Denzel Washington and These 20+ Actors Prove They’re the Tough Guys of Hollywood

Not only did Denzel Washington cause a stir at the Cannes Film Festival for both a paparazzi snafu and a surprise award. He's also being recognized for his recent "tough guy" performance in his upcoming film "Highest 2 Lowest". But this isn't the first time Denzel Washington has played a tough guy; far from it, in fact.

Tough guys can be heroes or villains, using their various skills to try and emerge the victor. Whether they confront with their martial arts expertise, take on gang leaders, or keep mafia bosses in line, tough guys lead the charge and will stop at nothing to protect those close to them or what needs to be done for the mission.

To assemble a list of the most iconic tough guys in Hollywood film history, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet to find the best, brightest, and strongest using various sites, including IMDb, Entertainment Weekly, SlashFilm, and others.

This post was updated May 20th, 2025 to reflect recent movie reviews and news.

• Movie: The John Wick Franchise (2014-2023)
• Played by: Keanu Reeves

This series of movies (and a TV series) revived the career of Keanu Reeves. The star plays the lead character (who also lends his name to the title) John Wick, a grieving husband. The action follows him seeking revenge on a gang who killed the dog that was a final gift from his late wife. It helps that Wick is a retired hitman! It was popular with critics who appreciated Wick's 'stop at nothing' vengeance.

• Movie: "Goodfellas" (1990)
• Played by: Joe Pesci

Tommy DeVito is the lead character in the 1990 hit movie "Goodfellas" and is played by Joe Pesci. Audiences loved DeVito's ruthlessness and untouchability – this guy did not hesitate to kill anyone who crossed him. This excellent Martin Scorcese film was all about the mafia and big money but the gangster boss would not have a happy ending.

• Movie: Terminator Franchise (1984-2019)
• Played by: Arnold Schwarzenegger

The T-800 is the legendary robot played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator movies. For some of the movies, he is the hero and is programmed to save humanity from Skynet – an artificial intelligence hell bent on world domination. Schwarzenegger was perfect for the role combining his physical screen presence with deadpan delivery of the classic "I'll be back" lines. The other characters are also pretty tough including Sarah Connor.

• Movie: "Scarface" (1983)
• Played by: Al Pacino

Another gangster action guy, Tony Montana, aka. Scarface, was played by Al Pacino. Some argue this was the actor's most famous role. The mob chief had arrived in the U.S.from Cuba as a refugee with nothing. He becomes an infamous crime lord with all the violence and weapons that you would expect from this movie genre.

• Movie: "Pulp Fiction" (1994)
• Played by: Samuel L. Jackson

You can take your pick of action heroes in 'Pulp Fiction' – but Jules Winnfield played by Samuel L. Jackson is our choice. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this hugely popular movie sees Jackson play a cool and collected character who could also dish out a good beating when he chose to. He also collected the names of people who had crossed him – which was a big mistake on their part!

• Movie: 007 Franchise (1962-2021)
• Played by: Various Actors

The part of James Bond in the much loved 007 Franchise (27 movies in total) has been played by seven actors. Each has brought his own special qualities to the role and everyone has their favorite. Bond is known for his hard-drinking, women-chasing, and sometimes ruthless approach to espionage. Combine this with impressive stunts and car chases and you have the ultimate action hero.

• Movie: "Training Day" (2001)
• Played by: Denzel Washington

Denzil Washington's character, Alonzo Harris, in "Training Day," has very few, in any, redeeming features. He's more of an anti-hero than a hero. Obsessed with power and money, Harris has no morals which is a problem because he is a police officer! He's tough and rude but his luck is about to change.

• Movie: Superman Movie Franchise (1978-2021)
• Played by: Various Actors

Clark Kent, the famous action (super) hero of the Superman Movie Franchise has graced our screens since 1978. He is unbeatable – unless you happen to have some kryptonite on you! His enemies have been numerous and nasty, including Lex Luthor and Doomsday but Superman always saves the day. Obviously, there is a love interest – it's Lois Lane who thinks he just works for a newspaper.

• Movie: Dirty Harry Franchise (1971-1988)
• Played by: Clint Eastwood

The Dirty Harry character played by Hollywood great, Clint Eastwood, has no shortage of famous lines. Who hasn't heard of "Go ahead, make my day." Eastwood also directed the movies which became firm favorites with audiences. This movie hero detective took no nonsense from anyone and did whatever it took to find his man.

• Movie: Die Hard Series (1988-2013)
• Played by: Bruce Willis

Another hugely successful and popular movie franchise was the Die Hard series that enthralled us between 1988 and 2013. The action hero in them was John McClane played by Bruce Willis. Action was not in short supply, McClane took on terrorists and bad guys all over the world relying on his brain as much as his strength. He also liked to ease the tension with a few wise cracks.

• Movie: "Goodfellas" (1990)
• Played by: Ray Liotta

"Goodfellas" is a much loved movie and that is in no small part down to the skill of the late Ray Liotta playing gangster Henry Hill. Hill was a formidable character, obsessed with gangster life since childhood. He was not bothered about dishing out serious beatings for the most minor mistakes. A memorable character played by a much-missed actor.

