Top 10 Best Action Movie Stars

When you think of action movies, who springs to mind? The fearless hero diving through explosions? The ice-cool sharpshooter who never misses? Maybe it's the martial arts master whose moves seem to defy gravity.

The action genre has given us so many iconic stars - men and women who've thrilled us with death-defying stunts, epic fight scenes, and a whole lot of attitude. They make saving the world or getting revenge look cool as heck.

But who's the ultimate action superstar? Is it the powerhouse wrestler turned leading man? The versatile actor who pulls off stunts like a pro? Or the classic hero who always has a one-liner up their sleeve?

The Top Ten

Sylvester Stallone

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer.
He is best known for his roles as Rocky Balboa in the Rocky series and John Rambo in the First Blood and Rambo series. His most well-known films are primarily action movies.... read more

They got this one right. Sly and Arnold are clearly the top two. The reason why I think Sly tops the list is that he created the two most iconic action movie characters of all time (Rocky and Rambo). He created the characters and wrote the movies.
His career has spanned over 40 years, and he's STILL making great action movies. He's the king of the series. The Rocky character is still going strong, and he was smart to switch over to "Creed." It's a spinoff of the Rocky movies, and his character is still relevant. He has another Rambo coming out as well. The recent Rocky/Creed and Rambo movies have been great.
Then he created the "Expendables" series, and those were great too. And Escape Plan! Great movies like Cliffhanger, Assassins, Judge Dredd, Demolition Man, Daylight, Cobra, Get Carter, Escape Plan, Over the Top, and Tango and Cash... the list goes on.
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, filmmaker, businessman, investor, author, philanthropist, activist, former professional bodybuilder, and former politician.
He is best known for his iconic roles as the T-800 and Terminator in the Terminator series, Douglas Quaid in Total... read more

Arnie is the BEST. He has done so many great films like Terminator 1 and 2, Predator, Commando, Total Recall, Conan the Barbarian, and The Running Man, to name a few. He was a big icon for his time.
And aren't we forgetting those awesome one-liners that he spews out in every film he's in? Arnold is the best, period!

The only truly believable action star who you could see taking on a bunch of bad guys at once, a whole army base single-handed, or defeating an alien from another planet! See True Lies, The Running Man, Commando, Predator, or almost any of his action films! Plus, probably the best one-liners ever!
Bruce Willis

Walter Bruce Willis, known professionally as Bruce Willis, is a retired American actor, producer, and singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s with roles in Moonlighting and the Die Hard series. In 2022, his family announced he was stepping away from acting due to aphasia and later diagnosed with frontotemporal... read more

Well, I must admit Sly is one of the greatest action stars among others such as Arnold, Jackie Chan, and Bruce Lee. But I consider Bruce Willis the best. He has something that makes you like him. He is suited for action.
In all his films, Bruce is an average, normal guy, but he still manages to kick some ass. Bruce Willis shows the power that the common man can exert and to never underestimate anyone, no matter who they are.

He's definitely one of my favorites. His greatest performance is in Die Hard. He has many great one-liners that I use often, and he stars in many other flicks that I enjoyed.
Jason Statham

Jason Statham is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and Revolver. Statham later became an international action star through leading roles in The Transporter series, Crank, The Expendables, and the Fast & Furious franchise... read more

He should be number one, but at least he's on the list. I really like his acting and think he should at least be in the number three spot. The others are a little too old to be acting out some of the scenes they are in, but I respect them as actors and as people. There are a lot of good actors.

Jason Statham should be number one! Not only is he gorgeous and has a perfect body (because being the #1 action actor is not about looks like some of these ignorant people have implied - hello, you idiots, it's not hottest actor, it's best), but he's also got a great voice for an action star.
He's a great actor, and his overall demeanor fits the part perfectly. Or how about the fact that ANY movie he is in is guaranteed to be a good one? If I see his name in the description of a movie, just his name alone tells me it will be good - and it always is.
Jackie Chan

Chan Kong-sang, known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer, born in 1954. He is celebrated for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he performs himself. Chan has trained in kung fu and hapkido... read more

Jackie is the top contender, period. On pure merit alone, he's been doing movies before Sly, Arnold, or Willis. He has written, produced, and filmed 90% of those movies. Arnold has done three, and they all sucked. Sly did one, and it was okay. Willis at least can talk and act. I'd watch a movie with him before the other two.
But J.C. - you have to give it to him on action alone. He is the best real-life action star of our time. He obviously isn't a fake CGI-created action hero like all the others. He falls down skyscrapers in real life shooting his movies, not stunt doubles or recreated sets in a studio or CGI. Name one of those top three that do that?

