Action film actors appear in action movies, a film genre where action sequences, such as fights, shootout

Shootout

A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a military context A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups....

s, stunt

Stunt

A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...

s, car chase

Car chase

A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...

s or explosions either take precedence or, in finer examples of the genre, are used as a form of exposition and character development. Action movie actors typically play the role of a hero

Hero

A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...

, a villain

Villain

A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...

, or one the villain's henchmen. The genre

Genre

Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...

 is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film

Adventure film

Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....

 genres.

Notable actors

• Angelina Jolie
  Angelina Jolie
  Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
  
  
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
  Arnold Schwarzenegger
  Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
  
  
• Antonio Banderas
  Antonio Banderas
  José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
  
  
• Ace Vergel
  Ace Vergel
  Ace Vergel, born Ace York Aguilar , was a Filipino actor dubbed "The Original Bad Boy of Philippine Movies". He was the son of the late Alicia Vergel and César Ramírez, and the brother of Beverly Vergel....
  
  
• Ben Affleck
  Ben Affleck
  Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
  
  
• Bong Revilla
  Bong Revilla
  Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. , is a Filipino actor, politician and senator of the Republic of the Philippines. In 2009, he legally changed his last name to Bong Revilla....
  
  
• Brent Huff
  Brent Huff
  Brent Huff is a former male model and actor, writer and film director.- Career :He studied on University of Missouri.Brent begin his career as a model after signing with Ford Models in New York and Nina Blanchard in Los Angeles...
  
  
• Bruce Lee
  Bruce Lee
  Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
  
  
• Bruce Willis
  Bruce Willis
  Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
  
  
• Charles Bronson
  Charles Bronson
  Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
  
  
• Cesar Montano
  César Montano
  Cesar Manhilot, known by his screen name Cesar Montano, is a multi-awarded Filipino actor and film director.He started in show business as a stuntman. He played roles in numerous B movies...
  
  
• Chow Yun-fat
  Chow Yun-Fat
  Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
  
  
• Christian Bale
  Christian Bale
  Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
  
  
• Chuck Norris
  Chuck Norris
  Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
  
  
• Clint Eastwood
  Clint Eastwood
  Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
  
  
• Clive Owen
  Clive Owen
  Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
  
  
• Cynthia Rothrock
  Cynthia Rothrock
  Cynthia Rothrock is an American martial artist and actress specializing in martial arts films. -Martial arts achievements:Rothrock is five-time World Karate Champion in forms and weapons between 1981 and 1985...
  
  
• Daniel Craig
  Daniel Craig
  Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
  
  
• Dolph Lundgren
  Dolph Lundgren
  Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
  
  
• Donnie Yen
  Donnie Yen
  Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
  
  
• Eddie Garcia
  Eddie García
  Eddie Garcia popularly known as Manoy is a Filipino film actor and film director.- Biography :...
  
  
• Fernando Poe Jr.
• Jackie Chan
  Jackie Chan
  Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
  
  
• Harrison Ford
  Harrison Ford
  Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
  
  
• Hugh Jackman
  Hugh Jackman
  Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
  
  
• Rutger Hauer
• Jean-Claude Van Damme
  Jean-Claude Van Damme
  Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
  
  
• Jean Reno
  Jean Reno
  Jean Reno is a French actor. Working in French, English, Spanish and Italian, he has appeared not only in numerous successful Hollywood productions such as The Pink Panther, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, Ronin and Couples Retreat, but also in European productions such as the...
  
  
• Jason Statham
  Jason Statham
  Jason Statham born 12 September1967) is an English actor and former diver, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Revolver, Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...
  
  
• Jessica Alba
  Jessica Alba
  Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
  
  
• Jessica Biel
  Jessica Biel
  Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
  
  
• Jet Li
  Jet Li
  The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
  
  
• Joseph Estrada
  Joseph Estrada
  Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
  
  
• John Wayne
  John Wayne
  Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
  
  
• Kane Kosugi
  Kane Kosugi
  born in Los Angeles, California is a American martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento due to his Nisei heritage....
  
  
• Keanu Reeves
  Keanu Reeves
  Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
  
  
• Kurt Russell
  Kurt Russell
  Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
  
  
• Lee Marvin
  Lee Marvin
  Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
  
  
• Lorenzo Lamas
  Lorenzo Lamas
  Lorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
  
  
• Lucy Liu
  Lucy Liu
  Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...
  
  
• Mel Gibson
  Mel Gibson
  Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
  
  
• Michael Dudikoff
  Michael Dudikoff
  Michael Joseph Dudikoff II is an American actor who has been in numerous films, including the American Ninja series , Tron , Bachelor Party , Platoon Leader , River of Death , Soldier Boyz , Ringmaster , and The Silencer , to name a few...
  
  
• Michelle Yeoh
  Michelle Yeoh
  Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng is a Hong Kong-based Malaysian Chinese actress, well known for performing her own stunts in the action films that brought her to fame in the early 1990s....
  
  
• Milla Jovovich
  Milla Jovovich
  Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...
  
  
• Monsour del Rosario
  Monsour del Rosario
  Manuel Monsour T. del Rosario III commonly known as Monsour del Rosario, is a Filipino taekwondo champion who has also starred in several Filipino and international action films...
  
  
• Sammo Hung
  Sammo Hung
  Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
  
  
• Sean Connery
  Sean Connery
  Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
  
  
• Shia LaBeouf
  Shia LaBeouf
  Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
  
  
• Sigourney Weaver
  Sigourney Weaver
  Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
  
  
• Sonny Chiba
  Sonny Chiba
  , also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
  
  
• Seth rogen
  Seth Rogen
  Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
  
  
• Steven Seagal
  Steven Seagal
  Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
  
  
• Sylvester Stallone
  Sylvester Stallone
  Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
  
  
• The Rock
• Tom Cruise
  Tom Cruise
  Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
  
  
• Tony Jaa
  Tony Jaa
  Tatchakorn Yeerum , formerly Panom Yeerum , better known in the West as Tony Jaa, in Thailand as Jaa Panom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, choreographer, stuntman, director, and monk...
  
  
• Vin Diesel
  Vin Diesel
  Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
  
  
• Wesley Snipes
  Wesley Snipes
  Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
  
  
• Will Smith
  Will Smith
  Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
  
  
• Yuen Biao
  Yuen Biao
  Yuen Biao is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer...
  
  
• Zhang Ziyi
  Zhang Ziyi
  Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese film actress. Zhang is coined by the media as one of the Four Young Dan actresses in the Film Industry in China, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei, and Zhou Xun...
  
  
• Zoren Legaspi
  Zoren Legaspi
  Zoren Legaspi is a Filipino actor and television director.-Biography and Career:Zoren comes from a family of Filipino celebrities. His father, Lito Legaspi, and brothers, Kier and Brandon, are all respectable actors. His spouse, Carmina Villaroel, is also a popular movie and television actress...