Hollywood Tough Guys

[UK82]

Clint #1, Bronson #2. Just my opinion and childhood memories. Actors and characters welcome.

https://www.listchallenges.com/the-100-greatest-movie-tough-guys

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Chuck Norris ahead of Clint says I am an idiot with a list.

 

[BigTyrone]

Rupaul and Kathleen Turner.

 

[RMP82]

That list had Nicholas Cage, Will Smith, Matt Damon and Marky Mark. Another one I don’t get that everyone acts is so tough is that Danny Trejo. He’s a 5’3” old man.

 

[UK82]

That list had Nicholas Cage, Will Smith, Matt Damon and Marky Mark. Another one I don’t get that everyone acts is so tough is that Danny Trejo. He’s a 5’3” old man.

I agree, it's a bad list but this is 2024. The definition has changed I guess. My list would be much different.

 

[Creed Bratton]

That list had Nicholas Cage, Will Smith, Matt Damon and Marky Mark. Another one I don’t get that everyone acts is so tough is that Danny Trejo. He’s a 5’3” old man.

It might have something to do with being a drug dealer at 7, arrested for the first time at 10, spending most of his juvenile years in group homes for various crimes like stabbing a sailor in the face with a broken glass and spending many years of his adult life in various prisons including San Quentin and Folsom.

 

[BC_Wader]

I'm not a John Wayne guy but him not being in any tough guy Top 10 list is absurd.

 

[DSmith21]

No Richard Kiel (Jaws from James Bond, Pale Rider, Longest Yard, Force Ten from Navarone) or Gerard Butler (300). I would take them over Roy Scheider and some others.

 

[Spica Orbit]

William Holden & Ernest Borgnine should be on that list for The Wild Bunch alone. And where's Steve McQueen?

 

[JDHoss]

William Holden & Ernest Borgnine should be on that list for The Wild Bunch alone. And where's Steve McQueen?

McQueen's far too cool to be on any list. 😎

 

[Nightwish84]

Tough decision between Bronson and Eastwood. Bronson was the definition of "old guy tough." Clint's movies got a bit cringy once he was all wrinkled up yet his love interest in every film looked 35 years younger. About a year ago, I re-watched Dirty Harry after several years and now I legit think it's one of the best films ever made. There's probably 25 John Wayne movies I love but his toughness always seemed simplistic, like one punch and that's it. He reminded me of later Frankenstein sequels when the monster would shove someone to the side and the character would just fall over and lay there as if dead. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is just incredible though.

I'll say: 1) Bronson 2) Eastwood 3) Wayne

 

[UKWildcatT]

That list had Nicholas Cage, Will Smith, Matt Damon and Marky Mark. Another one I don’t get that everyone acts is so tough is that Danny Trejo. He’s a 5’3” old man.

Seriously? I mean…MATT DAMON.

Dude is a simp beta

 

[J_Dee]

Pat Roach could've beaten the hell out of 90% of the people on that list. He was an actual boxer, championship wrestler, Judo champion, and Black Belt who played General Kael in Willow, Thoth-Amon in Conan the Destroyer, and multiple characters who nearly pummeled Indiana Jones to death, among several other notable "tough guy" roles in major movies. He also turned down the role of Darth Vader.

 

[Joey Rupption]

Randall “Tex” Cobb

 

[ace on the river]

Robert Conrad, Lee Marvin, Liam neeson, James Cagney

 

[RMP82]

It might have something to do with being a drug dealer at 7, arrested for the first time at 10, spending most of his juvenile years in group homes for various crimes like stabbing a sailor in the face with a broken glass and spending many years of his adult life in various prisons including San Quentin and Folsom.

Saying he has been to prison even furthers my point. I've worked 11 years in the most active federal penitentiary in the nation. Believe me, prison doesn't make you tough. In fact, it makes you the opposite. Nobody fights one on one, they cower like little kids if you scold them over rules. The stereotype couldn't be further than the truth.

