The 25 Most Badass Action Stars of All Time - Mandatory
  • AOL
  • MAIL
    • Weekly Adorbs for May 20-24, 2013
    • Dog Imitates Baby
    • Randall Celebrates the Beagle Freedom Project Reunion
    • Lion French Kisses a Dachshund
    • 5 Ways to Get Your Cat to Stop Biting You
    • 10 Amazing Things Found in the Tornado Rubble
    • Interactive Map Shows Moore Before and After the Tornado
    • Today's 10 Must-See Photos: 5-24-2013
    • Today's 10 Must-See Photos: 5-23-2013
    • Look: Interactive Google Map Reveals Moore Tornado's Path
Sign In / Register
Mandatory
  • Play
  • Know
  • Girls
  • Awesome
  • Video
  • Top Shelf
  • Search
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • Rides
  • Gear
  • Travel
  • Funny
  • Food & Drink
  • View Gallery

    Today's Funniest Photos 5-24-13

  • View Gallery

    This Week's 20 Funniest Tweets

  • View Gallery

    Personality Matching Worksheet: Why You Are The Way You Are

  • View Gallery

    Noodling Is The New Duck Facing

  • News
  • Sports
  • Health & Fitness
  • Style & Grooming
  • Living
  • Money
  • View Gallery

    How to Really Stand Out With Your LinkedIn Profile

  • View Gallery

    How to Start the Summer Right With a Summer Kick-Off Party

  • View Gallery

    Beach Cocktails: The Cruzan Key Lime in a Coconut

  • View Gallery

    ESPN Likes Johnny Manziel's V-I-P-ness

  • Hot Right Now
  • Sex & Dating
  • Galleries
  • Interviews
  • View Gallery

    Felicia Day Makes Online Gaming Sexy

  • View Gallery

    Play 'The Hangover' STRIP Trivia With Arianny Celeste

  • View Gallery

    Joan Smalls Hit the Big Time

  • View Gallery

    Alice Eve Used To Lift Up Her Skirt

  • View Gallery

    The Most Epic BBQ Fails

  • View Gallery

    Who Says Soccer Is Boring?

  • View Gallery

    The Cincinnati Bearcats Baseball Team Really Knows How to Liven Up Post-Game Interviews

  • View Gallery

    BBQ Disasters

  • View Gallery

    The 15 Dirtiest Jokes in Kids' Cartoons

  • View Gallery

    Today's Funniest Photos 5-24-13

  • View Gallery

    This Week's 20 Funniest Tweets

  • View Gallery

    Personality Matching Worksheet: Why You Are The Way You Are

  • View Gallery

    Noodling Is The New Duck Facing

  • View Gallery

    15 things that were true when the first Fast & Furious film was released

  • View Gallery

    Top Shelf - May 24, 2013

  • View Gallery

    Top Shelf - May 23, 2013

  • View Gallery

    Top Shelf - May 22, 2013

  • View Gallery

    Top Shelf - May 21, 2013

  • View Gallery

    Top Shelf - May 20, 2013

RULE No21

No matter how hot she may be, your best friend's ex shall always remain off limits.

Follow us:
Facebook Twitter Google
  • Follow @thisismandatory
  • Google+

Mandatory Newsletter

Get a little rise in your mornings by signing up for the MANDATORY newsletter.

Sign up here for newsletter:

Partner Offers:

Mandatory Newsletter

Congratulations! You just signed up for the greatest newsletter in the universe. Prepare your eyes for awesome.
Partner Offers:
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • Rides
  • Gear
  • Travel
  • Funny
  • Food & Drink

The 25 Most Badass Action Stars of All Time

Related: arnold schwarzenegger, Entertainment, harrison ford, movies, sylvester stallone, tom cruise

By Rob Fee Aug 28, 2012

  • 1 of 25

    I consider myself a tough guy. I’ve got tattoos. I own a camouflage t-shirt. I rarely scream when I open a can of biscuits and it pops oh so loudly. I’m a man’s man. With that being said I would literally fill my camo pants with urine if any of these guys (or gals) decided to get up in my face. I proudly present to you the 25 Most Bad Ass Action Stars of All Time.

