# Female Action Star Mount Rushmore **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855 "2019-06-21T17:26:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/1 "2019-06-21T17:26:06Z")
Mrs. Cups is playing a game with her co-workers where they’re making a female action star Mount Rushmore. The most interesting suggestion was Angelina Jolie because of the Tomb Raider movies. I piped in “That shouldn’t count because that was the only real action movie she was in!” but then I thought “I dunno though because my first two thoughts were Linda Hamilton and Sigourney Weaver…but they were really only in one action franchise, too.” Kate Beckinsale was mentioned too for her Underworld movies, but even that was a stretch to me. Regardless, here are my 4… **Linda Hamilton Sigourney Weaver** – Even though they were in only a handful of their own movies (Terminator and 3 Alien movies), these two ladies are on my list just because of how iconic they were \*\* Michelle Rodriguez\*\* – She never really headlined anything, but almost literally every movie she’s in is some kind of action or war movie. As the go-to lady for modern action, and her depth of resume, shes on my list. \*\*Milla Jovovich \*\*-- A controversial pick, but I’m sticking with it. She’s headlines (all?) the Resident Evil movies, was a star in The Fifth Element, and has been in movies such as the new Hellboy and [del]Dodgeball[/del]. Again, this is a depth of resume kind of thing. What say everyone? ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/2 "2019-06-21T17:42:52Z")
Zoe Saldana is an interesting choice. Would Lucy Lawless count? ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/3 "2019-06-21T17:45:26Z")
Angelina Jolie was also in Wanted, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Gone in 60 Seconds and Salt. And I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting one or two more. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/4 "2019-06-21T17:48:47Z")
Cynthia Rothrock ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/5 "2019-06-21T17:57:09Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > The most interesting suggestion was Angelina Jolie because of the Tomb Raider movies. I piped in “That shouldn’t count because that was the only real action movie she was in!” Not that I’m a huge Jolie fan, but she’s starred in a number of other films that might qualify as “action movies”: - Gone in 60 Seconds - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Salt - Wanted Edit: ninja’d by planetcory! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/6 "2019-06-21T18:04:08Z")
First one up there should be [Michelle Yeoh.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Yeoh) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/7 "2019-06-21T18:15:12Z")
Scarlett Johansson, surely. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/8 "2019-06-21T18:23:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Cynthia Rothrock Any list of female action stars that doesn’t include Cynthia Rothrock is invalid. For Mt Rushmore I’d include Pam Grier, Sigourney Weaver, and probably Linda Hamilton. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/9 "2019-06-21T18:29:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Cynthia Rothrock > [@Czarcasm](#): > > First one up there should be [Michelle Yeoh.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Yeoh) There’s a film called Yes, Madam which they were both in. Good action. It’s a Hong Kong movie, but there’s a subbed version on the Youtube. Apart from those two, JeeJa Yanin, star of the all time action classic, Chocolate, and a couple of other things. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/10 "2019-06-21T18:35:19Z")
Even though she’s not actually been a star in any movie Zoe Bell belongs in there. Jennifer Lawrence has starred in multiple action movie franchises. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/11 "2019-06-21T18:41:36Z")
I was very impressed with Emily Blunt in _Sicario_ and _Edge of Tomorrow_. She’s a much better actress than just an “action star.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/12 "2019-06-21T18:45:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Cynthia Rothrock First name I thought of. Only name I really thought of, actually. I’d probably say, if I thought about it: Cynthia Rothrock Michelle Yeoh ??? ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/13 "2019-06-21T18:47:09Z")
Charlize Theron (_Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, Hancock, Aeon Flux, The Italian Job_) deserves some sort of mention in this thread, particularly for the first two. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/14 "2019-06-21T19:39:44Z")
Jeez, I’ve never even HEARD of Cynthia Rothrock, but her resume definitely still fits. Michelle Yeoh is a good one too that I never thought of ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/15 "2019-06-21T19:41:58Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Jeez, I’ve never even HEARD of Cynthia Rothrock… Imagine if Chuck Norris was female, and talented. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/16 "2019-06-21T20:37:29Z")
Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, Linda Hamilton and Sigourney Weaver. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/17 "2019-06-21T20:58:45Z")
Chang Pei Pei Angela Mao Kaji Meiko Milla Jovovich Possible faces of the future: Jeeja Vanin Zhang Ziyi ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/18 "2019-06-21T21:02:58Z")
Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, Linda Hamilton and Milla Jovovich. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/19 "2019-06-21T22:13:59Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Any list of female action stars that doesn’t include Cynthia Rothrock is invalid. > > For Mt Rushmore I’d include Pam Grier, Sigourney Weaver, and probably Linda Hamilton. Oh my God, yes, Pam Grier! Even middle-aged Pam Grier playing a middle-aged action hero is still a better action hero than at least half the other women named here. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855/20 "2019-06-22T02:39:30Z")
I’d change my name to Rushmore if some of these women would… well, never mind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-action-star-mount-rushmore/835855.md?page=2)