50 Biggest Action Stars | Then and Now

Action stars from the '80s and '90s are larger than life and form a huge part of most people's childhood memories. Even A-listers with muscles age, and most of the old heroes have moved on. Here's what they've been up to since they stopped stripping their shirts and crashing helicopters with knives in their teeth.

Chuck Norris

As a young adult, Chuck Norris joined the United States Air Force and began training in martial arts. He later applied his martial arts abilities to training celebrities, which led to his acting debut in The Wrecking Crew. In 1972, he earned his action star title when he played Bruce Lee’s nemesis in Way of the Dragon.

Chuck Norris - (age 85 years)

Throughout the peak of his career, Norris starred in successful action films including Force of One, The Octagon, and Missing in Action. By the 2000s, his career was declining, but he was regarded as a classic action star amongst the likes of Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen. Recently, Norris appears more in memes and advertisements.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie was the star of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, along with a million other generation-defining action flicks. She was also great in Girl, Interrupted and other date movies like Gia, Hackers and Pushing Tin.