Who are today's "movie tough guys"???

[Bytor2112]

I was reading something today asking the question, "who would be today's movie tough guy equivalent to Lee Marvin?" and that got me thinking.......we had so many real movie tough guys in the older movies ( ex war time soldiers, barrel chested farm boys, etc ), that who can we relate to these actors in our day and age, now that they have passed or have grown very old?

Today, who could we compare to these real tough guy actors?

Lee Marvin - ( today ???)
Charles Bronson - ( today ??? )
Kirk Douglas - ( today ??? )
Clint Eastwood - ( today ??? )
Gene Hackman - ( today ??? )
Charlton Heston - ( today ??? )
Bruce Lee - ( today ??? )
Lee Van Cleef ( today ??? )
John Wayne ( today ??? )

....just to name a few. Sure i realize that it was a different time then, and i am not saying that quite possibly these actors threw hissy fits ( can't really picture it, but you never know? ), but do we really have anyone that can compare to the hard as nails toughness of these guys, and a few others that are not listed? just their on-screen presence usually meant some bad shit was gonna go down

I am not saying today's actors are pansies ( although after listening to Christain Bale's rant a few years ago qualifies him as one ), i really can not think of too many that i would rank up with these guys. the cast of the Expendables was nice, but, i dunno, not the same.

i would like to hear some opinions here, i think this could be an interesting conversation.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by Bytor2112

Today, who could we compare to these real tough guy actors?

Lee Marvin - ( George Clooney)
Charles Bronson - ( Tom Hardy, better comparison would probably be The Rock because of his ethnicity)
Kirk Douglas - ( perhaps, Christian Bale)
Clint Eastwood - ( Brad Pitt, perhaps the only person who could demand the audiences attention like Clint )
Gene Hackman - ( this may seem like a stretch, but Johnathon Rhys Myers )
Charlton Heston - ( Will Smith would be the obvious comparison, but he's too goofy whereas Heston brought gravitas to every role. )
Bruce Lee - ( Obvious comparison would be Jet Li or Donnie Yen )
Lee Van Cleef ( Hugo Weaving??? )
John Wayne ( no one can take the Duke's place )

A couple of others:

Steve McQueen (Daniel Craig)
Sean Connery (probably a better spot for Tom Hardy)

[X400]

bruce lee with jet li/donnie yen? oO they're both old as hell already they're Jackie Chan era... (even though jackie is like 10yrs older)


Clint Eastwood - today: Clint Eastwood

Gene Hackman - Kevin Spacey

Lee Marvin - George Clooney

Charles Bronson old? or Charles Bronson young? they're quite different imo

Charlton Heston - DiCaprio


Finding a comparable is pretty odd/tough as they're all unique even if they were from the same era

[AKORIS]

you're bringing up a point that I've been saying for quite awhile--

today's actors just don't have the "movie star" quality (tough guy or not) that we've all seen in the past... Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, etc etc--

these guys don't hold a candle to Eastwood, Heston, Marvin, Bronson, etc

As far as the question.. my favorite current tough guy actor is Jason Statham

[jpthomas27]

I just can't see Pitt, Clooney or Smith being on this list. They CAN play tough guys at times, but for the most part they are more "pretty boy" than anything. Even the Rock, who CAN be a tough guy, sells out way too much to qualify.

Jason Statham is, I think, by far one of the toughest tough guys and I think certainly belong on the list of today's tough guys for sure. He kicks ass is every movie, there are no romantic comedies or cheesey kids movies on his resume (actually I think I do rememebr one, but can't recall it now), thats what seperates him from the aformentioned actors in regards to this discussion.

Daniel Craig... Maybe
DiCaprio... Maybe, but he just seems to be such a winy little "B" that I hesitate.
Bruce Willis... Maybe, although more yesterday's than today's it is still much more recent than the actors the OP is comparing them to.
Christian Bale... I could probably conceed to having him on the list
Russle Crow... Althouugh he has done several softer characters, I think he deserves consideration
Ray Liotta... Although not a leading man, his presence usually means $#it is going to hit the fan.
Danny Trejo... Again, not usually a leading man, but he usually brings the pain.
Colin Farell... Not always a tough guy on screen, but seems to be in real life.
John Travolta... From Pulp Fiction to current he pretty much fits the bill, before Pulp Fiction, not so much.
Samual Jackson...

A couple for debate purposes... Nicholas Cage, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Denzel Washington, Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Vin Diesel.

