# Biggest Action Star in the movies today **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679 "2012-08-26T03:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/1 "2012-08-26T03:42:13Z")
Once upon a time, it was Arnold and/or Sly. But those days are long gone. So who holds the title today? I was thinking about this the other day and a strange choice popped into my head: Angelina Jolie. Her recent resume features The Tourist, Salt, Wanted, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Is there anyone else out there with a better claim to the title? Christian Bale…maybe. But that’s for playing one character in three movies. Same thing applies to Robert Downey, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/2 "2012-08-26T03:53:39Z")
Like him or not, it’s Tom Cruise. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/3 "2012-08-26T04:17:51Z")
Jason Statham ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/4 "2012-08-26T04:23:30Z")
What’s Matt Damon doing these days? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/5 "2012-08-26T04:31:12Z")
I’d probably go with Bruce Willis. I think he’s the only actor other than Jason Statham who brings audiences to a movie, rather than the character (e.g. Iron Man), the plot (Safe House), or the direction (Michael Bay). And of the two, he’s bigger. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/6 "2012-08-26T04:47:08Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’d probably go with Bruce Willis. I think he’s the only actor other than Jason Statham who brings audiences to a movie, rather than the character (e.g. Iron Man), the plot (Safe House), or the direction (Michael Bay). And of the two, he’s bigger. I totally dig Bruce, but that means our biggest action star is what… nearly 60 years old? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/7 "2012-08-26T04:58:16Z")
I think the genre is out of fashion, so our action “stars” are a bit older than might be expected. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/8 "2012-08-26T04:59:59Z")
Just like America. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/9 "2012-08-26T05:21:46Z")
The concept of the “action star” is a 1980’s phenomenon. It didn’t exist before that, and it doesn’t exist now. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/10 "2012-08-26T06:30:10Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > I totally dig Bruce, but that means our biggest action star is what… nearly 60 years old? Ayup. Of course, these days the big action draws are comic book movies which tend to hide the actor behind the character. I think only Hugh Jackman (44) could have turned his run into the start of an action hero career, but instead he’s next appearing in a musical. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/11 "2012-08-26T06:30:49Z")
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a name that comes to mind. > [@Eonwe](#): > > I think the genre is out of fashion, so our action “stars” are a bit older than might be expected. If so, some enterprising Hollywood type should take advantage of the lull and reintroduce the genre. The superhero movie is probably the closest modern equivalent, and I think it’s on the wane. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/12 "2012-08-26T07:08:29Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Ayup. Of course, these days the big action draws are comic book movies which tend to hide the actor behind the character. I think only Hugh Jackman (44) could have turned his run into the start of an action hero career, but instead he’s next appearing in a musical. Hey, there’s lots of action in a musical, with the dancing and prancing and mincing and stuff! You gonna say _Singin’ in the Rain_ wasn’t an action movie? It’s got more wall-running than _Spider-Man_! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/13 "2012-08-26T07:29:58Z")
There isn’t really a standout “biggest” just a list of current action stars. Jason Statham, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Tom Cruise, Jet Li, Clive Owen, Daniel Craig. For female action stars, there’s Milla Jovovich, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, Michelle Rodriguez. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/14 "2012-08-26T07:41:40Z")
I don’t think you have action stars these days, you have actors who act in action movies. I mean, IMHO, the best action sequence in any movie in 2010 was the hotel gunfight scene from _Inception_, and that featured Joseph Gordon-Levitt - who is non-one’s idea of an action star. With a good enough director and a big enough SFX budget, \*anyone \*could be an action star. Was the latest Mission Impossible so good because it starred Tom Cruise, or because it was directed by Brad Bird? I say the latter, if only because the action sequences in _the Incredibles_ were better than almost any of their live-action counterparts in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/15 "2012-08-26T08:06:58Z")
Jason Statham came to mind first when I saw the thread title. Bruce Willis is also a good pick. Dwayne Johnson has been doing exclusively kid-friendly movies these days so he’s out. I think Angelina Jolie is actually an excellent choice too, possibly even better than Statham (because of name recognition) or Willis (because of age and other movies he does besides action these days) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/16 "2012-08-26T10:22:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I mean, IMHO, the best action sequence in any movie in 2010 was the hotel gunfight scene from _Inception_, and that featured Joseph Gordon-Levitt - who is non-one’s idea of an action star. He’s in a new one, with the stupid title of _Premium Rush_, as a bike courier who [parkours](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn6ie1zCkZU) his way through a city to escape the bad guys. Definitely an action movie. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashley_Pomeroy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/17 "2012-08-26T10:49:01Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The concept of the “action star” is a 1980’s phenomenon. It didn’t exist before that, and it doesn’t exist now. I dunno; Errol Flynn was pretty much exclusively an action star in his early years, and moving through history there was Steve Reeves, Sean Connery, Bruce Lee, Clint Eastwood - which digresses a bit into the cowboy genre, but his films were more about killing than cow-ing - did I mention Bruce Lee? I admit the genre had its heyday in the 1980s though. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/18 "2012-08-26T10:56:54Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Joseph Gordon-Levitt - who is non-one’s idea of an action star. Least of all his own. I remember when GI Joe was coming out he said he took the role of Cobra Commander because he always wanted to do an action flick, but since nobody’d ever mistake him for an action star, that was pretty much the only chance he’d get. (Clearly, he was wrong…) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/19 "2012-08-26T11:36:01Z")
And Matt Damon was the furthest thing possible from an action star before Bourne. It just proves my point - any good actor in reasonably decent physical shape can be an action star, if cast as one. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679/20 "2012-08-26T11:49:14Z")
Forgetting the occasional “happyness”-type movie, clearly Will Smith. Bad Boys 1 and 2, Independence Day, Men in Black 1,2 and 3, Enemy of the State, Wild Wild West, I Robot, I am Legend, Hancock… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-action-star-in-the-movies-today/632679.md?page=2)