Best Stuntmen/Action Actors
by owenyzeng | created - 2 months ago | updated - 3 weeks ago | PublicStuntmen and martial arts actors are great, being capable of moves and skills that the normal person can only hope to achieve. Here are some of the best, be it at their fighting skills and also their acting.
1. Keanu Reeves
Actor | The Matrix
Keanu Charles Reeves, whose first name means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian, was born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. He is the son of Patric Reeves, a showgirl and costume designer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves, a geologist. Keanu's father was born in Hawaii, of British, Portuguese...
Many know Keanu as a humble guy, which he is, but he is also passionate about everything he does. He trains hard for many of his movies, and because of this, his movies are generally entertaining.
Martial Arts: BJJ, Judo, Kung Fu (little bit)
2. Donnie Yen
Actor | Ip Man
Donnie Yen was born in Guangzhou, China. His mother, Bow-sim Mark, was a kung fu master and his father, Kylster Yen, a newspaper editor and amateur musician. When Donnie was just two years old, the family moved to Hong Kong and then, when he was 11, to Boston, Massachusetts.
There, Master Bow-sim ...
Donnie Yen is a skilled martial artist, training in Wudang since he was 6. His stunts are great, and he always puts the work and dedication to his fight scenes, while demonstrating humility.
Martial arts: Kung Fu, Taekwondo, BJJ, Boxing, Karate, Wrestling, Judo, Hapikido
3. Jackie Chan
Actor | Ngo si seoi
Hong Kong's cheeky, lovable and best-known film star, Jackie Chan endured many years of long, hard work and multiple injuries to establish international success after his start in Hong Kong's manic martial arts cinema industry.
Jackie was born Kong-sang Chan on April 7, 1954, on Hong Kong's famous ...
Often, Jackie's stunts are exaggerated and ridiculous, but that's what makes them so good. The sheer hilarity of them makes some of his movies entertaining.
Martial Arts: Kung Fu, Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Hapikido
4. Scott Adkins
Actor | John Wick: Chapter 4
Scott Edward Adkins was born on June 17, 1976 in Sutton Coldfield, England, into a family that for generations were butchers. Along with his elder brother Craig, he was raised by their parents, John and Janet (Sanders) Adkins, in a loving middle-class family. Scott attended Bishop Vesey's Grammar ...
Scott, like Keanu, is extremely humble. He also brings decent acting skills to the table, along with his skill in martial arts. He always brings a strong atmosphere in his fights, and it makes it awesome.
Martial Arts: Taekwondo, Judo, Karate, Ninjitsu, Capoeria, Krav Maga, Kung Fu, Kickboxing, BJJ
5. Iko Uwais
Actor | Serbuan maut 2: Berandal
Iko Uwais was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, to Maisyaroh and Mustapha Kamaluddin. His grandfather, H. Achmad Bunawar, was a master of silat, an Indonesian traditional martial art, and founded a silat school. Iko himself has been learning silat since he was 10 years old. He became National Champion in...
Iko is a really humble person, has great fighting skills, and always puts an effort. He started from a driver to one of the world's best stuntmen. Impressive.
Martial Arts: Pencack Silat
6. Joe Taslim
Actor | Serbuan maut
Johannes Taslim or Joe Taslim (born 23 June 1981) is an Indonesian actor and former Judo athlete of Chinese descent. He became well known in the 2012 action film The Raid: Redemption.
Taslim was born in South Sumatera, Indonesia. He was exposed to martial arts at an early age. His martial arts ...
Joe can play a variety of roles in action movies. He can play the despicable and ingenious villain, or the guilty assassin who feels regret. Anyhow, Joe's skills in martial arts always make the fights he is in, tense and fast-paced.
Martial Arts: Judo, Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Pencack Silat (a little)
7. Michelle Yeoh
Actress | Everything Everywhere All at Once
Michelle Yeoh was born in Ipoh, Malaysia. She's the daughter of Janet Yeoh & Kian Teik Yeoh. She's of Hokkien descent, speaking English and Malay before Chinese. A ballet dancer since 4, she moved to London to study at the Royal Academy as a teen. After a brief dance career, she won the Miss ...
Michelle can play a variety of roles like Joe, but does it to an even higher extent. Be it a mother, a martial arts master, or literally anything else, her acting is great, and she can do awesome stunts.
