Kill Bill, James Cameron loves his leading ladies tough, and if we embrace the world of Joss Whedon that may start to happen though.
There is no action chicks to speak of though, except Angelina Jolie and possibly Jennifer Garner and Kate Beckinsale back in the days. Ladies are almost always relegated to supporting roles these days in nowhere more than in action movies.
I know. It would be nice to see more women cross that barrier. I loved Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, and Eliza Dushku in Dollhouse, Lean Headey in Sarah Connor Chronicles. Any of them would be great options for a female action star.
Yeah, where’s Statham? How can I continue my man-crush on him if he doesn’t make the list! HAHA! There’s a good variety in the list though and that was cool. I’m waiting for the Expendables though, should be fun!
Like I said, I could interchange him with Damon easily. I’d pick both for different reasons is all.
I wish we all lived close to each other because I’d organize a group of us action junkies to go see it together!
Sly gets props for being more involved in the whole film-making process. He writes and directs… seriously, go to IMDB and look at some of the films he’s written. You’ll be surprised. I love your top 3 because Sly and Arnie will always be the poster boys for action films and Willis was the guy that changed the genre and showed you don’t have to be muscle bound to be an action star. Love the Jackie Chan props. Wasn’t sure he’d get on and I LOVE McQUEEN!!!!!!! Nuff said!
Thanks Kai. As I’ve said, I’m partial to Arnie movies myself, but I believe Sly deserves the one spot. He’s earned it.
McQueen is a smooth mutha fucka!
ahhhh no Mario Van Peebles? lol, j/k great list heather, I like how you used Rain in the banner and totally ignored him on the list, thats hilarious. I’m loving your top 10s more and more.
I admit though, that I have a serious crush on Rain. I’ve internet stalked him since I watched Ninja Assassin. hahahahaha!
No Toshiro Mifune? I’m insulted! Haha, just kidding. I don’t really expect to see him on anybody’s list, although I would give the argument that he was the first truly great action star, and for those that have sen his films, he’s near the top of all time.
Great list, though. It’ll be interesting to see how fast Worthington starts creepin up on lists like these. Terminator, Avatar, Clash of the Titans…not too shabby of a start.
And I’ll also throw Bale’s name out there. While he is more of an artist than mindless action star, he does have the likes of Equillibreum, Reign of Fire, Terminator, and both Batman movies to his name. Like I said, he is on a different level from the rest of these other guys because of what he does in other films, like Damon, but he is well equipped at being a star action guy.
I think Worthington has what it takes, just hopefully he doesn’t make The Rock or Vin Diesel choices with his career.
I think of Damon in the same way you do Bale. They aren’t your typical action heroes but I see each of them as the heroes of the future.
And Equilibrium? I LOVE THAT MOVIE. On my top ten underrated flicks.
Gun Kata is absolutely amazing. For all the bad-ass characters that Bale has played, John Preston could probably take on all of them at the same time and still come out on top.
As for the movie itself, it had a very “V for Vendetta” feel to it, and that’s not a bad thing.
I actually thought Equilibrium was way better than V. I think it’s problem was it’s release was too close to the Matrix and people didn’t pay enough attention.
I should a top ten characters that would kill you dead, Preston would make that list.
Preston would kill you dead nine times within a matter of three seconds, before you realize he even hit you the first time.
Ha! Now I have to start writing this post.
Did you get the email I sent you? What do you think?
I’m terrible about checking that email now. I’m far better at responding to . Although the punkyleigh one I check when I’m at work via my phone so I would have noticed it later, but I think it’s an excellent idea.
No Tony Jaa? He’s been making big waves out of Thailand in the past five years. His bigger films are definitely worth a watch!!!
I too absolutely CAN NOT WAIT to see the Expendables. Will have first-screening tickets for sure!!!
I’m going to have to look into that, thanks for the recommendation!
Ong Bak & Warrior King would be a good couple to start with.
Thanks for the suggestion Para………I shall add it to my list of important films I haven’t seen.
The first ones that come to my mind are Jet Li, Daniel Craig, Chow Yun-Fat, Angelina Jolie, Clint Eastwood, Hugh Dillon and Zhang Ziyi.
“Bruce Lee changed action movies forever and will forever remain an icon of Kung Fu flicks and American action films. If not for his untimely death who knows where exactly where his career would have taken him. Even by today’s standards his athletic ability and his charm is unmatched in this part of cinema.”
As far as I know about Bruce Lee, he certainly brought a hell of a contribution to martial art films with his prowess. However, I’ve never really liked him, because he can’t even act (but he can look like a brute on screen) and his films are not artistically outstanding.
Jet Li and Chow Yun-Fet almost made the list for me. Zhang Ziyi is an excellent choice as well.
I think the thing I liked about Bruce Lee’s movies was just Bruce Lee being in them. Had someone else been in those roles I may not have dug them. The substance lacked, but I still watch his movies in utter awe of what he could do. Again, it would have been interesting to see how his career would have evolved, but we’ll unfortunately never know.
I had to give sly top of the list just because of rocky & Rambo…. Iconic characters…. Then it was schwartz & Gibson tied for 2nd…. Compare them movie to movie and I believe Gibson gets the edge…. Brave hart mad max & lethal weapon…. Then I went with Harrison ford and rounded my top 5 with Russel crowe…. I has to seperate MY era with that of my dads….. Steve Mcqueen, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Charles Bronson those guys are on a different level from these other cats with the era of sequels we’ve seen imagine what would have happened with those guys? ( I know Eastwood had multiple dirty harrys but I’m thinking more like outlaw Josie whales #4)…. as far as the rest of my top 10 Denzel, Damon, cruise, Pitt, statham all make it on there….
I really wish Jason Statham was on the list instead of Matt Damon. Albeit, the Bourne series is really cool, but Statham is just soooo bad ass!!!! And more of an action star than Bourne.
I have at all times loved Clint Eastwood. My 9 yr old got excited this evening when he saw him on television and screamed “I want to meet him, I want to meet him!” Wish there were a way…..
Tom Cruise should be in that list, he had broken more bones than Bruce Lee and movie made more gross than any of the above eg. MI series, Top Gun, Minoroty Report etc.
No way stallone should be first because he is only rambo and rocky, the rest all sucks, big time. he is not even a stuntman.
jackie chan should be second given it is a mystery how he is not in wheelchair after all these years, made it to hollywood with bare steel balls and stunts.
First spot should be Arnold or Bruce Lee who revolutionised action film (bodybuilding muscles / Kung Fu) into the past 3 decades of cinema history.
Stallone seriously has no talent in acting or action scenes, but it was his script writing ability and charm that got his ticket sold.
Good list, but it is simply indisputable that Arnold is number 1. Some may be tempted to put others on the top spot to avoid seeming repetitive or cliche, but really, no one else deserves it. Commando, The Terminator films, Total Recall, the list goes on and on.
Wat abt Jet Li? He surely dsrvz a plce, ri8?
hey here is my list and hope everyone agrees
1 Stallone. Why? rocky and rambo.
2 arnie. Why? i will be back?
3 mel. Why? thunder dome.
4 Willis. why? Yippie kay ye mother fucka.
5 Van Damme. Why? round house
6 harrison ford. Why? Dr. indie
7 chan. Why? drunken master.
8 Bruce lee. Why? your asking.
9 cynthia rothrock. Why? my girlfriend is asking me where the ladies are and china O’brian
10 dolph lundgreen. Why? dont know how to spell the name and ivan Drago