    25. Tom Cruise

    Say what you will about his personal life and the time he declared his love of "Dawson’s Creek" while bouncing on Oprah’s couch but anybody that could portray the most elite secret agent ("Mission Impossible") and make bartending look that cool ("Cocktail") is fine in my book. 
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 2 of 25

    24. Milla Jovovich

    The first of two ladies on the list, Milla is best known for her zombie hunting role as Alice in "Resident Evil" where she’s been cloned, killed, mutated, and cryogenically frozen. She also saved the universe in "The Fifth Element" so we all owe her a debt of gratitude.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 3 of 25

    23. Vin Diesel

    If you have any doubts as to why Vin Diesel deserves to be on this list, watch his scene in "Knockaround Guys" where he not only demolishes the local bar’s tough guy, but also explains to him beforehand how he is going to demolish him. It doesn’t get more bad ass than that.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 4 of 25

    22. Charles Bronson

    Honestly, after 5 "Death Wish" movies I don’t know how there are any bad guys left. Bronson did it all, from old west gun slinger to modern day vigilante. They don’t make action stars like him anymore.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 5 of 25

    21. Liam Neeson

    It seems like Liam Neeson has been around forever in films like 'Rob Roy" and "The Phantom Menace", yet it wasn’t until "Taken" that he really turned into a hardcore bad ass. If that isn’t enough, he’s also the guy who trained Batman. Pretty decent resume.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 6 of 25

    20. Kurt Russell

    Russell was one of the go-to tough guys of the 80s and 90s taking the roles of everything from Wyatt Earp to Futuristic Anarchist Snake Plissken. Just to prove he wasn’t done yet, Russell showed up big time in 2007’s "Death Proof" as Stuntman Mike, which may have been his most extreme role yet.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 7 of 25

    19. Michelle Rodriguez

    I wouldn’t say there are a lot of girls who scare me. Ones that I wouldn’t want to pass on a dark street. Michelle Rodriguez is an exception. Skipping the romantic comedies, Rodriguez has been kicking ass since her debut film "Girlfight". Between her roles in "Halo", "Lost", and "Avatar" she may also be living the dream of every nerd out there.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 8 of 25

    18. The Rock

    The Rock has always been a big guy since his days in the WWE, but he turned into an absolute monster in 2011’s "Fast Five". Even after his roles as the Scorpion King and Chris Vaughn in the remake of "Walking Tall", something tells me we’ve only seen the beginning of The Rock’s career.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 9 of 25

    17. Jet Li

    You know you’re tough when you’re the only member of "The Expendables" under 200 lbs. Jet Li amazed American audiences with his breakout role in 1998’s "Lethal Weapon 4" doing something that we’d all eventually want to do; punch Mel Gibson.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 10 of 25

    16. Sean Connery

    I don’t care what anyone says, Connery will always be James Bond. Connery has been taking out bad guys and getting the girl since the 50’s and could still pull it off today. We haven’t gotten a film from him since "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" but if he keeps voice James Bond video games I’ll be content with that.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 11 of 25

    15. Jason Statham

    Busting onto the scene in 1998’s "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", Statham has embraced his action star persona with several successful movie franchises including "The Transporter" series and "The Expendables". Even when he does animated roles like 2011’s "Gnomeo & Juliet" he plays a bad ass gnome!
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 12 of 25

    14. Kiefer Sutherland

    It’s Jack Bauer. Does anything else really need to be said? He’s defeated every terrorist organization you can think of and is rumored to have taken out Osama bin Laden personally. I mean it’s Jack Bauer.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 13 of 25

    13. Harrison Ford

    He was the intergalactic tough guy in "Star Wars" and the most kick ass archaeologist ever in "Indiana Jones". If you’re a guy in your late 20s-early 40s you went as him for at least one Halloween. It sounds like an ad for the most interesting man in the world but it’s not, it’s Harrison Ford.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 14 of 25

    12. Samuel L Jackson

    Try thinking of a movie Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t in. You can’t do it can you? Jackson set the bar for ass kicking in "Pulp Fiction" then went even further becoming the first black guy in "Star Wars" (it’s a prequel so technically it’s before Billy Dee right?). If that’s not enough he also organized this little group called the Avengers. You may have heard of them.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 15 of 25

    11. Steven Seagal

    If your uncle had a ponytail in the 90s, it was because of Steven Seagal. This master in Kendo and Aikido boomed onto the action scene in the 90s with huge hits like "Under Siege" and "Above the Law". He is now a Buddhist and can be seen in the corner of UFC stars like Anderson Silva. 
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 16 of 25

    10. Jackie Chan

    It’s hard to believe Jackie Chan got his first role in 1962. He has always done his own stunts ,which if you’ve seen any of his films, is incredible considering he is now 58 years old. Unfortunately Jackie retired from action films recently and will portray his famous character Asian Hawk one last time in Chinese Zodiac later this year.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 17 of 25

    9. Chuck Norris

    Ah Chuck Norris, the internet’s famous superhero. His legend has become that of a demigod and, although probably not quite to that level, Chuck kicked some serious ass. He ruled the 80s before settling into the iconic role of Walker, Texas Ranger for over a decade. You can catch Chuck in the new "The Expendables" movie or on any t-shirt in Hot Topic.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 18 of 25

    8. Dolph Lundgren

    Possibly the greatest action movie villain ever, Dolph showed up in "Rocky IV" and scared the crap out of all of us. Every American was afraid of Russia after seeing ol’ Drago literally destroy Apollo Creed. I just wish he would bring back that amazing flat top.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 19 of 25

