Icons of an Era: 9 Actors Who Dominated the ‘80s

We filmmakers and cinephiles have a different way of remembering an era or a decade. For us, every year is defined by the films they delivered and the actors who won our hearts.

The 1980s were among the decades when cinema peaked. We have already discussed the greatest films of the 1980s; now it’s time to celebrate the actors who owned the ‘80s.

In this article, we’ve listed actors who took the decade by storm.

9 Actors Who Were the Face of 1980s Cinema

1. Glenn Close

Fatal Attraction (1987)Source: Paramount Pictures

Glenn Close’s acting career began on Broadway in the 1970s before she made her debut in the film industry with The World According to Garp in 1982. Her very first role earned her an Oscar nomination.

In her five-decade-long career, Close has been nominated for an Academy Award eight times.

Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction and Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons are Close’s two most notable performances as the lead, with commendable work in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Meeting Venus.

2. Molly Ringwald

The Breakfast Club (1985)Source: Universal Pictures

John Hughes' movies were among the highlights of the 1980s, and Molly Ringwald quickly became quite the teen icon. She starred in three major Hughes movies, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, and other notable hits such as For Keeps and The Pick-up Artist.

While her fame began to fade as the decade ended, she was a star who ruled the coming-of-age genre with her sincere and vulnerable performances. Her most recent appearance was in the Netflix original rom-com franchise, The Kissing Booth.

3. Bill Murray

Ghostbusters (1984)Source: Sony Pictures Releasing, Columbia Pictures

Bill Murray came to be known to the audience after he joined Saturday Night Live as Chevy Chase’s replacement in the late 1970s. While he was already nailing his part on SNL, he eventually made his debut with Meatballs in 1979, where he further proved himself as a comedic actor.

His filmography includes films such as Stripes, Caddyshack, and finally, Ghostbusters, the film that turned him into a comedy icon.

Bill Murray was a notable figure in the comedy genre in the 1980s, and his career has continued to this day.

4. Bruce Willis

Die Hard (1988)Source: 20th Century Studios

Bruce Willis started his acting career on TV and even won an Emmy for his role as a street-smart detective on the show Moonlighting. Willis made his silver-screen debut as the lead in Blake Edwards’ Blind Date, opposite Kim Basinger.

John McTiernan’s Die Hard was the turning point in the actor’s career. John McClane was not only the character who redefined the template for action heroes but also cemented Willis as a prolific actor.

Willis became the poster boy of the new-age action hero—flawed, intellectual, and full of dark humor. The actor’s filmography is filled with gems such as Die Hard, Sunset, and more.

5. Meryl Streep

Sophie's Choice (1982)Source: Universal Pictures

The 1980s saw Meryl Streep as a rising star. While Julia marked her silver-screen debut, it was The Deer Hunter that put her on the map in Hollywood cinema. Her role in the movie also earned her her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Within a year, Streep won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer. From there, there was no looking back for Streep. Her portrayal of a Polish survivor suffering from her memories of the concentration camp, Sophie, in Sophie’s Choice, not only won her the Best Actress Academy Award but also the audience’s hearts.

Some of Streep’s most notable movies from the decade are Silkwood, Out of Africa, Ironweed, and A Cry in the Dark.

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Terminator (1984)Source: Orion Pictures

Everyone’s beloved Terminator debuted in the film industry as the titular lead in Hercules in New York, a low-budget fantasy movie. His professional journey began as a bodybuilder, and he won Mr. Universe at just 20. By the time he switched to acting, he had seven Mr. Olympia titles to his name.

Before James Cameron’s The Terminator turned him into a household name, the actor had only done minor roles in comedies like The Villain, with Conan the Barbarian being his only major banner movie until then.

Schwarzenegger gave some of the biggest hits in the 1980s: Commando, Raw Deal, and Predator are just a few.

7. Tom Cruise

Top Gun (1986)Source: Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise made his debut in a small supporting role in the 1981 romantic drama, Endless Love. The same year, he was seen sharing the screen with Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn in Taps.

1986 was the turning point for Cruise, and Top Gun fast-tracked his acting career to success. Two years later, in Rain Man, he proved his mettle as an actor. Even three decades later, the actor is one of the most prominent names in the industry, with his Mission: Impossible franchise setting new standards for stunts with every new release.

8. Sylvester Stallone

First Blood (1982)Source: Orion Pictures

Stallone had already found fame after starring in Rocky, the story of an underdog that he himself wrote, and the 1980s were a glorious extension of his reigning success.

Rocky’s success paved the way for an entire franchise that cemented Stallone as a massive Hollywood star in 1976. Then came First Blood in 1982, which established Stallone as an action hero.

Throughout the decade, alongside the additional Rocky movies, Stallone gave us notable action films such as Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rhinestone, Over the Top, and Cobra, setting the tone for 1980s action, alongside Schwarzenegger’s Commando and Willis’ Die Hard.

9. Harrison Ford

Blade Runner (1982)Source: Warner Bros.

Harrison Ford’s 1980s filmography is as versatile as it can get—two Star Wars movies, three Indiana Jones movies, followed by one of the most critically acclaimed noir films of all time, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.

Needless to say, be it as Deckard, Solo, or Jones, Ford was one of the top ‘80s movie stars.

Who is your favorite in the list?