The action film genre is not dead, but it has transformed. Whereas in the 1980s and 1990s, the main focus was on the central character, their ability to fight on screen or flex their muscles, now technology and skilled directing have taken over. An actor may not have serious martial arts skills, but on screen he will fight dozens of enemies. He may not have military training, but he will look as convincing as possible in the role of a special forces soldier. In the past, we saw real world karate champions in the lead roles, but now it could be someone who has had two weeks of training with an instructor. This is neither good nor bad in itself — it’s just that times are changing, as Bob Dylan sang.
But today we will remember that golden generation of old-school action stars from the 80s and 90s. Of course, not all of the fifty actors presented here were professional fighters or bodybuilders, but in those harsh times, you had to look very convincing on screen, otherwise the audience simply wouldn’t go to see you. Some of the actors are still active, while others have long since retired. Let’s remember the former legends of the action film industry and see what they look like now, and at the same time try to find out what they have been doing lately. Not all of the ‘now’ photos are the most recent — some may be two or five years old — but we will still try to reconstruct the picture of “then” and ‘now’ as much as possible. We invite you to ride the waves of sweet nostalgia for times thirty or even forty years ago.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The top ten is much more obvious — these people are still in the game. There is no need to remind you what Iron Arnie looks like — we still go to the cinema to see his films.
Jackie Chan
Jackie is indestructible, both creatively and in terms of performing the most difficult stunts himself. Despite his advanced age, Chan is still active and manages to participate in truly interesting projects, such as the relatively recent action/thriller The Foreigner with Pierce Brosnan.
Sylvester Stallone
Sly will only leave the screen when his ashes are scattered over the ocean. The Rocky, Rambo, and Expendables franchises will live forever — with Stallone himself at the centre of the narrative. And the best part is that, from time to time, these are still very intelligent films.
Chuck Norris
An icon and an indestructible internet meme who is unaffected by the passage of time or changes in the industry. His appearances in films in recent years have been cameos and wonderfully self-deprecating, as befits a true legend with a rational mind and a healthy sense of humour.
Dolph Lundgren
The Swedish giant periodically finds a second wind, whether it’s a new reincarnation of the Rocky saga (and Ivan Drago) or new achievements in the form of Aquaman. Lundgren’s physique is enviable (which is what we’re all busy doing).
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Despite all his problems with drugs, alcohol, fame and accepting his new reality, Jean-Claude is still relevant — both in nostalgic projects like The Expendables and in old-school trash like the Kickboxer remake.
Bruce Willis
Bruce has lost his status as a top-tier star, but he has no intention of leaving the screen. What’s more, from time to time, worthwhile projects still come along.
Wesley Snipes
The star of Passenger 57, Demolition Man, Blade and The Expendables, has experienced every imaginable high and low, including a prison sentence for tax evasion, but it seems that Wesley Snipes is not so easily broken.
Bolo Yeung
One of the main villains of action films, not even from the 80s and 90s, but from the 70s (he starred alongside Bruce Lee, among others), no longer acts (after all, he is too old). But his legacy is so impressive that it seems as if he never left.
Don ‘Dragon’ Wilson
Dragon is still active, albeit in fairly low-budget films (such as Alexander Nevsky’s Manila Showdown). On the other hand, in the 80s and 90s, he also starred in films that were not exactly timeless classics. Nevertheless, all fans of kickboxing and good old B-grade trash remember and love this actor, who has a real serious background (which helps him still look convincing on screen).
Sammo Hung
A unique fighter and fight choreographer who worked on a huge number of films with Jackie Chan (and started out with Bruce Lee), who, despite being noticeably overweight, worked wonders on screen and is still active today. He is not only an actor but also a director, and his work, like Jackie Chan’s films, masterfully balances on the edge between martial arts action and comedy.
Yuen Biao (Yuen Biao)
Another regular partner of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung in the 80s and 90s (Snack Bar on Wheels, Project A, My Lucky Stars) was active until about 2015, remaining in enviable shape for his age. He has been in films since the 70s and has played about 100 roles.
