8 Action Stars From The '80s Who Are Now Total Nobodies

In the 1980's, nothing was more popular at the box office than action flicks, and dozens
of actors became household names as a result.
"Come with me if you want to live."
But while some of them have maintained their superstar status, most have slowly disappeared
in the mists of time.
So what happened to them?
Here's a look at some action stars from the 80's who have faded from the limelight.
Vernon Wells
He was the personification of a very specific type of 1980s villain: the guy who always
seemed to have his wardrobe on loan from a sex club.
From his role as Wez in Mad Max: Road Warrior, to Lord General in Weird Science, to over-the-top
villain Bennett in Commando, Vernon Wells could be counted on to chew scenery and slap
leather.
"Let off some steam, Bennett."
These days, Wells looks more like a granddaddy than a leather daddy, and he has a sense of
humor about his characters being seen as gay icons.
He spends most of his time off camera, directing and producing, while also working with Wolf
Connection, a nature preserve to domesticate wolves and allow bonding with visitors and
campers.
Jenette Goldstein
Like Vernon Wells, Jenette Goldstein also became something of a gay icon thanks to her
role as the no-nonsense space marine Vasquez in Aliens.
"Have you ever been mistaken for a man?"
"No, have you?"
"Oh Vasquez, you're just too bad."
She later went on to high profile roles in Lethal Weapon 2 and Terminator 2: Judgment
Day, before founding Jenette Bras, a company that makes bras for ladies who need a little
something extra.
Keep fighting the good fight, Vasquez!
Christopher Lambert
After playing immortal swordsman Connor MacLeod in the Highlander series, Christopher Lambert
branched out to other sci-fi and action properties, which is another way of saying his movies
were almost all direct-to-video.
In the early 2000's he began pursuing more artistic film roles in France, but he's not
above still doing some cheese from time to time, recently announcing he was reprising
his 1995 role as Raiden in the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie.
When it comes to Christopher Lambert's career, it's pretty hard to…
Finish Him.
Sonny Landham
Best known as Billy, the tracker from the mercenary team slaughtered in the first Predator
movie, Sonny Landham also made appearances in The Warriors, The Lockup, Firewalker, Action
Jackson, and 48 Hours.
He eventually dropped acting to focus on his political career, but while campaigning for
a Kentucky Senate position on the Libertarian ticket, he set off a political landmine with
a rant on a college radio show against Middle Eastern people.
The Libertarian Party withdrew their support from his campaign and he crashed and burned.
Didn't he learn any lessons from Predator?
"Run!
Go!
Get to the choppa!"
Rutger Hauer
His U.S. debut came in the action drama Nighthawks, but Rutger Hauer is best known for two other
roles: as the replicant Roy Batty in Blade Runner, and as Captain Navarre in Ladyhawke.
After those highlights, his career quickly descended into straight-to-video and low-budget
action and thriller films, including the title role in the recent Hobo With A Shotgun, but
he also started cultivating a more artistic side back home in the Netherlands, where he
opened a film school called the Rutger Hauer Film Factory.
Safe to say, he's had an interesting career.
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe."
Timothy Dalton
A respected stage actor, Timothy Dalton played the iconic action hero James Bond on the big
screen twice, in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill.
Those efforts met with mixed results, with the Bond franchise eventually getting mired
in years of litigation over licensing rights.
By the time that was sorted out, Dalton's contract had expired, and he never returned.
Instead, he moved on to television, for shows like Doctor Who and Penny Dreadful, and to
animation, providing the voice of Mr. Pricklepants for the Toy Story franchise.
It's serious business.
"Can you tell me where I am?
"Shhh!"
"The guy's just asking you a question."
"Well excuse me, I'm trying to stay in character."
Michael Biehn
He was James Cameron's go-to action hero in the 80's, playing Hicks in Aliens, Kyle Reese
in Terminator, and Lt. Coffey in The Abyss.
But Michael Beihn's acting career has been a lot more eclectic since the '90s, with appearances
in big-budget films, cult classics and video game voice-overs.
One of those cult-classic roles came in the film Grindhouse, which apparently sparked
a fascination with the genre.
These days he runs a production company with his wife that produces grindhouse-style movies
and focuses on work by female filmmakers.
Peter Weller
In the 80's, Peter Weller was a key part of three cult classics: Robocop, Naked Lunch,
and Buckaroo Banzai.
While he's never quite reached those heights again, except for maybe Robocop 2, he's remained
steadily employed ever since, appearing on TV shows ranging from 24 and Dexter to Sons
of Anarchy and Fringe.
He also spent seven years getting a Ph.D. in Art History, and regularly plays trumpet
in a jazz ensemble.
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
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8 Action Stars From The '80s Who Are Now Total Nobodies

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