It is no secret that action movies don't get a lot of love during awards season. Despite thrilling audiences and getting good reviews from critics, even the most acclaimed action movies are likely to be ignored when it comes to the big categories, especially the acting categories.
While there are a few notable exceptions, like Sigourney Weaver in Aliens and Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, the Oscars seem to think acting in the action genre is just not as challenging as in dramas. But there are plenty of excellent action movie performances that disprove that theory and deserved some attention from the Oscars.
Daniel Craig - Skyfall (2012)
Looking at all the actors who have played James Bond over the years, all have done a fairly good job with the role. But when Daniel Craig took over the role for Casino Royale, he helped ground it in a way it had never been before.
In his third film in the franchise, Skyfall, Craig really got to explore this gritty, damaged take on Bond. He is the charming, suave, and deadly spy, but also he does a great job bringing a cold and broken quality to the character that made him more fascinating than he'd ever been.
Harrison Ford - The Fugitive (1993)
While his performance as Indiana Jones is iconic and arguably deserving of some recognition as well, it's hard to understand how Harrison Ford's intense performance in The Fugitive could have been overlooked.
Tommy Lee Jones ended up winning an Oscar for his showier yet excellent supporting performance, but Ford is what makes the movie work so well. We believe his heartbreak and frustration which also makes us believe everything he puts himself through to clear his name.
Alan Rickman - Die Hard (1988)
Bruce Willis is undoubtedly the star of Die Hard, but the more you watch the movie, the more you are drawn to the performance of Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. Rickman helped to define a new era of movie villains with the suave, understated foe who is the smartest man in the room.
The Oscars love villain roles like Joker and Anton Chigurh so wouldn't be unreasonable for them to be drawn to a role like this. The fact that inside of this bombastic and thrilling action movie the audience becomes transfixed by Rickman speaks to the power of the performance.
Jamie Lee Curtis - True Lies (1994)
Playing comedic roles is also very difficult and also not respected as much by the Oscars. So for Jamie Lee Curtis to pull off a comedic action role as well as she does in True Lies and not get any attention for it is both unsurprising and tragic.
The James Cameron film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a spy hiding his secret life from his wife (Curtis) until she is dragged into the middle of it. Curtis is hilarious as the mild-mannered and awkward woman whose life is thrown upside down, and she also becomes a pretty solid action star by the end.
Tom Cruise - Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Tom Cruise has already proven himself to be an amazing actor and movie star, but he has failed to get any Oscar recognition for his amazing work in one of the best action movie franchises of all time.
The Mission: Impossible series is currently at seven films and climbing with Cruise at the center of it all as superspy Ethan Hunt. With each new movie, Cruise puts himself at incredible risk to pull off mind-blowing stunts. In Fallout, he did a Halo jump, drove a motorcycle through a crowded street, and learned to fly a helicopter all for our amusement.
Benicio Del Toro - Sicario (2015)
It's amazing how the right talent can elevate a movie from good to great. In the case of Sicario, Denis Villeneuve turned what could have been a fine thriller into one of the best of the decade while Benicio Del Toro turned a solid character into a fascinating one.
His performance as Alejandro, the mysterious operative in the middle of the war on drugs, stripped down everything that was unnecessary until it became this intense and unpredictable force that is riveting to watch.
Charlize Theron - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
It's quite impressive that Charlize Theron walked into the Mad Max franchise and stole the show from its titular character. This wild and thrilling sequel finds Theron playing Furiosa, a warrior for a sadistic warlord who seeks to save the vile man's imprisoned wives.
Even with all the insane stunts and visual madness of the movie, Theron sticks out as this badass heroine. Her journey is the one we care about in the film and she delivers an emotional, powerful performance.
Hugh Jackman - Logan (2017)
After countless appearances as Wolverine in the X-Men universe, Hugh Jackman finally decided it was time to say goodbye to the role that made him famous. And Logan made for a brutal and brilliant farewell.
Taking inspiration from the Old Man Logan storyline from the comic, Jackman plays his iconic character as a broken man reaching the end of his long life. Along with allowing Jackman to unleash the character's full R-rated rage, it also gives him the opportunity to give an emotionally raw performance.
Robert Downey Jr. - Avengers: Endgame (2019)
It is quite likely that the entire MCU would not exist if it wasn't for Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in Iron Man. His charismatic and entertaining turn helped make this lesser-known hero an icon on which the cinematic universe could be built.
Downey Jr. bid farewell to the character in the massive Avengers: Endgame and that would have been a great time to honor one of the most significant film performances of the 21st century. In his final film, Downey Jr. delivered a performance that reminded us of the charm of the character while also being poignant and heartbreaking.
Uma Thurman - Kill Bill (2003)
Quentin Tarantino is known for getting wonderful performances from his casts, so of which got recognized by the Oscars. But in his first full-blown action movie, Kill Bill, Uma Thurman proves how layered performance in this kind of movie can be.
Thurman makes for an unbelievable action star in what was surely a gruelling role. But she also plays the comedic elements perfectly as well as nailing the moments of grief and pain for the character.