Hollywood is an ever-changing landscape, and nobody knows that better than action stars
of years gone by. From world karate champions to kung fu prodigies, these actors were born
to be action heroes, but for one reason or another, they all wore out their welcome in
the movie business.
Brian Bosworth was playing the villain long before he got to Hollywood. A college football
All-American at the University of Oklahoma, "The Boz" was the best young linebacker in
the country in the mid eighties, but he was also the most controversial.
"I enjoy dishing out pain. I enjoy getting pain. I thrive off of that."
The NCAA banned Bosworth from competing in the 1987 Orange Bowl after he tested positive
for steroids. In protest, he attended a nationally televised game wearing a t-shirt with a slogan
that insulted the NCAA.
Despite these antics, Bosworth was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks and went on to
play three seasons in the NFL before a shoulder injury forced him to change careers. Before
long, Hollywood cast him as an Alabama cop at war with a biker gang in 1991's Stone Cold,
though critics thought he was upstaged by Lance Henrikson.
Bosworth went on to appear in a string of supporting tough-guy roles as the '90s decade
faded, taking his career with it. He found Jesus later in life and still pops up in the
occasional faith-based movie.
Little-known character actor Fred Ward was poised to become Hollywood's next big action
hero at one point. A former boxer and military man, Ward's manly resume and chiseled features
made him an ideal fit for the genre.
After the Air Force and various Italian movies, Ward's first American film of note was 1979's
Escape From Alcatraz, in which he played one of the convicts trying to break out of the
notorious island prison. His performance made an impression, earning him the lead in 1982's
Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann.
Ward plays a dirt bike racer who accidentally travels back in time to the wild west, where
a band of outlaws try to steal his motorcycle. The movie was so bad that some critics walked
out, but Ward would be given one more shot at stardom. Unfortunately for him, 1985's
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins earned back less than half its budget.
As the title suggests, the film was intended to launch a franchise. Orion Pictures reportedly
wanted to create an American James Bond, but Remo Williams' reception didn't spawn any
sequels. Ward's brief stint as a leading man was over.
"Who are you?"
"Would you believe we're the good guys?"
When Hong Kong film producers traveled to the States in search of the next Bruce Lee
in 1983, nobody expected them to recruit a female martial artist. The Hong Kong film
industry was dominated by men back then, but that had never stopped Cynthia Rothrock before.
Rothrock was a karate champion who defended her title against male competitors, in an
era when there wasn't a dedicated women's league. Film producers recognized her cinematic
potential and signed her up to a three-movie deal.
Rothrock proved extremely popular with moviegoers in Hong Kong, where she became known as The
Blonde Fury. She ended up making a total of ten movies overseas before returning to America
to launch an assault on Hollywood. Sadly, it didn't pan out.
Despite her success overseas, Rothrock usually played second fiddle to male American stars.
She half expected to get a call when The Expendables brought together a bunch of action stars from
years gone by, but the phone never rang.
French actor Olivier Gruner began his martial arts training at age eleven after being bullied
at school. The Paris native joined the military after graduating, joining an elite unit comparable
to America's Navy Seals. When his military career ended he got into prizefighting and
worked the odd security job. One such role would change his life forever.
In 1987, Gruner landed a security gig at Cannes. In a savvy act of self-promotion, the kickboxer
decided to put up posters of himself around the film festival. One producer took the bait
and decided to cast him in a role originally meant for Jean-Claude Van Damme.
His first film, 1990's Angel Town exceeded expectations, and 1992's Nemesis performed
even better. Unfortunately, followup roles didn't materialize quickly. There was a three-year
delay before 1995's Automatic. Gruner continued to feature in low-budget action flicks in
the years that followed, but when it comes to Hollywood stardom, Gruner had missed his
chance.
In the early 90's, Canadian actor and martial artist Jeff Wincott set out to be Hollywood's
biggest action star. He had fronted eleven straight-to-video action flicks by that point,
though they hadn't been widely seen in America. Nonetheless, the action genre was booming
at the time and Wincott was the full package, a proven actor and a genuine taekwondo champion.
Wincott always considered himself an actor first and a fighter second. Hollywood didn't
agree. The Toronto native made a ton of low-to-mid-budget action movies in the '90s, but when the decade
came to an end, casting directors quickly lost interest.
In later years Wincott stayed on the scene with roles in numerous TV shows, including
24, The Wire, and Sons of Anarchy, but his feature roles were all but gone. He still
stars in short movies, but to say they get produced on a shoestring budget would be a
massive understatement, 2016's Behind Bars cost a reported thirty-three dollars to make.
"You know I, I remember my first protein bar. I'm an actor, and I was doing dramatic roles."
Texan actor David Bradley replaced Michael Dudikoff in the American Ninja series when
the latter tried, and failed, to move onto bigger things. Bradley, a former car salesman
skilled in various martial arts traditions, made his debut in 1989's super low budget
American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt.
Bradley starred in the next two American Ninja movies before taking on the role of Jack Ryan
(no, not that Jack Ryan) in 1993's Cyborg Cop and its 1994 sequel.
Despite modest expectations, though, Bradley failed to capture public interest and fell
off the radar after the release of 1997's Crisis, his final film. Rumor has it he's
teaching martial arts classes in Texas, but as far as the industry is concerned, David
Bradley has vanished.
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