Several actors in Hollywood history have essentially built their careers by acting in films of specific genres such as Westerns, horror, and even sports, categories that have been around since the dawn of cinema. However, another longstanding genre is the war category. And yes, plenty of artists have appeared countless times in the middle of a war zone.
However, there are not many directors who specialize in this specific genre. Which means these actors were ostensibly cast in these various war movies solely for their ability to portray their respective archetypes, or at least their competence in the heat of battle. However, sometimes they were cast simply because they fit the bill. Yet these are ten actors who regularly appear in war films.
10 Eric Ban
although Eric Ban could be considered one of the least recognizable names on this list – which is definitely saying something – you should no doubt remind the actor of his face in the photo above. And if not, you undoubtedly know the names of his films: Black Hawk down (2001) and Troy (2004), for example. Two recent war movies that went down in the books as some of the biggest releases of their respective years, and the 2000s in general.
But one was much better in quality than the other. On critical and consensus website Rotten Tomatoes, Black Hawk down has an approval rating of 77%. You might think: That’s not necessarily a great score, though. But if you take into account the 53% approval rating of Troyis it clear which Eric Bana war movie fans should see again.
9 Mark Wahlberg
One of the most popular names on the list for modern audiences, this leader of the Funky Bunch is also a great leader of war movies. Well, he didn’t lead the cast in Three king (1999) – that part went to George Clooney, and it was no doubt for the better. They both had a great dynamic along with their fellow costar Ice Cube, and the movie might just be the funniest one to see on this entire list.
However, Mark Wahlberg starred in a movie called Sole survivor (2013), and while much less focused on comedy, the project was still entertaining and remarkable. In the end though Three Kings from writer and director David O. Russell will forever be the definitive war film of Wahlberg’s career.
8 Ralph Fiennes
There are two major releases to discuss here Ralph Fiennesand they both released in the 1990s: Schindler’s List (1993), ed The English patient (1996). The latter is much easier to classify as a war film, but there is a clear case for it Schindler’s List also. But either way, these are among the most legendary roles of Ralph Fiennes’ career.
In it, he garnered acclaim for his work – in fact, he walked away with Oscar nominations for both. Best Supporting Actor for Schindler’s Listand Best Actor in The English patient. However, there is another battle in which Fiennes took part, and it went down The pain box (2009) by Kathryn Bigelow. Not the biggest roles, but still remarkable.
7 Sean Penn
With two leading roles in war films, Sean Penn went to work with two important directors: the first with Victims of the war (1989) by Brian De Palma, and subsequently with The thin red line (1998) by Terrence Malick. The first is set during the Vietnam War and starred Michael J. Fox. While it was well received by critics, it wasn’t exactly the highest-grossing venture of the crew’s respective careers.
In the meantime, The thin red line made a decent amount of money – just under $100 million on a $52 million budget. Not the most impressive numbers either, but the 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is definitely positive, and the film garnered a lot of attention in later years thanks to its star-studded cast, which included other actors such as Adrien Brody, Woody Harrelson, John Cusack, and George Clooney. But honestly, both films hold up.
6 Denzel Washington
Many consider Glory (1989) by Edward Zwick as the definitive film about the American Civil War, and even within its star-studded cast, Denzel Washington without a doubt stole the show. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his efforts as Private Silas Trip, and it will forever be among the greatest roles of his entire career.
Several years later, Washington starred in Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling Courage under fire (1996). Also directed by Edward Zwick, in hindsight this war movie was much less prominent than a release when analyzing the above two Glory, but it still made $100 million and currently holds an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Those are pretty explosive numbers.
5 William Dafoe
To retract an earlier statement, two prominent modern directors have made several war films during their careers. One was Kathryn Bigelow and the other was Oliver Stone with his Vietnam War trilogy. Platoon (1986), Born July 4 (1989), and Heaven Earth (1993). And in those first two of the unofficial series, Willem Dafoe appeared in supporting roles.
He was even nominated for his first Academy Award (one for Best Supporting Actor) thanks to his efforts in Platoon. His work in Born July 4 was less remarkable than its spiritual predecessor, but there was another war film Dafoe worth mentioning: The English patient (1996). He appears again in a supporting role and the product helped Dafoe get to number four here.
4 Cillian Murphy
With perhaps the most underrated movie on the list, The wind that shakes the barley (2004) starring Cillian Murphy. And since then, he’s appeared in two war films throughout his career: a starring role in Anthropoid from 2016, and a small part in Dunkirk from 2017.
Of those last two movies, the first one was a failure while the last one was a hit. Dunkirk earned over $500 million on a $150 million budget while Anthropoid couldn’t even recoup its $9 million budget at the box office. In the meantime, The wind that shakes the barley made $25 million on an $8 million budget, and it has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It remains Murphy’s pioneering role as a soldier.
3 Charles Bronson
Though he is simply known for his appearances in westerns like The beautiful seven (1960) and Once upon a Time in the West (1968), Charles Bronson fits perfectly with this list of war movie veterans. The first instance was actually a starring role in a movie called When all hell broke loose (1958). However, it was essentially a B-movie made by an unnamed director on a shoestring budget with no theatrical release.
However, Bronson then appeared in a series of war films through supporting roles: Never so little (1959), for starters, directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra. But this was followed by his efforts in both The great escape (1963) – also directed by Sturges – and The dirty dozen (1967). These were big movies and still are, and they ultimately solidified Bronson at number three here.
2 Kirk Douglas
Three-time Oscar nominee, father of fellow actor Michael Douglas, and World War II veteran Kirk Douglas is largely regarded as the leader of war films. Most films are well received – except one featuring Harm’s way (1965) – and while none of them made great money at the box office, Douglas clearly has enough output and critical acclaim related to war films that lowering him to number two would have been a war crime in its own right.
Released a relatively unknown Stanley Kubrick Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960) at the start of his career – both were war films and both starred Kirk Douglas. These are perhaps the two most famous examples of this message. However, Douglas also appeared in other war films such as The hook (1963), Seven days in May (1964), and Cast a giant shadow (1966). With so many roles in the battle, just hope he never developed PTSD.
1 Brad Pitt
For those who are familiar with this particular subject and were shocked by these top two placements, don’t underestimate the sheer amount of war films that Brad Pitt. The first of the bunch came out a few decades ago Seven years in Tibet (1997), while the following was a much larger project: Troy (2004). It grossed just under $500 million at the box office, making it one of the top ten highest-grossing films of its year.
But of course, Pitt’s war films don’t stop there. Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009) and David Ayer’s Fury (2014) are among the most popular war films of the twenty-first century, showcasing Pitt’s true acting talent in the leading role. And when we factor in other efforts like Allied (2016) and War Machine (2017), it’s clear that Brad should forever lead soldiers into battle on film.