You know these guys — chances are, you grew up watching them kick ass in some of the greatest action films of the ’80s. These actors are legends in their own right who have spent years entertaining us as they killed aliens, fought terrorists, and even beat up on their fellow man. Today we take a look back at some of your favorite ’80s action stars to see how far they’ve come since then.
Arnold Schwarzenegger:
Arnold Schwarzenegger!!! Then: The former bodybuilder had a string of action hits in the ’80s, including the ‘Conan’ films, ‘Terminator,’ ‘Red Sonja,’ ‘Commando,’ and ‘Predator.’ In the late ’80s and early ’90s, he moved into more comedic fare, like ‘Twins’ and ‘Kindergarten Cop.’ Now: Schwarzenegger became the governor of California in 2003 and retired from acting to focus on his political career. When he left office in 2011, he returned to the big screen, and has starred in the ‘Expendables’ films and ‘The Last Stand.’ He can be seen next alongside fellow ’80s action star Sylvester Stallone in ‘The Escape Plan.’
Sylvester Stallone:
Sylvester Stallone Then: Prior to becoming a household name, Sylvester Stallone began his career by acting in a softcore porn film called ‘The Party at Kitty and Stud’s,’ as well as an off-Broadway erotic stage play called ‘Score.’ In the ’70s he hit the big time, playing the iconic role of Rocky Balboa in ‘Rocky,’ and followed that up with three sequels. In the ’80s he appeared in the films ‘First Blood’ (kicking off the Rambo franchise), ‘Cobra,’ and ‘Over the Top.’ Now: Stallone headlines the ‘Expendables’ series of films alongside several of his fellow former ’80s action stars, and has also recently appeared in the film ‘Bullet to the Head.’ He can be seen next in ‘Escape Plan’ with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mel Gibson:
Mel Gibson Then: The Australian actor is the star of action classics like the ‘Mad Max’ and ‘Lethal Weapon’ films, and ‘Tequila Sunrise.’ Now: Gibson diversified his career throughout the ’90s and ’00s, appearing in films as varied as ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Signs,’ and ‘What Women Want.’ He also shifted to working behind the camera, directing the films ‘Apocalypto’ and ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ Gibson can be seen next in ‘Machete Kills,’ ‘The Expendables 3,’ and he has a cameo in the upcoming ‘Mad Max: Fury Road.’
Bruce Willis:
Bruce Willis Then: Bruce Willis played John McClane in ‘Die Hard,’ launching one of America’s favorite action franchises. Now: Willis continues to have an incredibly successful career, recently reprising the role of Frank Moses in ‘Red 2,’ appearing in ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ (the fifth ‘Die Hard’ film), ‘Looper,’ and ‘The Expendables 2.’ Willis will not appear in ‘The Expendables 3,’ due to a salary dispute highly publicized on Sylvester Stallone’s Twitter account, but he will reprise his role in ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.’RELATED:
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Jean Claude Van Damme:
Jean-Claude Van Damme The Belgian martial artist became a superstar in the ’80s with roles in ‘Bloodsport’ (his breakout), ‘Cyborg,’ and ‘Kickboxer.’ He continued to reign throughout the early ’90s in ‘Lionheart,’ ‘Universal Soldier,’ and ‘Timecop.’ Now: Van Damme appeared as the villainous Jean Vilain (get it?) in ‘The Expendables 2,’ and reprised the role of Luc Deveraux in ‘Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning,’ marking his third time working with Scott Adkins, and his fourth film with Dolph Lundgren.
Chuck Norris:
Chuck Norris Then: American martial artist Chuck Norris proved his worth as a bankable actor in the ’80s with his role in ‘Lone Wolf McQuade.’ He also appeared in the films ‘The Octagon,’ ‘Delta Force,’ and both ‘Missing in Action’ films — the latter of which were made to cash-in on the ‘Rambo’ series. In the ’90s, he top-lined the series ‘Walker, Texas Ranger.’ Now: Norris created his own martial arts program, known as Chun Kuk Do, and appeared in ‘The Expendables 2.’ He also stars in and produced the film ‘The Novice.’
Harrison Ford:
Harrison Ford!!! Then: Harrison Ford got the action ball rolling in the late ’70s, appearing as Han Solo in ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.’ He reprised the role in both sequels in the ’80s, and starred in the ‘Indiana Jones’ series of films. Ford also appeared in ‘Blade Runner,’ making him the sci-fi friendly action star we desperately needed at the time. Now: Ford has four new films out this year: the already-released ’42’ and ‘Paranoia,’ and the upcoming films ‘Ender’s Game,’ and ‘Anchorman: The Legend Continues.’ He also recently joined the cast of ‘The Expendables 3.’
Kurt Russell:
Kurt Russell Then: Kurt Russell, who had been acting all through the ’60s and ’70s, carved out a niche for himself in the action genre in the ’80s with parts in the John Carpenter films ‘Escape from New York,’ ‘The Thing,’ and ‘Big Trouble in Little China.’ In 1996, he reprised the role of Snake Plissken for Carpenter’s ‘Escape from L.A.’ Now: Russell doesn’t act as often as he used to, but he has appeared in films like ‘Miracle’ and ‘Death Proof,’ and can be seen next in ‘The Art of the Steal.’
