We start out with the most famous of them all: The Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger is our first action hero. He became a true Hollywood star when he took on the role of The Terminator in 1984.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is still very active in Hollywood at 71 years old today! Most recently he has starred in the Terminator movies with many more films coming out in 2019.
Another actor who found fame starring in martial-arts films is the Belgian Jean-Claude van Damme. He started his career, like many other action heroes, as a bodybuilder. His biggest role was in the 1986 film Karate Tiger.
Jean Claude van Damme is still a sought-after actor and has appeared in numerous action films. In 2012 he starred alongside Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis in The Expendables. He now stars in the Amazon original series Jean Claude van Johnson...
David Rasche became a household name due to his role in the cult series Sledge Hammer!. In TV series from the late eighties the actor played a violent and chauvinistic police inspector.
After the series ended Rasche appeared in several TV series and feature films. He had roles in the Men in Black 3 and in the 2013 film The Big Wedding.
Bud Spencer and Terence Hill are arguably the most famous film duo. They are known for Western movies such as Double Trouble.
Bud Spencer's real name was Carlo Perdersoli. Aside from acting, Perdersoli worked as a composer and founded his own airline: Mistral Air. The beloved actor passed away on June 27th, 2016.
From 2010 until 2015 Terence Hill starred in the Italian TV-Show Un passo dal cielo, where he portrayed a commander of the State Forestry Corps. In 2017 he directed and starred in the movie My Name Is Thomas.
Sylvester Stallone became famous when he starred in the 1976 drama Rocky. Stallone not only played the main role, but also wrote the screenplay. The sixth film in the series was released in 2006.
Sylvester Stallone is still going strong today at 72 years old. He has most recently starred in Creed (2015) and Creed II (2018).
Tom Selleck had his big breakthrough in 1980 as Magnum. Selleck played the Hawaiian private detective "Thomas Magnum" and took TV screens by storm all over the world.
In 2010 Selleck starred in the film Kiss & Kill alongside Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. He has played one of the leading roles in the American police series Blue Bloods since fall, 2010.
Richard Dean Anderson starred in the series MacGyver from 1985 to 1992 and the show catapulted him to worldwide fame. He played agent "Angus MacGyver" who, using everyday materials, always came up with a way to defeat the bad guys.
In 2004 Anderson was presented an award by the United States Airforce for his role in Stargate SG-1. He was made an honorary Brigadier General.
David Hasselhoff became known worldwide for playing the starring role in the television series Knight Rider, in which he protected the poor, sick and defenseless with the help of his car "K.I.T.T.". The series achieved cult status and was the most-watched TV series of the eighties.
From 1989 to 2001 Hasselhoff had a leading role in the TV series Baywatch. After Baywatch, David appeared in numerous films and television series. In 2013 he actually moved into the German Celebrity Big Brother house, but left the show after just four days.
Robert Wagner was the male lead in the popular TV series Hart to Hart and later starred in numerous films including The Pink Panther and Towering Inferno. Stefanie Powers also played one of the main roles in the television series Hart to Hart.
Since 2009 Wagner has been a permanent member of the Navy CIS cast.
Bruce Willis had his breakthrough in 1985 when he starred in Die Hard. Since then he has been one of Hollywood's most in-demand actors. He has starred in four further sequels to Die Hard.
Willis has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. In 2013 he starred alongside Helen Mirren in R.E.D.. 2 and alongside Jessica Alba in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. He also had a main role in the 2015 film Vice.
Steven Seagal became known for his starring roles in various martial arts films. One of his best-known roles is in the film Under Siege.
In 2016 alone Steven Seagal starred in seven movies. He is also active as a screenwriter and producer.
Chuck Norris found fame as a martial arts and action actor. He had his big breakthrough thanks to his role in the film Way of the Dragon in which he played Bruce Lee's enemy. In the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger he was not only a cast member, but also one of the show's producers.
After appearing in the film The Cutter in 2005, he last starred in The Expendables 2 in 2012.