    7. Jean Claude Van Damme

    The 90s were a great time to be Jean Claude. Every movie he starred in just sounded tough; "Sudden Death", "Hard Target", "Maximus Risk", "Death Warrant", the list goes on. He’s dropped off in the past few years but if you’ve forgotten how tough he was, go watch "Bloodsport". That last fight alone would get him on this list.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 20 of 25

    6. Steve McQueen

    You don’t get a nickname like the King of Cool without earning it. The guy every guy wanted to be in the 60s, McQueen starred in films like "The Great Escape" and "Bullitt" which took him to another level of badass-ness. Did I mention he’s in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame? 
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 21 of 25

    5. Bruce Willis

    If you’re looking for a bad ass cop, you go to Bruce Willis. His role as John McClane in "Die Hard" will go down as his most famous character but Willis has done so many great movies. Everything from "Hart's War" with Colin Farrell to "The Last Boy Scout" for what was probably his toughest role despite being teamed with Damon Wayans.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 22 of 25

    4. Bruce Lee

    The absolute icon of martial arts movies, he pioneered the way for the stars of today. The difference between Lee and most action stars is that he kicked butt off the screen as well. He was an infamous street fighter but unfortunately he was before YouTube or camera phones so we’ll never know just how bad ass he was. You owe it to yourself to check out his classic catalog of films.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 23 of 25

    3. Clint Eastwood

    Is there any 80+ year old man that you’d bet on in a street fight other than Clint Eastwood? From "Dirty Harry" to "The Outlaw Josey Wales" to "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", he set the standard for the tough guy. A legend like this only comes around once a generation.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 24 of 25

    2. Arnold Schwarzenegger

    No action star has better catch phrases than Arnold. He didn’t just kill, he did it with style. Even after his hiatus as the governor of California, the Terminator hasn’t slowed down at all, lining up a list of action roles over the next several years. 
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend
  • 25 of 25
    Next: Epically Hilarious Photos

    1. Sylvester Stallone

    There’s no action star that has done what Stallone has throughout his career. "Rambo" and "Rocky" aren’t just roles, they’re icons. He’s been the action star of every decade since the 70’s and with "The Expendables" growing popularity it’s safe to assume he could define another as well.
    • More
      • Share on Tumblr
      • Pin It
      • Email to a friend

More on Mandatory

  • The Worst Haircuts of All Time
  • The Worst Sports Tattoos
  • Arianny Celeste
  • Allison Brie's New Photoshoot
  • The Hottest Women in Sports
  • The Ultimate Beer Opening Compilation

Show Comments

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum
2

2 Comments

Filter by:
kitty2199

Your list seriously needs to be reorganized. Jean Claude is better than Jet LI? And Sylvester Stallone tops the list? Bruce Lee should be #1 and you know it. I call foul on this one.

May 10 2013 at 10:05 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Motea

Disappointed that you did not have Uma Thurman from the Kill Bill series. Best chick fight ever.

May 09 2013 at 10:26 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

From:Crave

  • Move That Spare Tire: Best Ways To Loose Belly Fat
  • One Night Stands Lead To Marriage
  • 6 Facebook Fails of Pregnant Women

From:COED Magazine

  • Make Your Own Flavored Beer with a French Press
  • “Stricter Security” At Indy 500 Sure Feels Like A Money Grab [VIDEO]
  • 10 Weird Foods To Grill This Memorial Day [PHOTOS]

From:Bleacher Report

  • 20 Athletes Who Always Make Excuses
  • 20 Athletes We Just Can't Stand Anymore
  • 30 Pics of Sad Fans Sulking
Mandatory
  • Play
  • Know
  • Girls
  • Video
  • Awesome
  • Top Shelf

Most Popular:

  • Prison Life in America
  • Musicians Arrested For Weird Crimes
  • The Weirdest Flags From Around The World
  • Jessica Cribbon Has Fun Without Pants
  • Today's Funniest Photos 5-21-13

Most Recent:

  • Today's Funniest Photos 5-24-13
  • This Week's 20 Funniest Tweets
  • Personality Matching Worksheet: Why You Are The Way You Are
  • Noodling Is The New Duck Facing

Follow Mandatory

  • Follow @thisismandatory

Mandatory Newsletter

Get a little rise in your mornings by signing up for the MANDATORY newsletter.

Sign up here for newsletter:

Partner Offers:

Mandatory Newsletter

Congratulations! You just signed up for the greatest newsletter in the universe. Prepare your eyes for awesome.
Partner Offers:
  • User Agreement
  • Privacy
  • Send Feedback
  • About our Ads
  • Copyright Notice
  • Community Guidelines
  • About Us
  • Media/PR Inquiries
© 2013 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved. Berman Braun AOL.com