A couple unconventional and outside the box nominees... Angelina Jolie and Milla Jovovich... Hey, I said they were unconventional

[broganreynik]

Lee Marvin - (Liam Neeson)
Charles Bronson - (Josh Brolin)
Kirk Douglas - (Viggo Mortensen)
Clint Eastwood - (Hugh Jackman)
Gene Hackman - (Sean Bean)
Charlton Heston - (Michael Fassbender)
Bruce Lee - (Tony Jaa)
Lee Van Cleef (Ed Harris)
John Wayne (No idea, Timothy Olyphant?)
Steve McQueen (Ben Foster)
Sean Connery (Gerard Butler)

Jason Statham, Colin Farrell, Benicio del Toro, Denzel, Russell Crowe, Ryan Reynolds, Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, Clive Owen, Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Ken Watanabe, Guy Pearce, Tom Jane, Mickey Rourke, as much as it pains me to say it: Shia Lebeouf, Brad Pitt, Danny Trejo, Christian Bale, Ray Winstone, Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Sam Worthington, Jeremy Renner, and Robert Downey have all shown glimpses at one time or another... but Statham really seems like the only one really dedicated to being a tough guy, the rest seem to be a little more rounded (not all of them well-rounded mind you, lol).

[Bytor2112]

some interesting replies so far. some of the newer actors that i would consider would be Ray Stevenson, Sean Bean and possibly Viggo Mortensen.

AKORIS pretty much said it best up above with what i have been thinking.

[Ford]

Sean Bean has proven his baddassery this week by getting stabbed and refusing to go to the hospital. Instead he just went back in the bar and had them patch him up with a first aid kit.

Jason Statham is the best example today. He makes working-man movies. Nothing glamourous. Even though his remake of "The Mechanic" wasn't that good, he gets credit just for making it.

I think Karl Urban is one of the more believable movie stars in action roles today. He's a lot like Statham really. Kind of a no-nonsense actor.

Kurt Russell and Burt Reynolds were criminally neglected on the earlier lists of old tough guys.

[Drew664]

What about Bruce Willis?

I also like Daniel Craig - if they could produce more James Bond movies, he'd really take off in this category.

[Post Prod]

Chloe Moretz

[Bluballs31]

Originally Posted by Post Prod

Chloe Moretz

Angelina Jolie

both of them are tougher than all the hollywood guys of today

such a shame

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by Bluballs31

Angelina Jolie

both of them are tougher than all the hollywood guys of today

such a shame

Kate Beckinsale?


Oh and Micheal Cera

[BLUEGRASS]

Originally Posted by ford

sean bean has proven his baddassery this week by getting stabbed and refusing to go to the hospital. Instead he just went back in the bar and had them patch him up with a first aid kit.

Jason statham is the best example today. He makes working-man movies. Nothing glamourous. Even though his remake of "the mechanic" wasn't that good, he gets credit just for making it.

I think karl urban is one of the more believable movie stars in action roles today. He's a lot like statham really. Kind of a no-nonsense actor.

kurt russell and burt reynolds were criminally neglected on the earlier lists of old tough guys.

+1

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Michael Madsen
Samuel L. Jackson
Sean Penn
Bruce Willis
Christian Bale
Liam Neeson
Vin Diesel
Josh Brolin
Russell Crowe

[toddly6666]

Vincent Cassell

[Agent Cooper]

A tough guy list without Chuck Norris is in imminent danger of being roundhouse kicked to death by Chuck Norris.

Do I need to say that since Chuck Norris is the only truly immortal human being alive, he can never be compared to or replaced by present or future tough guy actors.

[PlisskenReplicant]

beautifull thread

i dont know how i can really answer. i love clint eastwood. im knew to john wayne, but he had an hell of a presence in the longest day, i gotta watch more of his movies.

im nuts about the 80's movies tough guys stuff. schwarzenegger.stallone,russell willis lundgren to name a few.

willis in tears of the sun is pure badassery. but for today, ehm... i dont know.

they seem to all play the godamn pretty boy thing.they dont really makes movies for them anymore.jason statham would be the closest i guess. but closest to eastwood, charlton eston , kirk douglas? nothing touch them.


gerard butler was pretty good in 300 and law abiding citizen.russell crowe is a bit of a sissy in real life but he was badass in gladiator.

each 10 years we have our different badass kind of actors,and no matter what year the movie is supposed to be, 2000bc or modern, the actors reflect our realtime way to live and act.i dont really know how i can write it.

older actors are more badass because they were more mature in real life.
now we are begginning the age how idiocracy. lol ok, maybe not the idiocracy age yet, but you get my point.nits just an opinion.do not take too seriously

[haphilli]

I've been on a Clint Eastwood bender for the past few weeks, and really I have a hard time finding a modern day equivalent. He was a bad ass, but he generally was always in a good movie. Thats tough to find these days.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jpthomas27

I
A couple for debate purposes... Nicholas Cage, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Denzel Washington, Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Vin Diesel.

)

Nope!!!!!!! He wore pantyhose.

[TylerDurden]

Charles Bronson-Robert Trejo?