• Movie: Rocky Franchise (1976-2006)
• Played by: Sylvester Stallone

The Rocky franchise was a movie staple for three decades and everyone has their favorite. The action hero is boxer Rocky Balboa played by Hollywood legend, Sylvester Stallone. He is super tough and always seems to come back – even when he looks beaten. Over the six films, he has had a range of 'bad guy' opponents and is an inspiration to us all to stick to achieving our goals.

• Movie: "Enter the Dragon" (1973)
• Played by: Bruce Lee

Movie action comes in lots of different forms and in the 1973 film, "Enter the Dragon," it is martial arts. The central character is Lee (played by Bruce Lee) who a martial artist and instructor from Hong Kong. He is tasked with taking on an undercover persona to investigate a suspected crime lord. There is everything you would want from a gripping movie – action, tension, and intrigue. Lee is at the heart of all the action, showing off his fighting skills.

• Movie: Mission Impossible Film Franchise (1996-2023)
• Played by: Tom Cruise

No action hero list is complete without Ethan Hunt – the leading character in all the Mission Impossible movies from 1996 through to the latest offering in 2023. Hunt is played by Hollywood great, Tom Cruise, who incredibly does the stunts himself. The action includes car and plane crashes, explosions, motorcycle chases, and even underwater scenes. Despite all these challenges, Ethan Hunt (and his team) always prevail.

• Movie: "Casino" (1995)
• Played by: Robert DiNiro

Another action gangster movie on our list is "Casino" starring movie legend Robert DiNiro. Directed by Martin Scorecese, the movie's leading man is Sam Rothstein who is as slick as he is tough. If you like movies about casinos and gambling, this is the one for you. The action centers around the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas which is operated by Rothstein. He is ultimately successful at making money, looking after his family, and keeping the mafia happy!

• Movie: Bourne Franchise (2002-2016)
• Played by: Matt Damon

The Bourne movie franchise featured on our screens between 2002 and 2016. The hero is Jason Bourne played by Matt Damon who plays a cold and calculating leading role rather than a traditional action movie hero. The first movie in the series is "The Bourne Identity," which was applauded by critics and audiences as were the others that followed.

• Movie: Taken Franchise (2008-2014)
• Played by: Liam Neeson

The dedicated father, Bryan Mills, from the Taken series of films is another unlikely action hero. The franchise comprises three offerings released between 2008 and 2014. This father will use all his skills to save his daughter. The character is played by famous actor Liam Neeson.

• Movie: Rambo Franchise (1982-2019)
• Played by: Sylvester Stallone

After Rocky, Sylvester Stallone is probably best known for his role as action hero John Rambo. The Vietnam veteran struggles to adjust to civilian life after serving in the conflict. He gets around this by helping people out but that gets him into tricky situations! Typical of an action hero, Rambo has many skills from his military training, and physical prowess to save the day. The series lasted between 1982 and 2019 but who knows, it may continue!

• Movie: Batman Franchise (1943-2022 and Beyond)
• Played by: Various Actors

Another super hero on our list is Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman. There is nothing new about the Batman character, he was created in 1943 and has been reincarnated for each generation. He is so popular, this it is likely to continue. His enemies are as evil as they come with a range of imaginative names including the Joker, the Penguin and Cat Woman. Interestingly, this super hero does not have super powers but he is tough and resourceful and always has good on his side.

• Movie: "Predator" (1987)
• Played by: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger has appeared as an action hero in many movies and "Predator" was one of the most memorable. This movie from 1987 sees his character, Arnold Dutch, stuck in a jungle with his team. They are being stalked by an alien hunter who can become invisible and has some very interesting weaponry! In true action hero style, it is Dutch's dogged determination and military know how that enables him to prevail.

• Movie: "Gladiator" (2000)
• Played by: Russell Crowe

Action heroes can also be historic – as illustrated by Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 hit movie "Gladiator." The Roman tough guy is played by Russell Crowe who is out to avenge the murders of his family. He performs in the colosseum, – fending off anything that is thrown at him from arrows to wild animals.

• Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise (2003-2017)
• Played by: Johnny Depp

The fascinating character of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise is one of the most complicated action heroes we feature. At times, Sparrow is a huge coward and out for himself! However, he does enough swinging around the rigging of boats and diving into the sea to be classed as an action hero. Played by Johnny Depp, Jack Sparrow always manages to escape death – but only just!

• Movie: "Sin City'" (2005)
• Played by: Mickey Rourke

In a movie full of tough characters, Mickey Rourke does well to make his character of Marv stand out in the "Sin City'" movie of 2005. The character certainly has the physique – he's eight feet tall and looks very scary! He also suffers from hallucinations but fights off both serial killers and cops. Sadly, he winds up dead at the end of the film.

• Movie: Indiana Jones Franchise (1981-2023)
• Played by: Harrison Ford

This is one of the most successful action movie franchises of all time and combines archeology (of all things) with frantic car chases and fight scenes. The action hero is Indiana Jones played by Harrison Ford. The first offering was in 1981 and the most recent was in 2023. Jones has more combat skills than you may expect for an archeology professor and gets himself out of some tight spots. Indiana Jones also happens to be one of our most likable characters of all time.