# Most unlikely action stars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593 "2012-03-23T12:52:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/41 "2012-03-23T17:31:12Z")
> [@expectopatronum](#): > > how about michael keaton in the batman movies? Yep. I’d also add George Clooney as Batman. I like Clooney, and he’s got the leading man looks, but i never think of him as an action star. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/42 "2012-03-23T17:36:28Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Neeson is an oddity. Has anyone else suddenly become an action star in their 50’s? Well, he was swinging a sword as both Qui-Gon Jinn and Rob Roy MacGregor in his forties, after fighting crime as Darkman in his thirties. So it wasn’t completely out of nowhere. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/43 "2012-03-23T17:48:16Z")
John Cusack in _Grosse Point Blank_. Bonus points on that one for Cusack demonstrating his real life kick boxing skills. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/44 "2012-03-23T17:56:50Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > How about Paul Giamatti in “Shoot Em Up”? I’d say that was being a Villain rather than an action star. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/45 "2012-03-23T18:00:56Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > John Cusack in _Grosse Point Blank_. Bonus points on that one for Cusack demonstrating his real life kick boxing skills. kickboxing is the sport of the future ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/46 "2012-03-23T18:01:54Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Seth Rogan in The Green _Hornet_-Ryan Reynolds in The Green Lantern, Blade Trinity, Smokin’ Aces, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the upcoming Deadpool. Seriously, they’re making a Deadpool movie? Oh god…:dubious: > [@Valgard](#): > > Sammo Hung. Overweight Chinese action movie star (and director). If you know his background you understand why he’s so good at his job but otherwise you’d think “Hey look, it’s Ron Jeremy’s Chinese cousin!” Ha! That’s right! Even though I’m Chinese and have seen many of his movies, I always refer to him as “that fat Chinese kung fu guy” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/47 "2012-03-23T18:12:03Z")
Kevin Spacey ( **Superman Returns** ) and Philip Seymour Hoffman ( **Mission: Impossible 3** ) were surprisingly credible villains. Brendan Fraser makes an interesting tongue-in-cheek action hero. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/48 "2012-03-23T18:14:18Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > But IIRC, that was nothing compared to the outraged cries of comic fanboys when the first Tim Burton **Batman** movie was being filmed, and they cast … _Michael Keaton_ as Batman! You’d think the executives at Warner Bros. had just slaughtered a roomful of puppies, baby seals and cute li’l duckies. > > “Mr. MOM is going to play BATMAN?? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” At least there was no internet back then. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/49 "2012-03-23T18:26:03Z")
I’ll nominate John Cusack. His sister is almost a more of a tough guy than he is. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/50 "2012-03-23T18:31:37Z")
Michale Cera - Scott Pilgrim vs The World ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/51 "2012-03-23T19:11:23Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Really? I thought he did a fine job in Predators - I mean, the movie wasn’t exactly “Citizen Kane”, but Brody did a fine job with the material. And I had no problem believing that his character was a Special Forces guy - I’ve read many times, both here and elsewhere, that most such people just don’t look that remarkably strong. Me too. I found him totally believable. Would Denzel be ‘1st Tier’ or ‘old school guy’? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/52 "2012-03-23T19:59:00Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > None of the Special Forces guys or Rangers or other elite types I’ve known looked much like your typical action movie hero. Certainly, they were in excellent physical condition; but they were generally wiry-looking guys of about average size. Ah. So it would be both of your contentions that action movies’ goals is to emulated real life. Well, if that is so, my comment makes no sense. But of course, it is not so. And your comments make no sense. Adrian Brody is a pencil-necked geek by action movies standards. He LOOKS like a pencil-necked geek, and movies are a visual medium. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/53 "2012-03-23T20:38:34Z")
Before the Bourne movies no one would have pegged Matt Damon as an action star right? And the fanboy teeth gnashing over Heath Ledger being cast as the Joker was immense, if you recall ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/54 "2012-03-23T21:18:14Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Ah. So it would be both of your contentions that action movies’ goals is to emulated real life. Well, if that is so, my comment makes no sense. But of course, it is not so. And your comments make no sense. Adrian Brody is a pencil-necked geek by action movies standards. He LOOKS like a pencil-necked geek, and movies are a visual medium. Audie Murphy and Alvin York didn’t look like action stars either. OTOH, I do have a late relative who fought in WWII and came home highly decorated who did look something like an action movie star. Years of hard work in the coal mines had given him a lean, muscular physique. He wasn’t pretty like van Damme or Willis, though. If you picture a young Charles Bronson with light brown hair and no Fu Manchu mustache, you’ll have a good idea what he looked like at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/55 "2012-03-23T21:47:53Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Folks about my age will probably think of Bruce Willis. When **Die Hard** came out, everyone was like, “Really? The goofy guy from **Moonlighting**? In an action movie? Whatever…” And of course it turned out to be awesome. Oh I must be your age so. > [@shijinn](#): > > Sigourney may not be very tall but she carries herself like an Amazon. no surprise there at all. Huh? Are you perchance thinking of Lucy “Xena” Lawless? She’s apparently quite short ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/56 "2012-03-24T00:19:25Z")
I’ll go with Roger Moore in Bond movies for a badly casted action hero (who 007 is). Nothing about his moves suggested knowledge or skill in any or the fight/action scenes; mostly just slow motion speeded up. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/57 "2012-03-24T02:49:00Z")
> [@Corcaigh](#): > > Huh? Are you perchance thinking of Lucy “Xena” Lawless? She’s apparently quite short According to IMDB, Lucy Lawless is 5’ 9½" (1.77m). That’s not short unless you are a professional basketball player. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/58 "2012-03-24T03:00:07Z")
How about Ashley Judd in [Missing](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1828246/) ? ---
**Author:** ![Sin\_Serially](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Sin\_Serially](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sin_Serially)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593/59 "2012-03-24T03:49:35Z")
Have to agree with “Grosse Point Blank” and the Bourne series. Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in “Inception” both played action stars, and played them well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unlikely-action-stars/616593.md?page=2)