Related
Summary
From Angelina Jolie to Lucy Liu to Sarah Connor herself , Linda Hamilton , the action movie writing style is full of badass female action stars who proved that military action movies are n’t just for men . For ten , action film was a typically male - driven genre , because the bragging Hollywood studios did n’t trust they could sell an military action film to a encompassing hearing with a woman in the lead purpose . But in the seventies , pioneering distaff action asterisk like Pam Grier and Sigourney Weaver proved that an action movie star a woman could not only sell , but also be remembered as an iconic classic of the genre .
For a foresightful fourth dimension , the character of action at law headliner pushed by Hollywood was musclebound men like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger . But actor like Cynthia Rothrock and Halle Berry have prove that there ’s more than one eccentric of action zep . From Charlize Theron to Zoë Bell , the activity genre is full of badass women with iconic roles to their name .
10Angelina Jolie
Hollywood’s Go-To Female Action Star
For years , Angelina Jolie was Hollywood ’s go - to distaff activity star topology . Whenever a female person - led action script kill up , Jolie was the first actor to get a call . This term of office started with her magnetic turn as the title character in the video game adaptationLara Croft : Tomb Raiderand its sequel . She lead on to recreate gun - toting heroine in such hit legal action movies as theBourne - flair undercover agent thrillerSalt , the heater - bending amusing book actionerWanted , and the high - octane romcomMr . & Mrs. Smith .
9Cynthia Rothrock
The Basis For Sonya Blade
Cynthia Rothrock was the basis for the iconic Sonya Blade character in theMortal Kombatgames ( although the producersmissed the chance to cast her as Sonyain theMortal Kombatmovie).She ’s a black belt ammunition in seven dissimilar styles of martial artsand she competed at the top storey before becoming an worker . In her calling as a motion-picture show adept , Rothrock has appeared in such films asChina O’Brien , Guardian Angel , Honor & Glory , andNo Retreat , No Surrender 2 .
8Halle Berry
One Of The First Female Superheroes To Make It To The Big Screen
Halle Berry became one of the first female superheroes to make it to the big screen with her groundbreaking turn as tempest in theX - Menfranchise . She went on to bet “ Bond girl ” Jinx , one ofthe few bright spots inDie Another daylight , and in the years since , she ’s leaven she ’s still get it . Berry played Sofia , the managing director of the Casablanca Continental and an old supporter of John Wick ’s , inJohn Wick : Chapter 3 – Parabellum . She hold her own diametric Keanu Reeves(an impressive feat in itself ) as a similarly badass assassin with a pair of canine pal .
7Lucy Liu
Adept At Playing Both Heroes And Villains
Lucy Liu has starred in such activity films asPayback , Ballistic : Ecks vs. Sever , andThe Man with the Iron Fists . Liu proved with her turn as Alex Munday in theCharlie ’s Angelsmovies that she ’s good at playing an natural process hero who ’s prosperous to rout for . But she ’s also just as adept at playing a great villain who ’s soft to rout against . Liu faced down Uma Thurman ’s The Bride as ill-famed yakuza leader atomic number 8 - Ren Ishii inKill Bill : bulk 1 .
6Charlize Theron
She Stole The Show From Mad Max Himself
Charlize Theron has appeared in such dear action picture franchise asFast & Furiousand the Marvel Cinematic Universe . She first break up out as an action star with her fierce execution as Furiosa inMad Max : Fury Road , in whichshe managed to steal the show from Max himself . Theron followed this up with her turn as MI6 theater of operations agent Lorraine Broughton inAtomic Blonde . Atomic Blonderequired Theron to do some grueling recollective - take scrap scenes , including one iconic chronological sequence in a stairwell .
5Zoë Bell
Stunt Double Turned Action Star
Zoë Bell started out as a stunt performer for action movies likeKill Bill(in which she appeared as Thurman ’s stunt double ) before transitioning into a career as an action star in her own right . InQuentin Tarantino ’s carsploitation slasherDeath Proof , Bell plays a fictionalized version of herself . Being a wiz as opposed to a stunt double in the end appropriate Bell to show her face during her most telling stunts . She expend the whole climactic chase hanging from the toughie of a travel rapidly car .
4Linda Hamilton
She Terminates The Terminators
Linda Hamilton only has one major action motion-picture show role under her whack – Sarah Connor in theTerminatorfranchise – butthat was enough to earn her a seat in the annals of natural process movie story . Inthe originalTerminatormovie , Sarah is introduce as a relatable everywoman who step by step morphs into a badass as she ’s relentlessly quest for by a killer mechanical man . WhenTerminator 2 : Judgment Daycatches up with her , Sarah has been training for the cyborgs ’ return , becoming a full - blown accelerator pedal - toting warrior .
3Pam Grier
A Pioneer Of The Blaxploitation Movement
Pam Grier was one of the key leading dame of the blaxploitation movement – and , by extension , one of the first women to lead an action motion-picture show . She appeared inThe Big Doll House , The Big Bird Cage , andScream Blacula Scream , but she ’s best get it on for playing the titular vigilantes inCoffyandFoxy Brown . Grier begin a much - merit career comeback when Tarantino cast her as the title eccentric inJackie Brown , in which she proved she had n’t lost any of her badassery .
2Sigourney Weaver
Everyone’s Favorite Alien Killer
Like Hamilton , Sigourney Weaver has only contributed one character to the action movie canon , but that character was so iconic and groundbreaking ceremony that it was enough to make her a legend of action cinema . Inthe firstAlienmovie , Ellen Ripley is a typical “ last missy ” who outlive the xenomorph ’s ire and casts it out into the vacuum cleaner of blank space . In the sequel , Aliens , Ripley becomes a protective female parent when she take orphan Newt under her fender . In both incarnation , Ripley is a badass that hearing can depend up to .
1Michelle Yeoh
From Martial Arts Legend To Oscar Winner
Michelle Yeoh initially coach as a dancer , but she ground that those science transfer into soldierlike artistry choreography . Yeoh famously performs a lot of her own stunts and has star in such action flick classics asYes , Madam , The Heroic Trio , andPolice Story 3 : Supercop . She act as one of the most badass Bond girls , Wai Lin , inTomorrow Never Dies , and cemented her place on the A - list with the wuxia masterpieceCrouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon . Yeoh win the Academy Award for Best Actress for commingle her activeness movie chops with her comedic and dramatic reach inEverything Everywhere All at Once .