Jackie Chan deserves #1 because he's the only action star that does his own stunts, has almost died in the process many times, and does it well. Sly just runs around with his guns, shoots stuff, looks big, and sounds big like many others, while having a stunt double do all their dirty work. Jackie doesn't need to look big or sound big because his action is bigger than cheesy one-liners. When it comes to hardcore action, Jackie is number 1.
Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, instructor, actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and philosopher. He founded Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy that influenced modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Lee is widely considered one of the... read more

Come on, guys, Bruce Lee has to be number one. He made action and martial arts movies famous. If Bruce hadn't been there, the world wouldn't have heard of all these guys mentioned in the list. He is the god of action, undoubtedly the greatest martial artist of all time. Probably the greatest superstar who ever lived. All these guys are just kids compared to Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee is the best martial artist in the world. He fights like no other person in the world. His films are major box office successes. He is an inspiration for millions of people. He should be number one. He is known throughout the world.
Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is an American actor and film producer. He gained worldwide fame for his starring roles as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and the titular character in the Indiana Jones film series. Ford has also received critical acclaim for roles in films such as The Fugitive, Witness, and... read more

Handsome and cool. He isn't a super muscle man that ordinary people will never be. He's the cool guy that always gets the girl. Every man wants to be him (and in our minds, we are!).

He does his own stunts and, in my opinion, is easily the best actor of all time!

This is a legendary man. Mr. Han Solo. Indiana Jones himself. He means so much to the world.
With that being said, Vin Diesel should not be here. If talent was the force, Vin Diesel would be the poop of a stormtrooper.
Tom Cruise

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is an American actor and producer with a career spanning more than four decades. He has received various accolades for his work, including three Golden Globe Awards and four Academy Award nominations. Cruise is best known for starring in the Mission: Impossible franchise, which... read more

My dad and I are fans of Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves. I think they should put those two stars together in a popular action movie.

Tom Cruise is the best. He should be at least Top 3. He does his own stunts. Mission Impossible Series. Edge of Tomorrow. Top Gun. Jack Reacher, etc.

Why is Tom Cruise in 14th place? He should be at least 5th. Have you even seen his real stunt of hanging onto an airplane? That takes some courage.
Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards and was frequently cited as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood through much of the 2000s and 2010s. Jolie's career includes... read more

Great actress, and very good in action movies!
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor, producer, and semi-retired professional wrestler. He gained fame in WWE during the late 1990s and early 2000s before transitioning to a successful Hollywood career, starring in films such as The Fast... read more

No doubt the greatest wrestler that turned actor of all time. He might not be number 1, but he surely deserves a spot on this list.

The king and also the coolest actor, always great with his fans.

14th? Are you kidding me? I mean, damn it, he is Dwayne!

The Newcomers

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Danny Glover

Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is best known for his role as Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film series. Glover is also active in humanitarian work and has been a prominent advocate for civil rights and social justice.

Lethal Weapon 1-4 and Predator 2! He should be on here just for the Lethal Weapon movies.
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Pam Grier

Pamela Suzette Grier is an American actress. She became known in the early 1970s for starring in a string of women-in-prison and blaxploitation films such as The Big Bird Cage, Coffy, Foxy Brown, and Sheba, Baby. Grier is considered a pioneering figure in African-American cinema and has received critical... read more

The Contenders

Mel Gibson

Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson AO is an American-Irish actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly as Max Rockatansky in the first three Mad Max films and as Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series. Gibson also directed and starred in several acclaimed films, including... read more

Lethal Weapon alone should have him in the top 5. Throw Mad Max into the mix, not to mention Braveheart, and I am calling bull all over this one.

Deserves number two to Sylvester Stallone in my opinion. Sorry, the Rocky movies, Creed, and Rambo just go off the chart, but Mel Gibson's Lethal Weapon and Mad Max get him through to number two.
Jet Li

Li Lianjie, better known by his English stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, producer, and martial artist, born in 1963 in Beijing. A five-time wushu champion, he won gold medals at the Chinese national games before transitioning to film in the late 1980s. Li has starred in international blockbusters... read more

As an actor, maybe not that much, but action? Oh yeah, he knows how to do that. He's got such an awesome martial arts style and executes them so freakishly well. I like his style more than Jackie's, no offense. He's more brutal and interacts with more people in combat scenes. And remember, he doesn't have only Hollywood movies. He's got a lot of good old Chinese ones too.

Jet Li should be in the top ten. Those who are saying that he can't act should go watch Fearless first. He is a total package.

Jet Li's action style is unique.
Jean Claude Van Damme

I am not sure about elsewhere, but here in India, in the 80s and 90s, Van Damme became the most popular star from Hollywood after the release of Bloodsport. He was as big a name as Stallone and Schwarzenegger. He was the favorite of at least three out of five people.

Come on, people, JCVD deserves to be in the top 5. The man is a low-rent Stallone, sure, but come on, those splits alone catapult him much higher.

