Ed Travis
No. 2: Bruce Willis — Top Action Movie Stars
My sense is that we won’t need to argue too hard to convince anybody of Bruce Willis’ legendary action hero status. John McClane from the ‘Die Hard’ series is one of this generation’s most well-loved action heroes and Willis is still riding high on that franchise (although many fans would love to see the McClane adventures die more easily...
No. 3: Mel Gibson — Top Action Movie Stars
As of this writing, our man Mel is pretty well down, if not quite out. The 2000s have seen him end a decades-long marriage and fall into troubling times with allegations of alcohol abuse, domestic disturbances and racial slurs. It is hard to love Mel Gibson right now, but dammit, this isn’t a gossip column, this is a celebration of action heroes, and Mel Gibson is an uncontested king in this arena
No. 4: Arnold Schwarzenegger — Top Action Movie Stars
Arnold Schwarzenegger is easily the most improbably named action hero of all time. But this list isn’t about improbable names, is it?
Arnold, like Sly Stallone, is immediately identifiable across the globe as the name and face of American action movie excess...
No. 5: Clint Eastwood — Top Action Movie Stars
Clint Eastwood is obviously a legendary cinematic figure both in front of and behind the camera, with four Oscars in his collection. At one point in time, his image was synonymous with the western genre, but my sense is that his turn as Harry Callahan in the ‘Dirty Harry’ franchise really widened the public’s perception of Eastwood as an action hero...
No. 6: Charles Bronson — Top Action Movie Stars
I LOVE Charles Bronson, and my guess is that if you are an action film fan, you do too. But does my love for Bronson cloud my judgment, placing him too high in this list?
Here is why I don’t think so. It can’t really be denied that Bronson’s star power faltered later in his life...
No. 7: Bruce Lee — Top Action Movie Stars
Bruce Lee died tragically young. His life and death are the stuff of legends. How could such an energetic and athletic man die from health complications so young? Had he not passed away at such a young age, one can only dream about the new levels of action brilliance he would have gifted the world with on the big screen...
No. 8: Jackie Chan — Top Action Movie Stars
Jackie Chan has arguably carved out an even larger international name for himself than Bruce Lee ever did, but Chan did so precisely by being the "Anti-Bruce Lee." After Lee’s death, many tried to take up his mantle as international kung fu star...
No. 9: Sigourney Weaver — Top Action Movie Stars
It is kind of unfortunate how few hardcore female action heroes we’ve been given by the Hollywood machine. I’d like to see this change here in the 21st century. And while we’ve seen more female-starring action flicks recently, no single star has emerged as the face of tough girl cinema like Sigourney Weaver has...
No. 10: Kurt Russell — Top Action Movie Stars
Two words: Snake Plissken. Oh, you need further justification for placing Kurt Russell in the top 10 action heroes? Oh, his childhood gigs for the Walt Disney machine don’t count? Okay. Well, let’s talk about a hero called Jack Burton in ‘Big Trouble In Little China,' then...
No. 11: Harrison Ford — Top Action Movie Stars
If anything, I’ll probably take heat for not having Harrison Ford in the top 10, and my only answer to that is: lists like this are hard! Ford ranks damn high, though!
Indiana Jones and Han Solo are two of cinema’s great roguish heroes...