Everybody remembers the ’90s as a time when action stars ruled Hollywood. It was a time when actors with big muscles and tough-guy looks would deliver the perfect catchphrases and one-liners while holding an AK-47 in one hand and a cigar in the other. “Yippee Ki‐Yay”, “Hasta La Vista”, and “Yo, Adrian” became anthems to a generation of kids who decorated their bedroom walls with movie posters. But who were the biggest and the greatest? In this list we take a look at the greatest action stars of the ’90s.
John Travolta
It might be hard to believe now, but back in the ’90s, John Travolta was a huge action star. The proof? He pulled in a massive $618 777 812 at the box office with movies like Broken Arrow and Face/Off. After Pulp Fiction saved his career, the Greese actor took to action films, delivering classics that fans love and still talk about today.
Sylvester Stallone
Can you even talk about ’90s action heroes without mentioning Sylvester Stallone? Between Stallone and Arnie, and their rivalry off-screen, the two actors ruled action blockbusters. Cliffhanger, Demolition Man, The Specialist and Judge Dredd are just some of the many classics from the Rocky actor. In the ’90s, he pulled in a whopping $627 215 114 at the box office.
Nicholas Cage
Cage’s true jump to action star was with The Rock in 1996 opposite Sean Connery. Cage soon had two more hits with Con-Air and Face/Off, securing his status as a ’90s action star. Today, he is known as one of the biggest action stars of all time.
Mel Gibson
Mel has been an action star since the late ’70s due to his role as Max Rockatansky in George Miller’s original Mad Max trilogy. He became an even bigger action star when he starred in the Lethal Weapon series of films. Payback and Conspiracy Theory further.
Keanu Reeves
Today, Reeves is a major star for his work in the John Wick films. In the early ’90s, though, he was a breakout action star after appearing alongside Patrick Swayze in Point Break. However, 1994’s Speed was the film that made Reeves a household name. After a dip in the late 90s, Reeves returned to form with the first Matrix film.
Pierce Brosnan
Brosnan made the jump to megastar and action hero as the new James Bond and appeared in the critically acclaimed Golden Eye in 1995. Despite not starring in other action films during the ’90s, Brosnan appeared in two more Bond films, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough, to secure his place among the greats of that era.
Harrison Ford
Outside of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, most people don’t think of Harrison Ford as much of an action star, but back in the ’90s, he starred in some of the biggest blockbusters of the decade. Patriot Games, The Fugitive, Air Force One, and Six Days, Seven Nights were all big hits.
Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis became a big action star in 1988 with the highly successful Die Hard. The film morphed Willis from a modest TV personality to a big-time ’90s action star. He then starred in films like Last Man Standing, The Fifth Element, The Jackal and Armageddon.
Will Smith
Best known for his role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith transitioned to film star and action hero after starring in 1995’s Bad Boys and 1996’s Independence Day. The young black actor took advantage of his status as a leading man and starred in many big hits like Men in Black (1997) and Enemy of the State (1998). He quickly became a record-breaking action star.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
It’s probably not a big surprise that Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled the ’90s as the biggest action star. Films like Total Recall (1990), Terminator II: Judgement Day (1991), and True Lies (1994) are all considered classics. And even tho some of his other releases, like Last Action Hero and Erase, weren’t as big, they were still modest hits that managed to draw in a crowd. To see more amazing actors’ lists, visit: Lifestyle Fortress. To see a longer list of action stars from the ’90s, visit Fortress of Solitude.
