Using the Nakatomi Plaza as his own personal destruction derby, Willis took down Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his terrorist buddies in a glorious fashion. He couldn’t have asked for a better training ground to become an action movie star, as soon he became a martial arts star with films like Drunken Master and The Fearless Hyena. He’s basically the prototype of what every modern actor aspires to when it comes to starring in big time action movies. The zenith of his action star run came with his role as Major Scott McCoy in The Delta Force movies. Born in Malaysia with the name Yang Zi-chong, Michelle Yeoh trained in ballet at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. While any action star can run around with a gun, it takes a special talent to talk smack while doing so. Playing an enslaved man with the mentality of a child and dog, Li goes on a hyper-violent revenge spree, packed with gritty and impressive stunts. If that’s not enough for you, he starred and won an Oscar for directing everyone’s favorite epic historical war film, Braveheart. While today’s current generation might see Clint just as an acclaimed director or not really appreciate his days as an action hero, the man’s resume speaks for itself. You didn’t think we were going to leave Snake Plissken off the list?! While we’ll give him a pass for his role as Guile in the guilty pleasure Street Fighter, JCVD’s biggest hit and best reviewed film is Timecop, the 1994 sci-fi action title that had him playing a cop tracking down time bandits. Next he and The Wachowskis flipped the genre on its head, revolutionizing the industry with his role as Neo “The One” in The Matrix franchise, bullet time camera and all! While some cinephiles might nitpick that Star Wars isn’t an action film or that the Indiana Jones films are more adventure movies, both franchises have Ford doing more than his share of action and stunts. This name generator will generate 10 random names for stars based on names given to real stars. Stallone’s John Rambo became the standard by which all other action hero characters are compared to. Hands down, the greatest martial arts figure of all-time. But who would you rank as the top 16 action stars? Some people – Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson – can straddle it with ease. He’s showed off his fancy feet skills in films like Bloodsport, Kickboxer and Death Warrant. Of course, but stick a weapon in her hand and watch her mow down whomever or whatever gets in her way. There’s more to Harrison Ford than being Han Solo and Indiana Jones. His fighting techniques and the story elements found in his films have been duplicated in countless action films since the ‘1970s. Eastwood’s impressive run would include: Magnum Force, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Enforcer, The Gauntlet and Sudden Impact. 6 Bruce Lee Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong American martial artist, action film actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, filmmaker, and the founder of Jeet Kune Do.. Come on guys, bruce lee has to be number 1. Outside of those cult classic hits, Russell did the standard ‘80s action film Tango & Cash, going toe-to-toe with action icon Sylvester Stallone. For the past 40 years, action films have been a staple in cinemas. The sequel serves as a reminder of the longevity he’s had at the top, hardly ever going through a dull period which most stars of the genre experience. The mega success of the original along with the subsequent sequels, placed Bruce right up there with his contemporaries (and Planet Hollywood partners) of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. He later became a full-fledged, action movie star with mainstream hits like Double Impact, Universal Solider and Hard Target. Bring up any conversation about action films and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s name is bound to show up, as the man is synonymous with the genre. Ford takes it one step further collecting scars from the crazy stunts he’s done over the years. One of Jet’s most praised action films is Unleashed, written by Luc Besson and directed by Louis Leterrier. The character he’s most synonymous with is that of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise. In 1995, Jackie landed on the Hollywood radar with Rumble in The Bronx, which paved the way for the mega hit, Rush Hour, pairing him with Chris Tucker. While other action stars are known for their scowls and simmering rage, Jackie Chan's best characters always seem to be having fun, and that fun is contagious. Action film actors appear in action movies, a film genre in which one or more heroes are thrust into a series of challenges that typically include physical feats, extended fight scenes, violence, and frantic chases. That movie created a career resurgence with action titles like The Expendables 2 and sequels to older hits like Universal Solider: Day of Reckoning. Those three films alone are a staple in many a man cave. There’s nothing in the action genre he hasn’t done. He served as the anti-hero for Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns: For a Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars. When one thinks of our most beloved action heroes, names like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Ford, and Willis come to mind. Making a name for himself first in Westerns, the foundation of Clint’s action hero status is found with his “Man with No Name” character. Outside of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Tom’s been in Minority Report, The Last Samurai, Collateral, Jack Reacher and Edge of Tomorrow. This man was put on this planet to blow stuff up and fire big guns while yelling like a madman. Taking our top spot is the Austrian legend that went from being Mr. Olympia to becoming a professional ass-kicker on the big screen. Needless to say, their popularity was off the charts, and Kenner had a hit on their While the Resident Evil films may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s hard to argue against her role of Leeloo in Luc Besson’s action adventure, The Fifth Element.