Dolph Lundgren:
Dolph Lundgren Though his big screen debut was in the 1985 film ‘A View to a Kill,’ it was his role as Ivan Drago in ‘Rocky IV’ (released that same year) that put Dolph Lundgren on the map. He went on to star in ’80s action films like ‘Masters of the Universe’ and ‘The Punisher.’ Now: Lundgren has over 40 film credits to his name, almost all of them in the action genre. He has appeared in four films with Jean-Claude Van Damme, including the recent films ‘Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning’ and ‘The Expendables 2.’ He has eight films out this year, including titles such as ‘Battle of the Damned’ and ‘A Certain Justice.’ He will also appear in ‘The Expendables 3.’
Steven Seagal:
Steven Seagal only had a starring role in the ’80s action flick ‘Above the Law,’ which might make you think he doesn’t belong on this list — but the former Aikido instructor was the martial arts coordinator for several action films in the ’80s, including ‘Never Say Never Again’ and ‘A View to a Kill.’ Now: Seagal was huge in the ’90s, with roles in ‘On Deadly Ground,’ ‘Out for Justice,’ and the ‘Under Siege’ films. He is currently a reserve deputy chief in the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Sheriff’s office, and had his own reality series about his law enforcement work called ‘Steven Seagal: Lawman,’ which ran on A&E from 2008 to 2010. He’s recently appeared in the films ‘Machete’ and ‘Maximum Conviction.’RELATED:
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Jackie Chan:
Jackie Chan actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for his slapstick acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. Chan has been acting since the 1960s, performing in more than 150 films. He is one of the most popular action film stars of all time. He began his film career by appearing in small roles at the age of five as a child actor. At age eight, he appeared with some of his fellow “Little Fortunes” in the film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar (1962) with Li Li-Hua playing his mother.
Jet Li:
Li Lianjie is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and retired Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singaporean citizen. He is widely regarded as one of the most iconic Chinese film stars and one of the most renowned martial arts stars of his generation. Li went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor, making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple (1982). He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films, most notably as the lead in Zhang Yimou’s Hero (2002), Fist of Legend (1994), the first three films in the Once Upon a Time in China series (1991–1993), in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung, and Fearless (2006), which is loosely based on the life of Huo Yuanjia.
Tom Cruise:
Thomas Cruise is an American actor and producer. One of the world’s highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d’Or and three Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards. His films have grossed over $4 billion in North America and over $11.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time. Cruise began acting in the early 1980s and made his breakthrough with leading roles in the comedy film Risky Business (1983) and action film Top Gun (1986). Critical acclaim came with his roles in the dramas The Color of Money (1986), Rain Man (1988), and Born on the Fourth of July (1989).
Robert De Niro:
De Niro is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2009, De Niro received the Kennedy Center Honor, and earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016. Other notable roles include in The King of Comedy (1982), Raging Bull (1980) 1900 (1976), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Brazil (1985), The Mission (1986), Goodfellas (1990), This Boy’s Life (1993), Heat (1995), Casino (1995), Joker (2019) and The Irishman (2019). He made his directorial film debut with A Bronx Tale (1993). His comedic roles include Midnight Run (1988), Wag the Dog (1997), Analyze This (1999), and Meet the Parents (2000).
Al Pacino:
Alfredo James Pacino one of the greatest and most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making him one of the few performers to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting. Pacino’s career slumped in the early 1980s; his appearances in the controversial Cruising, a film that provoked protests from New York’s gay community, and the comedy-drama Author! Author!, were critically panned. However, his performance in Scarface (1983), directed by Brian De Palma, proved to be a career highlight and a defining role. Upon its initial release, the film was critically panned due to violent content, but later received critical acclaim.RELATED:
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Antonio Banderas:
Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and director. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a European Film Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards. Banderas made his film debut in Pedro Almodóvar’s screwball comedy Labyrinth of Passion (1982). They’ve since collaborated together on many films including Matador (1986), Law of Desire (1987), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989), and The Skin I Live In (2011). For the 2019 film Pain and Glory, Banderas earned various accolades for Best Actor including the Cannes Film Festival Award, Goya Award, and nominations from the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
Eric Roberts:
Eric Anthony Roberts is a American actor. His career began with a leading role in King of the Gypsies (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes for his role in Bob Fosse’s Star 80 (1983). Roberts’ performance in Runaway Train (1985), as prison escapee Buck McGeehy, earned him a third Golden Globe nod and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is the older brother of actress Julia Roberts. In a career spanning over 40 years Roberts has amassed more than 700 credits, including Raggedy Man (1981), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Runaway Train, The Specialist (1994).
Michael Douglas:
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AFI Life Achievement Award. Douglas went on to produce films including The China Syndrome (1979) and Romancing the Stone (1984), for which he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and The Jewel of the Nile (1985). Douglas received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor (a role he reprised in the sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in 2010). Other notable roles include in A Chorus Line (1985), Fatal Attraction (1987), The War of the Roses (1989)