Martial Arts: N/A
8. Tony Jaa
Actor | Ong-bak 3
Japanom Yeerum was born on February 5, 1976, in the northeastern province of Surin, Thailand. His parents were elephant herders. Jaa watched martial arts films as a young kid and began to emulate some of his idols, from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan to Jet Li. Jaa studied martial arts at the local ...
Tony does his own stunts, and it looks realistic. He doesn't use any CGI or stunt doubles to enhance them, just his sheer skill in martial arts. Every fight he is in feels real, and not fake or enhanced.
Martial Arts: Muay Thai, Muay Boran, Krabbi Kabbong, Taekwondo, kung fu, silat, Japanese Jiujitsu
9. Jet Li
Actor | Huo Yuan Jia
Jet Li born Li Lian Jie in Beijing, China. He started training at the Beijing wushu academy (wushu is China's national sport, largely a performance version of various martial art styles) at age eight. He won five gold medals in the Chinese championships, his first when he was only 11. In his teens,...
Jet Li's characters can vary in terms of seriousness, and his acting is quite impressive. Be it an underground fighter, a competitive master, or anything else, he is a great stuntman, and a great actor as well.
Martial Arts: Kung Fu
10. Nicholas Tse
Actor | San ging chaat goo si
Nicholas was born in Hong Kong, China. He attended school in Vancouver, Canada. He also attended school for a short time in Phoenix, Arizona before moving back to Hong Kong with his parents Patrick Yin Tse and Deborah Dik, and his sister, Jennifer (Ting Ting). Nicholas started his singing career ...
Nicholas has many talents. He can cook, sing, act, and kick ass. After watching Raging Fire, I think it's safe to say that Nicholas Tse is a great actor and a great martial artist as well.
Martial Arts: Kung Fu
11. Michael Jai White
Actor | Black Dynamite
Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White ...
This man has great acting, a deep booming voice, and awesome martial arts skills. Him as Spawn and his cameo in the Dark Knight was a great boost to his career, before he started head-on against other martial artists like Scott Adkins and Iko Uwais.
Martial Arts: Kyokushin, Japanese Jiujitsu, Taekwondo, Kung Fu
12. Jin Zhang
Actor | Yi dai zong shi
Jin Zhang was born on May 19, 1974 in Chongqing, China. He is an actor, known for The Grandmaster (2013), Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). He has been married to Ada Choi since January 12, 2008. They have three children.
Zhang Jin is an unsung legend of Asian action movies. He was Zhang Ziyi’s stunt double in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, before going into roles such as Ip Man 3, A Time For Consequences, and a spin-off movie from the Ip Man series. Legendary, but sadly, criminally underrated.
Martial Arts: Kung Fu
13. Jean-Claude Van Damme
Actor | Double Impact
Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium, to Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, an accountant. "The Muscles from Brussels" started martial arts at the age of eleven. His father introduced him to martial arts when he saw his son was ...
Literally how was Van Damme not going to end up on this list? He appeared in many classic movies such as Hard Target and Kickboxer, and offered the audience flashy kicks and flamboyant moves. Good job Van Damme.
Martial Arts: Kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate, Taekwondo
14. Ma Dong-seok
Actor | Busanhaeng
Ma Dong-seok (born Lee Dong-seok on March 1, 1971), also known as Don Lee is a South Korean-American actor best known for his supporting roles in The Neighbor, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, and The Unjust. He also played leading roles in Norigae, Murderer and One on One. Under his ...
Ma Dong-seok is a great actor and his great fighter. His fights are brutal and grounded, relentless and fast-paced, and the man himself is nothing but a badass.
Martial Arts: Boxing
15. Jing Wu
Actor | Liu lang di qiu
Born in Beijing China in 1974, he was sent to train at Beijing Wushu Academy when he was 6 years old as both his Father and Grandfather were also Martial artists. In 1995 he was spotted by Yuen Woo-Ping who had come to the academy to look for a martial artist for the film Tai Chi 2 (aka Tai Chi ...
Wu Jing, while he stars in a lot of bad movies, the actor himself has a lot to offer. His acting is great, his martial arts skills are pretty good, and he has a lot to offer despite his mostly lackluster roles.
Martial Arts: Kung Fu
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