Action Heroes: 50 and Up

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  • Carl Fredrickson, the main character of Disney/Pixar's new movie "Up", is at first glance an unlikely action star. He's 78-year-old curmudgeon with a cane. But on closer inspection, action flicks have long featured lead actors who were old enough to get a senior citizen discount at the movie theaters. Here's a list of a few of the best.
  • BRUCE WILLIS - Live Free or Die Hard Age at Time of Release: 52 During the shoot of this fourth addition to the "Die Hard" franchise, Willis got kicked in the face by the stiletto heel of Maggie Q's stunt double. The injury required seven stitches in the eyebrow. After that, you might think that Willis was saying to himself, "I'm getting too old for this," but no. He's got another action flick, "Surrogates," coming in September.
  • JACKIE CHAN - The Forbidden Kingdom Age at Time of Release: 54 In the past few years, Jackie Chan might have slowed down a bit. But for Chan, that means making less mid-air jumps onto hovering helicopters, getting dragged behind fewer buses, or falling from fewer cliffs onto hot air balloons. Yet the martial arts icon can still high kick with the best of them, as seen in his fights with fellow kung-fu master Jet Li (age 45).
  • TOMMY LEE JONES - Men In Black II Age at Time of Release: 55 When this sci-fi sequel came out, Tommy Lee Jones was at the mandatory retirement age for a New Jersey State Trooper, but Agent K clearly works for a company with looser regulations. According to Sony Pictures, a third MiB movie is slated for release in 2011. When that flick comes out, Tommy Lee Jones will be old enough to collect Social Security. Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection
  • ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Age at Time of Release: 56 Arnold Schwarzenegger worked out three hours a day for six months to get himself in the exact same condition he was in for "T-2", shot twelve years previous. Of course, immediately after finishing that grueling regime, he went on for another -- campaigning for the governor of California. Everett Collection
  • LIAM NEESON - Taken Age at Time of Release: 57 He might be "semi-retired," but ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills is still a pro at sharpshooting, knife fighting, karate chopping, suspect torturing, gas tank exploding, and Albanian mafia massacring. So if you try to take his daughter Kim out on a date, I wouldn't try any funny business.
  • SAMUEL L. JACKSON - Snakes on a Plane Age at Time of Release: 58 After his stand-out performance in "Jungle Fever," it seemed liked Samuel L. Jackson was an overnight success. But when that movie came out, he was already 43. Fast forward fifteen years, and Jackson -- the hardest working man in Hollywood -- is fighting #*!@^%$! snakes on %#*&?!@ planes when most 58-year-olds are applying to AARP.
  • ROGER MOORE - A View to Kill Age at Time of Release: 58 Roger Moore was the oldest actor ever to play James Bond (he was born nearly three years before Sean Connery). He reportedly decided to end his run as 007 when he learned that he was older than the mother of his co-star and love interest, Tanya Roberts. Everett Collection
  • TERENCE STAMP - The Limey Age at Time of Release: 60 Terence Stamp is certainly convincing as the vengeful British thug Wilson in Steven Soderbergh's non-narrative potboiler, "The Limey." Of course, some of those flashbacks are more convincing that you might expect: the shots of a young Wilson with his wife and daughter are actually taken from Stamp's 1967 movie "Poor Cow." Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection
  • JOHN WAYNE - True Grit Age at Time of Release: 61 By the time the Duke shot this film, he already had one of his lungs removed, making it difficult to walk more than thirty paces before becoming winded. In spite of that, he managed to play grizzled gun-slinger Rooster Cogburn with enough resolve and, yes, grit to win his first, and only, Best Actor Oscar. Everett Collection
  • SYLVESTER STALLONE - Rambo Age at Time of Release: 62 Sure, Stallone looked a bit like an over-roasted convenience store hotdog in this flick, but for a guy born during the Truman administration, he still can kill off a stunningly large number of bad guys. Believe or not, there are rumors of a
  • HARRISON FORD - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Age at Time of Release: 65 As Indy once said, "It's not the years, it's the mileage." Harrison Ford reportedly spent three hours a day at the gym and ate a Spartan high-protein diet to get himself into fighting shape to play everyone's favorite fedora-sporting archeologist. Ford even ended up performing most of his own stunts.
  • WILLIAM SHATNER - Star Trek: Generations Age at Time of Release: 66 He battled Klingons, Romulans, and lizard men, but in Captain Kirk's final battle, he faced... another old dude. Sadly, Kirk gave his life fighting Soren (Malcolm McDowell - age 51), but his death was avenged by Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart - age 54). Everett Collection
  • SEAN CONNERY - Entrapment Age at Time of Release: 69 Though Sean Connery went on to make a couple more movies before his unofficial retirement, "Entrapment" is notable because his love-interest, Catherine Zeta-Jones, is forty years his junior. To put it another way, when Connery was filming his final Bond movie, "Diamonds Are Forever," Zeta-Jones was still in diapers. Everett Collection
  • CLINT EASTWOOD - Gran Torino Age at Time of Release: 78 Clint Eastwood is probably the only 78-year-old on the planet who could believably clean the clock of a teenage gangbanger. The indefatigable septuagenarian also directed, produced, and scored the movie -- one of two features he released within seven weeks of one another. So when Clint says "Get off of my lawn," you'd still better listen.
  • Got a favorite over-the-hill action hero? Is there one star you think ought to consider retiring from the adventuring biz? Tell us in the comments. Comment on the Stars >>

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Movie Editorial Written by Rebekah McDaniel

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