Who are the all-time greatest action stars? This list includes some of the biggest names in movie history, and each actor or actress listed here is fully capable of kicking butt and taking names in any movie they're in. Action stars are a special breed. They combine great acting ability with physicality that brings an action film to life. Be sure to vote for your favorite action stars and vote down any you don't like. Also, feel free to add any great action movie stars who are missing from the list.
What makes an action star the best? It's someone who commands the screen with feats of strength and prowess - not to mention the uncanny ability to miraculously survive even in the face of impossible odds. Many people listed here are top action movie stars who starred in some of the greatest action movies of all time. Some are newcomers, having landed major roles in recent films, including the best action movies of 2012, for example.
Not all of the all-time greatest action stars are men, no no. Some of the sexiest women in action movies are included here. Among them: Sigourney Weaver, aka Ripley in Alien. She definitely qualifies. Angelina Jolie and Milla Jovovich are other good examples.
Enjoy voting for the best action stars, and remember: You can, and should, add any famous Hollywood action actors who deserve a spot but aren't already listed here!
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2,8101,842Vin Diesel
Age: 53Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York
Credits: Furious 7, Fast & Furious 6, Fast Five, xXx
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2,2631,523Charles Bronson
Dec. at 82 (1921-2003)Birthplace: Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Credits: Once Upon a Time in the West, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen, The Magnificent Seven
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2,3471,484Matt Damon
Age: 45Birthplace: Cambridge, USA, Massachusetts
Credits: The Bourne Identity, Saving Private Ryan, Good Will Hunting, The Departed
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1,528748Tom Hardy
Age: 43Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom
Credits: Mad Max: Fury Road, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, The Revenant
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2,4311,677Wesley Snipes
Age: 58Birthplace: Orlando, Florida, United States of America
Credits: Blade, Blade II, Blade: Trinity, Demolition Man
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2,1691,489Dolph Lundgren
Age: 62Birthplace: Spånga, Stockholm, Sweden
Credits: The Expendables, The Expendables 2, Universal Soldier, Rocky IV
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2,0511,367Samuel L. Jackson
Age: 71Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States of America
Credits: Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Hateful Eight
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2,6162,010John Wayne
Dec. at 72 (1907-1979)Birthplace: Winterset, Iowa, United States of America
Credits: The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Rio Bravo, True Grit
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2,1151,511Christian Bale
Age: 41Birthplace: Haverfordwest, United Kingdom
Credits: The Dark Knight, The Prestige, American Psycho, The Dark Knight Rises
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1,306688Danny Trejo
Age: 76Birthplace: Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Credits: Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Machete Kills, Heat
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2,6981,168Theo James
Age: 35Birthplace: Oxford, United Kingdom
Credits: Underworld: Awakening, Divergent, The Inbetweeners Movie, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Insurgent
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2,1771,513Mark Wahlberg
Age: 49Birthplace: Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Credits: Boogie Nights, The Fighter, Lone Survivor, Prisoners
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1,7151,289Gerard Butler
Age: 50Birthplace: Paisley, United Kingdom
Credits: 300, How to Train Your Dragon, Olympus Has Fallen, RocknRolla
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1,147804Chris Pratt
Age: 41Birthplace: Virginia, Minnesota, United States of America
Credits: Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, Her, Parks and Recreation
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1,215743Chow Yun-Fat
Age: 65Birthplace: Lamma Island, Hong Kong
Credits: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Killer, Curse of the Golden Flower, Hard Boiled
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1,6631,395Tommy Lee Jones
Age: 74Birthplace: San Saba, Texas, United States of America
Credits: No Country for Old Men, Men in Black, Men in Black II, The Fugitive
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1,6691,413Carl Weathers
Age: 67Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Credits: Predator, Rocky I, II & IV
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2,0171,747Will Smith
Age: 52Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Credits: Men in Black, I Am Legend, I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness
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1,4661,238Kate Beckinsale
Age: 47Birthplace: Finsbury Park, London, United Kingdom
Credits: The Aviator, Underworld, Underworld Evolution, Pearl Harbor
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2,2852,057Sigourney Weaver
Age: 66Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Credits: Alien, Aliens, Alien³, Avatar
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1,264955Antonio Banderas
Age: 60Birthplace: Spain, Málaga
Credits: Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Shrek 2, The Skin I Live In
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1,7921,676Steve McQueen
Dec. at 50 (1930-1980)Birthplace: Beech Grove, Indiana, United States of America
Credits: The Great Escape, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Papillon, Bullitt
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1,6631,500Al Pacino
Age: 80Birthplace: East Harlem, New York City, New York, United States of America
Credits: The Godfather, Scarface, Heat, The Godfather: Part II
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736602Henry Cavill
Age: 37Birthplace: Jersey, United Kingdom, with Dependencies and Territories
Credits: Man of Steel,The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,Immortals,Stardust
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1,5771,403Brad Pitt
Age: 56Birthplace: USA, Shawnee, Oklahoma
Credits: Inglourious Basterds, Fight Club, World War Z, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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