Summary

It ’s often easy for audiences to dismiss the act talents of activity stars , but some action icons have delivered Oscar - desirable performances which silenced their critics . Action motion picture stars are burdened with the public perception that their work is often less impressive than dramatic actors . While it ’s true that most activity motion-picture show do n’t rely on knock-down performance , this does n’t intend that the actors in the lead role are any less capable . Sometimes an role player just needs to mistreat into a different type of office for audiences to see how gifted they truly are .

Even thebest performance in action moviesrarely welcome any award - season buzz , and this only adds to the perception that action movie stars are less talented than their counterparts in other genre . In reality , action movies with unbelievable stunt and fight tantrum will normally fall flat if the lead actor is n’t compelling enough . Although the explosive spectacle of action movies can easy unhinge from the central performance , activeness stars often show surprising ranges in other movies . Some action movie icons have delivered Oscar - desirable performance in unlike genres , clear them far more critical acclamation .

peachy action picture show can be relish repeatedly . Combining high - stakes activity with a compelling story has always been a recipe for success .

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt looking mad in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

10The Sixth Sense (1999)

Bruce Willis

Cast

Willis can take himself unlucky to overlook out on an Oscar nominating address forThe Sixth Sense , seeing as his carbon monoxide - star Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette were both nominated .

Bruce Willis cemented his position as action movie royal family with his portrayal of John McClane in theDie Hardfranchise , but he also starred inPulp Fiction , Armageddon , andTwelve Monkeys . Arguably his most powerful execution , however , came in the M. Night Shyamalan psychological thrillerThe Sixth Sense . Thomas Willis can consider himself unlucky to miss out on an Oscar nomination forThe Sixth Sense , seeing as his co - stars Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette were both nominated . Willis is no less polar to the photographic film ’s success , and his performance as a conflicted minor psychologist is incredibly nuanced .

The horror genre struggles to be recognized by the Academy , and so far , only six horror flick have been constitute for Best Picture at the Oscars .

Horror Get out Jaws the Exorcist

9Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Harrison Ford

Blade Runnergave Harrison Ford one of his most famous roles , as Rick Deckard , but his reserved performance does n’t show the full compass of his act talent . Blade Runner 2049brings Harrison Ford backfor a look into Deckard ’s future , and his carrying into action is a more subtle and interesting glide slope the 2d time around . Ford also return for sequels toStar WarsandIndiana Jonesdecades by and by , and each of his functioning in these legacy sequel lend new proportion to popular old characters . Ford is n’t the sole direction ofBlade Runner 2049,but he ’s full of life to its success .

8Creed (2015)

Sylvester Stallone

Like Harrison Ford , Sylvester Stallone also reprise one of his most far-famed roles decades later , and he brought the character into new territory . Stallone was nominate for Best Actor for his operation as Rocky Balboa in the originalRockyfilm , and he received another nomination forCreed . This effort added him to the single lean ofactors nominate for multiple Oscars for the same part , which is specially impressive view the break between the two movies . Rocky Balboa evolves a fate as a character , andCreedshows him as a knotty but caring mentor .

7Jerry Maguire (1996)

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise delivered a number of not bad performances in spectacular roles betweenTop GunandMission : Impossible . In recent years , he has established himself as the gravid action whiz in Hollywood , but the lineament of his dramatic work in the 1990s should n’t be block . As well as his brilliant role as a sports agent inJerry Maguire , Cruise shone inMagnolia , A Few expert Men , andEyes Wide Shut . Jerry Maguireis pack with large quotesthat allow Cruise to show his comedic side as well as his aroused depth .

6Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh won the Oscar for Best Actress forEverything Everywhere All At Once , but most of her life history has been spend in Hong Kong action motion-picture show and wuxia martial humanities film likeCrouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon . Yeoh has also come out in Brobdingnagian action franchises such asJames Bondand the MCU , andEverything Everywhere All At Oncealso makes use of her action pedigreeat times . Everything Everywhere All At Onceis a multiverse moving picture , and it requires Yeoh to act several different iterations of the same character reference . Some of them are funny , while others are tragic .

5Locke (2013)

Tom Hardy

Locketakes place entirely within a moving car , as Tom Hardy ’s character talks to several different masses on the phone . It ’s a sheer narrative stunt , and it only work because of a terrific performance . unmarried - fix moviesaren’t too rare , but it ’s rare for one to rely so heavily on the operation of just one actor . Tom Hardy ’s most famed movies admit great - budget action thrillers likeMad Max : Fury RoadandThe Dark Knight Rises . Lockerequires a completely different skillset from the British actor , and he proves that he is up to the job .

4Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

Sigourney Weaver

Although Sigourney Weaver ’s most famous performances have come in sci - fi blockbusters likeAlien , GhostbustersandAvatar , she has usher that she is much more than just an legal action hero . Gorillas in the Mistfeatures one of Weaver ’s most nuanced performances . She play the real - life primatologist Dian Fossey , who puts herself in harm ’s way to protect the endangered Gorilla gorilla population in Rwanda from poacher . Gorillas in the Mistearned Weaver a nomination for Best Actress , but she lose out to Jodie Foster . Weaver has cede a number of Oscar - desirable performances , but she is yet to gain .

3The Wrestler (2008)

Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke was nominated for an Oscar for his functioning inThe Wrestler , but he recede out to Sean Penn forMilk . Rourke would have been a desirable achiever , asThe Wrestlershowed the reliable depth of his gift for the first time since part in the Charles Bukowksi biopicBarflyand other moving-picture show in the late 1980s . Rourke is best - know as an action headliner who can fiddle villains as well as hero , as he prove inIron Man 2.In many ways , The Wrestlercan be seen as a metaphor for Rourke ’s vocation struggles .

Action picture show have always been a big part of Hollywood , but with each new decennary , a new star emerges to precede the fashion and define the literary genre .

2JCVD (2008)

Jean-Claude Van Damme

JCVDfeatures Jean - Claude Van Damme as a fictionalize version of himself . In the world ofJCVD , Van Damme is a wash - up action star who becomes involved in a hostage situation at a bank . There are still plenteousness of action charge as Van Damme help his fellow hostage overcome the robbers , butJCVDis also a rich speculation on Van Damme ’s biography and career . In one memorable scene , Van Damme break in the fourth wall to deliver a drawn-out soliloquy about his troubled yesteryear and where he find himself on his journeying . It ’s boldly unconventional , but Van Damme plays it perfectly .

1The Gift (2000)

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has often been unjustly maligned by some , butThe Giftis an undeniable showing of his acting prowess .

Keanu Reeves has often been unjustly maligned by some , butThe Giftis an undeniable display of his acting prowess . The Giftis teeming with brilliant actors , including Cate Blanchett and Hilary Swank , but it ’s Reeves who steals the show as an scurrilous and possessive married man . Keanu Reeves ' most pop performancesusually show off his rude charisma , butThe Giftcasts him against character , and he rises to the challenge . His persona inThe Giftcreates a staring line toThe MatrixorJohn Wick , but Reeves is just as compelling .

(Sean-Connery-as-James-Bond)-from-Never-Say-Never-Again-&-Jason-Statham-as-The-Beekeeper-&-(Keanu-Reeves-as-John-wick)-from–John-Wick-4-

Three Oscars statues against a dark background

Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Bruce Willis smiling slightly in The Sixth Sense

Headshot Of Bruce Willis In The Premiere of Motherless Brooklyn

Headshot Of Toni Collette

Headshot Of Haley Joel Osment In The Premiere Of Shout! Studios

Headshot Of Olivia Williams IN The London celebration of ‘The Crown’ finale at the Royal Festival Hall

Headshot Of Ryan Gosling In The Paris premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’

Headshot Of Harrison Ford In The 29th Annual Critics' Choice Awards

Headshot Of Jared Leto

Headshot aOf Ana De Armas In The 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Headshot Of Michael B. Jordan

Headshot Of Sylvester Stallone

Headshot Of Wood Harris

Headshot Of Graham McTavish In The Premiere Of  The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies

Tom Cruise on the phone in Jerry Maguire

Headshot of Cuba Gooding Jr

Headshot of Kelly Preston

Cast Placeholder Image

Headshot Of Tom Cruise In The UK premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning’ Part One

Headshot Of Jenny Slate In The 2024 Disney Upfront

Headshot Of Ke Huy Quan

Headshot Of Stephanie Hsu

Headshot Of Harry Shum Jr.

Tom Hardy driving in Locke

Sigourney Weaver in the jungle with two gorillas in Gorillas in the Mist

The Ram kneels in the ring from The Wrestler

Headshot Of Evan Rachel Wood

Headshot Of Mark Margolis In The world premiere of ‘Valley Of Bones’

Headshot Of Marisa Tomei In The 90 Years Of Laughter + Love' Birthday Special

JCVD

Keanu Reeves in The Gift

Headshot Of Cate Blanchett In The Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall/Winter

Headshot Of Katie Holmes

Headshot Of Keanu Reeves In The Los Angeles Premiere Of Lionsgate’s ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

Headshot Of Giovanni Ribisi In The 5th Annual Kodak Film Awards held at The ASC Clubhouse