What a legend back in the '90s. Van Damme should punch Vin Diesel in the face because Vin Diesel is a joke of an action star.
Clint Eastwood

Clinton "Clint" Eastwood Jr. is an American actor, film director, producer, musician, and political figure. He gained fame through Western films such as A Fistful of Dollars and the Dirty Harry series. Eastwood has directed acclaimed films including Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, and American Sniper... read more

I find it appalling that Clint isn't gaining recognition here. He still and always will be the greatest Hollywood badass.

The man himself is a great legend. Never fails to amaze me.
Liam Neeson

Liam John Neeson, OBE, is an actor from Northern Ireland. In 1976, he joined the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast, where he performed for two years. He later appeared in the 1981 Arthurian film Excalibur, which helped launch his film career.

It would be better to recast The Expendables with better directors and better action stars. Tom Cruise to replace Sylvester Stallone. Liam Neeson to replace Jason Statham.

Liam Neeson should be in the top 10. He trained Batman and a Jedi. He killed gang and mafia members. If he doesn't deserve to be in the top 10, then no one deserves it.

Trained Batman and some Jedi, and still, people try to mess with him?
Kurt Russell

Kurt Vogel Russell is an American actor. He began acting on television at age 12, starring in the western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters. In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with The Walt Disney Company and became the studio's top star of the 1970s, according to film historian Robert... read more
Keanu Reeves

Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and musician. He gained fame with his starring role in the Bill & Ted films and has since delivered several blockbuster performances, including in The Matrix and John Wick franchises.

Another one of my favorites. He did a decent job in Point Break and a great job in Speed. However, his greatest performance is, without question, in The Matrix, which is one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time.

Keanu has to be by far in the top 5 actors. He's very committed to his acting and has a lot of great skills. He can play any role he wants. He's that good.

Wow, what is he doing here? He must be in the top 20, and Liam Neeson too. Keanu Reeves was so badass in John Wick.
Christian Bale

Christian Charles Philip Bale (born January 30, 1974) is an English actor known for his versatility and physical transformations for roles. He has been a leading man in films across several genres and has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2014, Forbes... read more

Batman's awesome. Where is Heath Ledger on the list? Easily the best movie of all time is Dark Knight, and Christian Bale is the lead!

He is the backbone of action movies. He should be in the top 3 rank.
Sean Connery

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 - October 31, 2020) was a Scottish actor and producer. He won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. He was best known for playing James Bond in seven films from 1962 to 1983, as well as for roles such as Jim Malone in The Untouchables and... read more

007: Your mission is to take out the prime minister of fake action stunts and terrible acting. He won't be hard to miss. He looks like a mutated potato and goes by the name Vin Diesel.

My favorite James Bond - yes, even before Pierce Brosnan, but overall a very, very good actor.

He's James Bond and always will be. Sets every woman's heart aflutter.
Wesley Snipes

Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor who has also worked as a film producer and martial artist. He gained widespread recognition for his lead role in the Blade trilogy, which helped bring comic book adaptations to mainstream audiences. In addition to his acting career, Snipes has trained extensively... read more
Vin Diesel

Mark Sinclair, better known by his stage name Vin Diesel, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter.
He rose to prominence in the 2000s for his long-lasting role as Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise. Beyond living his life a quarter mile at a time on screen, this... read more

Vin Diesel is just amazing. He nails every role he plays. And he's gorgeous.

He was more awesome voicing Groot rather than acting in Furious. I still like him in Furious.

Love him. I have a question: Vin Diesel has the best lines, he's strong, and very, very funny. Why isn't he #1?
Kate Beckinsale

Kathrin Romary "Kate" Beckinsale (born July 26, 1973) is a British actress. After some minor television roles, she made her film debut in Much Ado About Nothing (1993) while still a student at the University of Oxford. She then appeared in British costume dramas such as Prince of Jutland (1994), Cold... read more

Very talented in action movies (Underworld, Van Helsing, Total Recall, Whiteout) and, on top of that, very talented in every other kind of role like dramas, comedies, and suspense. This beautiful actress deserves to move up on this list!

She is badass in Underworld, plus she is drop-dead gorgeous! She should be in the top ten at least.

Oh yeah, she is so beautiful and talented. Please remove Vin Diesel. He's a stupid, potato-faced, smug tool.
Chuck Norris

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940 - March 19, 2026) was an American actor and martial artist. He earned black belts in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo and served in the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1962.... read more

If you don't vote Chuck Norris up, he's going to roundhouse kick you in the face.

The Law always wins because Chuck Norris is the Law.

Chuck Norris should be number one!
Milla Jovovich

Milica Bogdanovna Jovovich, known professionally as Milla Jovovich, is an American actress, model, and musician. She became internationally known for her role in The Fifth Element and later starred in the Resident Evil film series. Jovovich has also pursued a music career and worked as a fashion model... read more
Dolph Lundgren

Hans "Dolph" Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, screenwriter, producer, martial artist, and chemical engineer. He earned a degree in chemical engineering before winning the 1979 Mr. Universe title and going on to international fame with his breakout role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985).