15 of the unlikeliest action heroes in movie history
When comedy and drama stars turn to fist fights and shoot-outs
Hollywood action movies have long been a place where comedians can go to mix things up and "serious" performers can go to have a little fun and kick a little ass. But for every Bruce Willis and Will Smith -- whose move into action territory seemed like a natural career transformation -- there's a Jonah HIll or a Helen Mirren, whose presence in a shoot-'em-up makes audience do a double-take. Here are 15 unexpected action stars that tried to prove the naysayers wrong.
Do you agree? Disagree? Who did we miss? Sound off in the comments section below.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupCalistanWay
August 25, 2012 at 11:28PM EST Reply to CommentGreat list! What about James McAvoy in WANTED?
jcregg
August 26, 2012 at 4:12PM EST Reply to CommentBilly Crystal in Running Scared?
Matty
August 26, 2012 at 9:54PM EST Reply to CommentDaniel Day Lewis in LOTM, coming off of The Unbearable Lightness of Being and My Left Foot.
Conny conway
August 27, 2012 at 2:27PM EST Reply to CommentYou forgot Duncan Mac cleod
Perplexio By the time of Highlander: Endgame, Adrian Paul had established himself as an action star on the Highlander TV show...
November 27, 2012 at 4:37PM ESTUnless you're referring to Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod in the original 1986 "Highlander" movie that spawned the TV series... I'd agree that Lambert was/is an unlikely action star.
Conny conway
August 27, 2012 at 2:28PM EST Reply to CommentDuncan Mac Leod!
Conny conway
August 27, 2012 at 2:31PM EST Reply to CommentThe highlander Duncan Mac Leod
DougK
August 31, 2012 at 10:28PM EST Reply to CommentEven though the movie was a major flop, Geena Davis in Cutthroat Island.
DougK
August 31, 2012 at 10:29PM EST Reply to CommentEven though the film was a major flop, Geena Davis in Cutthroat Island.
Biff
November 11, 2012 at 11:35PM EST Reply to CommentSeveral of those are far from iconic performances. But Die Hard created Bruce Willis. He was only known for Honeymooners, I believe, and was so unmarketable as an action star that they didn't even put his name on the posters.
Perplexio Don't you mean "Moonlighting?" "Honeymooners" was the 50s sitcom with Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. "Moonlighting" was an 80s crime dramedy with Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis.
November 27, 2012 at 4:39PM ESTJack
November 12, 2012 at 3:02PM EST Reply to Commentjoseph gordon-levitt would definitely be in this list now after inception and Looper