Top 10 Action Movie Stars From the Past 10 Years – Jason Statham is Still One of the Action Masters, Dwayne Johnson Was the King of Summer, Gal Gadot, Keanu Reeves, …
For decades, action has remained one of the most popular genres in Hollywood. Action films often command huge budgets, long shoots and demand the highest levels of commitment, ability, and charisma from their actors. Genre fans revere the very best action stars for their ability to make the impossible seem effortless and command the full attention of the big screen.
Every era has its own unique breed of action star. The last decade has perhaps been one of the most diverse and interesting in the genre’s history. Some actors find the craft of the action movie to be their natural environment, while others come to the genre later in their careers. It takes a lot of work to lead an action movie, but to succeed in many across a decade is a great accomplishment.
Gal Gadot Became Wonder Woman
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Gal Gadot made her acting debut in 2009’s Fast & Furious, but her real ascent to action stardom came in 2016 when she first appeared as Wonder Woman in the DCEU. With that role, she was able to endear herself to fans by bulking up her physique to match the Wonder Woman aesthetic and prove she had enough charisma to lead her own solo film.
Gadot will never be classed among the finest onscreen performers, but she understands how to use her natural athleticism and military background to command the camera’s attention. Post-Wonder Woman, she’s made a brief return to the Fast Saga in Fast X and has established herself at Netflix, where she was in the hit Red Notice, and hopes to start a new franchise with the spy action thriller Heart of Stone.
Gerard Butler is the King of Cheesy Action
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Of all the actors on this list, Gerard Butler is the one most singularly committed to delivering non-stop old-school action to audiences. His credentials as an action lead first shone through in the 2007 film 300, where he played King Leonidas. Since then, he hasn’t slowed down, appearing in an average of one action movie a year since 2014.
These have included hits like the Fallen trilogy, Den of Thieves, and last year’s Plane. The Scottish actor has proven himself versatile over the years but has found a real home in the action genre, where he frequently gets stuck in and performs his own stunts.
Ryan Reynolds Blends Action and Comedy
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Ryan Reynolds has cultivated an image for himself that combines violent action with wink-at-the-camera comedy that was first teased in Blade: Trinity. He found this space for himself in 2016 when he appeared in the first Deadpool, and he has since worked tirelessly to make it a major part of his image.
When it comes to action films, one of Reynolds’ strengths is that he allows himself to be on the receiving end of a beating. Such a setback never diminishes his knowing winks and smug demeanor, but seeing action heroes struggle is endearing. Reynolds has always had a gift for comedic timing and on-screen charisma, but it’s in combining those with the large-scale scope and clear genre tropes of the action movie that he’s found his biggest success.
Chris Hemsworth is the Most Action Packed Chris
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Chris Hemsworth is best known for playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but of all the Marvel stars, he’s been able to carve out a spot for himself within the wider action genre. Other than Thor, Hemsworth’s most popular character is Tyler Rake from the Extraction films, both of which are among the most bombastic action films in recent memory.
Hemsworth’s strong 6′ 2″ frame, which saw him get cast as a literal god in the MCU, makes him perfect for any action movie. His comedic chops and self-mockery have served him well in lighter action films like Thor: Ragnarok, but he’s also excelled at stoic seriousness in Extraction, where he’s proved fully committed to the part. Hemsworth isn’t slowing down anytime soon either, with his latest action film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, hitting screens next month.
Jason Statham is Still One of the Action Masters
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British tough guy Jason Statham has a claim to being this century’s finest action star, and he’s yet to let age start slowing him down. Similarly to Gerard Butler, Statham is fully committed to the action genre, sometimes appearing in multiple movies a year. He is not afraid of franchises like the Fast Saga or The Meg, but he’s also happy to trust original material that’s built around his stoic persona.
As a young man, Statham was a competitive diver and practitioner of martial arts. Both disciplines require a complete command of one’s body, and that’s a skill that’s stuck with Statham his entire career. The way he moves in a fight scene is like a few others, perfectly in control of how he contorts his body and manipulates situations to his advantage.
Charlize Theron Has Blossomed as a True Action Heroine
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Charlize Theron is regarded as one of the best actors of her generation, yet typically, she’s not the first name to come to mind when thinking about action stars. Despite this, Theron has spent the last decade building up quite the action portfolio.
She started her run in 2014 when she stole the show in one of the best action movies of all time: Mad Max: Fury Road. Since then, she has become an integral and formidable part of the Fast Saga and led two action films built around her, with Atomic Blonde and The Old Guard.
Keanu Reeves is the Most Committed Action Star
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For all intents and purposes, the only action films over the last ten years to feature Keanu Reeves’ talents are the four entries in the John Wick franchise and one underseen Matrix sequel. However, quantity isn’t always quality, and it shouldn’t be understated the impact John Wick has had on action movies and the impact Reeves has had on that franchise.
With its stylish John Woo-inspired gun-fu, neon color pallet, and immaculate world-building, John Wick brought on a fresh wave of Hollywood action movies. One of the secrets to the success of the franchise is Reeves’ total commitment to the part. He constantly learns and performs as much of the fight choreography as he can, giving the films an added layer of authenticity.
Dwayne Johnson Was the King of Summer
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Although he now seems to be slightly waning, for most of the last ten years, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was comfortably the biggest star in Hollywood–working on one major action blockbuster after another. His meteoric rise started with playing the heel in Fast Five, which he leveraged to become an integral part of the Fast Saga, even getting his own spin-off. He also successfully rebooted the Jumanji franchise as well as starring in several successful standalone action blockbusters.
Just one look at The Rock, and it seems like a no-brainer to put him in an action movie. As a professional wrestler, he knew how to work a crowd like few others, and his charm and charisma are completely magnetic. The Rock is bigger than any movie he’s been in; he’s capable of taking on the toughest opponent while still winning over his audience.
Tom Cruise is Still Pushing the Limits
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More than anything else–and more than anyone else–Tom Cruise is committed to bringing the best entertainment to an audience. This has always been his philosophy, but in the last ten years, Cruise has fully committed to his own action films, constantly striving to show audiences something they’ve never seen before.
Tom Cruise’s stand-out work over the last ten years has been the latest entries in his Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises. Both have pushed the boundaries of action films, Top Gun: Maverick, by placing its actors in fighter jets to get the real effects of g-force and Mission: Impossible with its commitment to ever bigger and bolder stunts.
Emily Blunt is Not Someone to Mess With
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Emily Blunt is an incredibly skilled and versatile performer who doesn’t always choose to lend her talents to the action genre, but the last ten years have proved that whenever she does, she excels. She first drew the attention of action fans with her no-nonsense, tough-as-nails performance in Edge of Tomorrow, where she effortlessly went toe-to-toe with Tom Cruise.
Since then, Blunt has brought her sternness and resourcefulness to the Quiet Place franchise, where she plays anything but the typical horror victim, as well as Sicario, where she brings a human element to a corrupted world. This year, Blunt is appearing in her traditional action movie. In The Fall Guy, she plays a stern and straightforward director who gets caught up in more than she bargained for, giving Blunt another chance to show her cool resourcefulness and adaptability.