 

[rick64]

Bruce Lee
Humphrey Bogart
Lee Marvin
Richard Roundtree

 

[CondorCat]

#1 Lee Marvin, a real badass.
Named for his distant cousin Gen Robert E. Lee, as a kid hunted wild turkey and puma in the Everglades, poor student, enlisted in the Marines at age 18 during WW2, participated in over 20 amphibious assaults in the Pacific Theater, injured by machine gun fire in the Battle of Saipan, numerous battle citations but demoted to PFC before his discharge as a "troublemaker".

 

[JIMFKFT]

John Wayne dodged military service in WW II and was held in contempt by folks like John Ford. Lee Marvin certainly personified toughness in his career. Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall in their time.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

For the modern era.. Alan Ritchson is gotta be close to the top. But there really aren't many these days.

 

[stereonut]

Steven Seagal

 

[WTF Cat]

For the modern era.. Alan Ritchson is gotta be close to the top. But there really aren't many these days.

Actually, he's a pvssy liberal (redundant).

If you know your history, you'll notice something on that list about Hollywood tough guys. There aren't many wussy George Clooney types.

 

[dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane]

None of them won the Kumite but Jean-Claude did.

 

[blubo]

audie murphy

 

[manimale]

Don't forget Jimmy Stewart.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Actually, he's a pvssy liberal (redundant).

If you know your history, you'll notice something on that list about Hollywood tough guys. There aren't many wussy George Clooney types.

I think I did see that he had some recent liberal stuff, which is disappointing to hear. Same with Jon Bernthal...

 

[berniecarbo]

Victor McLaglen. Joined the British army at 14 to fight in the Boer War, though kicked out when they found out his true age. Joined again to fight in WW1. A pro wrestler and heavyweight boxer (16-8-1). Toured with a circus where they offered 25$ to anyone who could last 3 rounds with him. Was heavyweight boxing champ of British Army in 1918.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Roseanne Barr

 

[Nightwish84]

Roseanne Barr

Pretty sure she kicked Tom Arnold's ass on a consistent basis.

 

[BCD]

Randall “Tex” Cobb

My friends call me Lenny, but I got no friends.

 

[Kybluedude]

audie murphy

Looking at Audie you sure wouldn’t think it.

 

[blubo]

Looking at Audie you sure wouldn’t think it.

remember oliver wendell douglas? green acres

On September 9, 1942, Albert enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and was discharged in 1943 to accept an appointment as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for his actions during the invasion of Tarawain November 1943, when, as the coxswain of a US Navy landing craft, he rescued 47 Marines who were stranded offshore (and supervised the rescue of 30 others), while under heavy enemy machine-gun fire.[7]

 

[roguemocha]

Seriously? I mean…MATT DAMON.

Dude is a simp beta

The only one on that list you replied to that’s close to a badass in real life is Marky Mark. Nicholas cage is old as hell, Will Smith is dominated by his cheating blowing other dudes wife, etc.

Wait is this real life badasses or Hollywood guys playing badasses? Because my vote is that 99% of them are real life pussies.

 

[M4CAT]

R. Lee Ermey

 

[trueblujr2]

John Wick from a character standpoint.

 

[hmt5000]

Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson and basically most of the cast of The Great Escape. cool story I heard was when they were filming that movie one of the actors had spent several months in a German POW camp and had given the director a few pointers on things to do to make it more real. The director blew him off and several of the guys who had served in WW2 and Korea went to the director and had a word with him.

They told the former POW that he could talk to the director anytime he wanted, and he'd be very receptive to his advice from now on. LOL.

 

[berniecarbo]

Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson and basically most of the cast of The Great Escape. cool story I heard was when they were filming that movie one of the actors had spent several months in a German POW camp and had given the director a few pointers on things to do to make it more real. The director blew him off and several of the guys who had served in WW2 and Korea went to the director and had a word with him.

They told the former POW that he could talk to the director anytime he wanted, and he'd be very receptive to his advice from now on. LOL.

The guy that trained me on my first good job had been a WW2 POW. He was in a tank in Africa when his tank was captured. It was his first day on duty. He said the most common dream they had would be about food. He said the Russians were treated much worse than the Americans.

 

[BIG BLUE GURU]

Clint Eastwood was a bare knuckles fighter before getting a break in the movie industry. One of the true icons of the industry still living.