# What actor is the current king of science fiction?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 23, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272 "2013-07-23T01:32:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/1 "2013-07-23T01:32:59Z")
OK, some ground rules.
1. Fantasy like Harry Potter, Highlander and Lord of the Rings is not SF. 2. Super hero stuff like Superman or Spiderman is not SF. 3. Monster films unless solidly built around science is not - King Kong or Godzilla are not. Predator and Terminator are. 4. If you have a film that might be in the gray area for rules 1-3, make a case for it.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/2 "2013-07-23T01:39:43Z")
Science Fiction is not a monarchy, it is a federal republic.
Even it were a monarchy, it would not be ruled by a freaking actor!
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### Author:  [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/3 "2013-07-23T01:42:25Z")
Possibly a feudal republic in some cases.
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### Author:  [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/4 "2013-07-23T01:44:11Z")
Let’s see: Alien, Aliens, Aliens 3, Galaxy Quest, Avatar, Ghostbusters – Sigourney Weaver.
It’s Sci Fi: You can have a lady king, right?
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### Author:  [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/5 "2013-07-23T01:47:58Z")
Good argument for a distaff king, **Prof.**
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### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/6 "2013-07-23T02:06:02Z")
Sigourney and Ahnold.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/7 "2013-07-23T02:10:25Z")
Sigourney should be the queen of Science Fiction Acting. Sadly, William Shatner is the king.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/8 "2013-07-23T02:28:18Z")
I see your Ahnuld or William Shatner and raise you a Will Smith: Independence Day, I, Robot, After Earth, Men In Black 1-3, I Am Legend, Wild Wild West, Blossom.
Okay, not Blossom.
What have Shatner and Ahnuld done lately?
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/9 "2013-07-23T02:31:27Z")
> [@TV\_time](#):
>
> Super hero stuff like Superman or Spiderman is not SF.
Well, if we aren’t counting Samuel L Jackson’s work in UNBREAKABLE and THE INCREDIBLES before tying IRON MAN and CAPTAIN AMERICA into THE AVENGERS, then he’s still the bad-ass Jedi Master with a purple lightsaber about to hit the big screen in the upcoming ROBOCOP movie – with bonus points for JURASSIC PARK.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/10 "2013-07-23T02:40:05Z")
Bruce Willis, maybe? Tom Cruise has done a fair amount lately too, with _Minority Report_, _War of the Worlds_, _Oblivion_, and coming up _Edge of Tomorrow_.
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/11 "2013-07-23T02:48:02Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> Bruce Willis, maybe? Tom Cruise has done a fair amount lately too, with _Minority Report_, _War of the Worlds_, _Oblivion_, and coming up _Edge of Tomorrow_.
Heck, if Hugh Jackman hadn’t been so busy playing Wolverine in X-MEN and X2 and X-MEN: THE LAST STAND and X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST and X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE – and, well, THE WOLVERINE – he could’ve done more than just REAL STEEL and THE PRESTIGE and THE FOUNTAIN (and, technically, VAN HELSING and KATE & LEOPOLD).
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### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/12 "2013-07-23T02:59:56Z")
Neil deGrasse Tyson in this [Cosmos](http://gizmodo.com/the-epic-first-official-trailer-for-neil-degrasse-tyso-867240722) trailer. People with some serious scifi love made that. So much homage.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/13 "2013-07-23T03:02:15Z")
Does the king have to have talent? Because that would eliminate a few of the previous offerings.
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### Author:  [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/14 "2013-07-23T03:11:33Z")
W. Morgan Sheppard. He’s in everything, all the time.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/15 "2013-07-23T03:26:48Z")
> [@silenus](#):
>
> Does the king have to have talent? Because that would eliminate a few of the previous offerings.
Have to have talent? I thought lack of talent was a requirement.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/16 "2013-07-23T03:33:55Z")
Well then Will Smith wins in a walk.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/17 "2013-07-23T04:56:53Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#):
>
> W. Morgan Sheppard. He’s in everything, all the time.
His son Mark isn’t doing so bad himself - _Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse, Doctor Who, Chuck…_
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/18 "2013-07-23T04:57:46Z")
> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Have to have talent? I thought lack of talent was a requirement.
> [@silenus](#):
>
> Well then Will Smith wins in a walk.
Let’s not be too hasty. Keanu Reeves has been in quite a few science fiction movies.
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### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/19 "2013-07-23T05:08:46Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> His son Mark isn’t doing so bad himself - _Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse, Doctor Who, Chuck…_
Holy crap. I did not know that. Cool.
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### Author:  [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/20 "2013-07-23T05:26:36Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> His son Mark isn’t doing so bad himself - _Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse, Doctor Who, Chuck…_
It’s great to see the tradition of being That Guy being passed down.
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