Action movie stars are the heroes and heroines who get our adrenaline pumping. Early action stars include Douglas Fairbanks, the swashbuckling adventurer of the 1920s and '30s; John Wayne, the famous gunslinger of the 1940s and '50s; and Sean Connery, who played the debonair spy Bond—James Bond—in the 1960s. By the 1970s, however, a new maverick action star had hit the silver screen, with rogue cops played by Steve McQueen in Bullitt and Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, as well as the military mercenary Rambo (Sylvester Stallone). By the 1980s, action movies were literally exploding on screen, with big budgets and big stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) and Bruce Willis (Die Hard), leading to today's action-packed blockbusters. Here's a look at some of Hollywood's most famous action movie stars, who have kicked some major butt on the big screen.
Browse notable actors such as Woody Allen, John Belushi, and Steve Buscemi.
Browse notable film actors such as Brad Pitt, John Barrymore, and Ben Stiller.
Browse notable film producers such as George Abbott, Ridely Scott, and Howard Hawks.
Browse notable filmakers such as Mel Brooks, Stanley Kubrick, and Sam Mendes.
Meet famous people who were born in May. John F. Kennedy, Adele, George Carlin, Audrey Hepburn, Mr. T, Bob Dylan are some of the people who share a May birthday.
Meet famous people like Dian Fossey, Cary Grant, Eartha Kitt, John Lennon, Wolfgang Mozart, and Roy Orbison, who died in the month of December.
In the early years of motion pictures, actors were recruited from the stage, resulting in larger-than-life performances that seemed jarring when blown up to the size of a movie screen. As the years went on, actors began to understand the subtleties of the medium, and used more natural expressions to connect with their audiences. They became movie stars, known for their glamorous looks and identifiable personalities. As Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard would say, they didn't need dialogue, they had faces.
Most people get to know their co-workers well...and sometimes working together can even lead to romance. Just like in the office, many Hollywood stars find romance at work—or rather, on the set. Some of the most famous couples in Hollywood history met while making a film, including Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Here's a look at the famous actors and actresses whose chemistry set off sparks on the set.