Lorenzo Lamas
Despite his image as a sweet-faced heartthrob, Lorenzo Lamas has serious martial arts training and, most importantly, has kept himself in shape for the last 40 years. Yes, the peak of his fame is long gone; and no one goes to the cinema to see him — but despite his age and the paradigm shift, the actor continues to appear in films (albeit in the category proudly known as ‘B movies’ that go straight to video, bypassing the cinema). He is still active today — and shows no signs of stopping.
Michael Dudikoff
Thanks to the film American Ninja, he will forever remain in our memory. Among his most recent notable works is the mid-90s series Cobra, after which he left the cinema and, needing money, returned to it again. Despite all the difficulties and his very respectable age, he is still active today, although you are unlikely to see any of his new films (and if you do, you are unlikely to be seriously impressed).
Cynthia Rothrock
The leading woman in action films of the 80s and 90s. A true martial arts master, she made it clear that women could be the stars of the screen even in what seemed to be a purely male genre — even before Charlize Theron. She is well over 60, but that doesn’t hinder her career, even if she may not have the same success she had in the 90s (although, who knows).
Mark Dacascos
A unique case where an actor whose peak of fame is long behind him (Only the Strong, American Samurai, ‘The Crying Assassin’) has managed not only to continue doing what he loves as an actor and director, but also to return to the big screen (in addition to appearing in the series ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and Lucifer, not to mention his triumphant performance in the third John Wick film). And since no one really dies in John Wick, it looks like we’ll be seeing him in the fourth instalment as well.
Michael Paré
In the 90s, Michael Paré was an icon of erotic action films (for which we are especially grateful). Now he has gradually moved into more serious cinema and periodically appears in truly worthy films, albeit not in leading roles (The Bone Tomahawk, The Undercover Affair, City of Lies).
Jet Li
Jet Li has been much luckier: for every five B-grade projects, he has had one big-budget film (Lethal Weapon 4, The Expendables, and now the new Mulan). He is still active today, despite his advanced age.
Antonio Banderas
Banderas is more than just an action star. Still, in the 90s, he spent a lot of time in this territory (Desperado, The Assassins, Once Upon a Time in Mexico). He has now moved away from this genre (although he made a brilliant appearance in the third Expendables film) and periodically proves his worth as a great dramatic actor in projects such as the series Genius (playing Pablo Picasso) and Pain and Glory.
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson is not only a star actor, but also an incredible director. However, his sharp tongue has caused him many problems, making it difficult for him to return to his former glory. As a result, he now has to appear in action films even more than before. If we were all grateful to him for Mad Max and Lethal Weapon (as well as Ransom, Payback, Maverick and many others), now we also enjoy works such as Drive Angry.
Danny Trejo
A legend. When you appear in so many films, it’s impossible to ensure their quality in every single case. And yet, Machete, Sons of Anarchy, Spy Kids and a brief appearance in Breaking Bad justify the tons of trash that Trejo tirelessly participates in.
Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger constantly balances on the edge of big cinema (Platoon, Training Day, The Guardian, Sniper) and B movies (The Replacement Killers, all the Sniper sequels, Splinter, and many others). The Oscar nominee and Golden Globe and Emmy winner continues to act to this day.
Chow Yun-Fat
In the 80s and 90s, he burst onto the action film scene with groundbreaking director John Woo. This was followed by a notable performance in another breakthrough film by Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. One of Hong Kong’s most respected actors, he continues to act to this day, landing roles in both Hollywood (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Asian blockbusters.
Mithun Chakraborty
It was one of those occasions when even those who had previously mocked Indian cinema acknowledged that ‘Commandos’ was actually quite good. The actor may not be able to reach his former heights, but despite being in his eighties, he continues to act (and that’s with more than 350 films under his belt).
Steven Seagal
Seagal also continues to act, but his best films are long gone, somewhere in the 90s (as is the actor’s former physique).
Kurt Russell
Russell achieved undisputed legendary status back in the 80s, but he has no intention of slowing down, appearing in every notable film Hollywood has to offer, from Tarantino to The Fast and the Furious and The Bone Tomahawk.
Brandon Lee
The tragic fate of his father also touched his son — Brandon died while filming The Crow, adding even more mystique to it. Forever remembered as a young, positive guy, he left us with sad thoughts about what he could have achieved given his talent.
Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke could have become a bigger star than Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise combined. But he was not only involved in cinema, but also boxing (and, at the same time, women and alcohol). Many people don’t survive that level of self-destruction, but not Rourke: he keeps coming back again and again, sometimes receiving an Oscar nomination, sometimes leaving another memorable character for all his fans to enjoy (as well as appearing in betting company commercials).
Rutger Hauer
A great actor who starred in a huge number of legendary films (both Dutch works by Paul Verhoeven and Hollywood masterpieces such as Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner). Action films were also Hauer’s passion (Countdown, Blind Fury, Dead or Alive), and they were so sweetly old-school that you still want to rewatch them. The actor passed away in 2019, and we will be forever grateful to him for both his work in the action genre and all the dramatic roles he left behind.
Danny Glover
Glover is a much more serious figure than just an action hero, but his participation in this segment of the industry has left too noticeable a mark to be ignored. Let’s not forget Lethal Weapon and the second Predator. The actor is still active, even if action films are no longer particularly relevant to him.
Gary Busey
Although he cannot be called a serious fighter or bodybuilder, Busey has appeared in many key films of the genre, including Under Siege, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, and many others. The actor is now approaching 80, but he continues to act in a wide variety of genres and films of varying quality.
Donnie Yen
This man is in phenomenal shape in his sixties. That is why he is one of the few who continues to carry the torch of the 80s-90s action movie format, taking it to a fairly serious level. The actor has become so popular that he has elevated his own franchise, Ip Man, to the level of a project that has already enjoyed popularity with four films released. In addition, he starred in the Star Wars spin-off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as a Chinese star capable of bringing audiences in the PRC to the cinemas. Star Wars: Stories, as a Chinese star capable of bringing Chinese audiences to the cinemas.
Brian Thompson
With such an expressive face, Brian Thompson had no choice but to play villains in the action films of that golden age. He was the main antagonist in Cobra with Sylvester Stallone, and since then he has appeared in the series Moonlighting, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Walker, Texas Ranger, Wild California, several Star Trek films, The Three Amigos, and most importantly, the scene from the first Terminator in which Schwarzenegger’s character arrives in the past.
Keanu Reeves
Probably the most successful actor in this selection. He starred in action films in the 90s (Point Break, Speed) and continues to act today. Given the popularity of the John Wick franchise, it is quite possible that he gained real popularity in connection with filming in this genre in the 21st century. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that one of the favourite actors of the 90s continues to delight us to this day, training desperately in both martial arts and shooting skills.
Nicolas Cage
Cage has had one of the most difficult paths in Hollywood. Coppola’s nephew, he has starred in dramas and thrillers, periodically slipping into the B-movie category and returning to big-budget films. For the last 20 years, he has been starring in what can confidently be described as ‘crap,’ periodically producing a few decent works. We also remember the 90s for such action films as The Rock, Face/Off, and Con Air.
Michelle Keach
It is worth noting that Michelle is unrecognisable not only because of his age, but also because an impressive amount of makeup was used to create the image of Tong Po, the most terrifying kickboxer of all time.
Nick Nolte
One of those actors who has made a name for himself in action films (48 Hrs. and Another 48 Hrs. being the most notable examples) and in a variety of other genres (Hotel Rwanda, Warrior, Prince of Tides, Lorenzo’s Oil, and many others). An Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner, Nick is still active despite being in his eighties.
Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts has appeared in more than 500 (!) films and television series. Although action films were not his primary focus, The Best of the Best and other examples of the genre did not go unnoticed by connoisseurs. The actor appears in everything from Nolan’s The Dark Knight to Oksana Bayrak’s films. Therefore, it is possible that we will see him in both a worthwhile action film and a decent drama.
Will Smith
We won’t write much about Will Smith — his career has been on the rise for the last 30 years, so you know where he has starred and how he hasn’t changed at all in appearance since the 90s.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Let’s finish with the perfect villain, who has starred in films of all kinds, including Mortal Kombat and Little Tokyo. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is still active, although worthwhile dramas with him are released less often than the next trashy action film where he plays a vicious Japanese villain. Once every five years, he participates in something worthwhile, so we just have to wait for the next such work to see the light of day.
