Summary
- Real-life tough guy actors don't just excel in action films - they come from various backgrounds and genres.
- Bruce Lee's martial arts prowess influenced MMA; his legacy lives on through Jeet Kune Do.
- James Caan, Chuck Norris, Steven McQueen - tough guys onscreen and off, with military or fighting backgrounds.
From the time that the big theatrical action movies began to gain popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, filmmakers set out to find actors who not only looked the part but were also real-life tough guy actors. From names like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee, who came into Hollywood as legitimate tough guys, to actors who developed real-world fighting skills after getting their start, many tough guy personas on screen are so endearing to watch because they're authentic.
Real-life tough actors don't just appear in action movies, either. There are faces who have been involved in science fiction movies and TV shows, horror movies, and more, who are real-life tough guy actors. Many actors, especially in the earlier decades of Hollywood, entered the profession after careers in the military. Many more still found their fame in competitive fighting sports like MMA, boxing, or martial arts, transitioning to the screen after many years of proving their toughness in the ring.
10 Action Movies Where The Action Is Realistic
Action films often fall into the trap of hyper-focusing on spectacle, but some notable genre entries contain realistic, grounded action scenes.
25 Bruce Lee Founded His Own Martial Arts Philosophy
Bruce Lee Created Jeet June Do And Laid The Foundations For MMA
At one time, there wasn't a bigger martial arts star in Hollywood than Bruce Lee. On top of starring in some of the world's biggest martial arts movies, Lee was a martial arts master. In Hollywood, Lee starred in movies like Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon, and Game of Death. Sadly, he died at the young age of 32 before he could do more.
Bruce Lee trained some major names in martial arts, including Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris, James Coburn, and his own son, Brandon Lee.
According to the book The Way of the Warrior, Lee was the founder of a hybrid martial arts philosophy called Jeet June Do, which was one of the main influences of MMA fighting in the future. Lee also mastered Tai Chi, Wing Chun, boxing, Karate, Judo, Escrima, and Taekwondo before he combined all of those into his Jeet June Do. It wasn't just his own skills he honed though, as Bruce Lee trained some major names in martial arts, including Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris, James Coburn, and his own son, Brandon Lee.
24 Charles Bronson Was In The US Air Force
The Magnificent Seven And Dirty Dozen Star Was Awarded The Purple Heart
Charles Bronson got his start acting in war movies like The Magnificent Seven and The Dirty Dozen. He then became an action-hero icon in the Death Wish movies. While his character in Death Wish and the various war movies killed countless people, Bronson was also a tough guy off the big screen. Bronson was a blue-collar worker before he started acting, putting in time in the mines in Pennsylvania to follow in the footsteps of his late father.
After that, Bronson joined the Air Force and fought in World War II where he received a Purple Heart for wounds received in battle (via Military.com). In World War II, he served as an Army gunner in the 760th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron. He then became a Superfortress crewman with the 39th Bombardment Group, based on Guam. Bronson ended up assigned to a B-29 bomber, flying on 25 missions.
23 Arnold Schwarzenegger Was A Professional Bodybuilder
The Acclaimed Physical Powerhouse Won Mr. Olympia Seven Times
Arnold Schwarzenegger, while in his 70s, is still one of the toughest actors in Hollywood. Most know him from his role in Terminator, although he was a familiar face in some of the biggest action movies of the 1980s. However, before he became an actor, he started lifting weights when he was 15, won Mr. Universe when he was only 20, and went on to win the prestigious Mr. Olympia title seven times (via Bodybuilding.com).
His legacy in the sport of bodybuilding can't be overstated.
While he might not be a fighter and was just a bodybuilder, he still earned the respect of names like Bruno Sammartino and more, and his legacy in the sport of bodybuilding can't be overstated. Arnold went on to become one of the most famous tough guy actors of the 1980s and 1990s, and he went on to star in some of the biggest action movies in history, including the Terminator franchise, Conan the Barbarian, Commando, Predator, and Total Recall.