Total Recall: The 25 Best Action Heroines of All Time

jack giroux

Good list but there are some duds, I think the list should also deal with men I mean not to sound sexist but the coolest action stars to me are guys, no offens Jen lol, I mean Bruce Willis, Arnold, Harrison Ford (#1), Christain Bale, Will Smith is good, Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, and duh Matt Damon. The only ones I will say here are amazing is Uma Thurman, Carrie Ann Moss, Pam Gries, not Demmi Moore, and I am sure I will think bot MaCovoy and Jolie will be the coolest action stars after this weekend. Still a pretty cool list, I got add some of these to my netflix.

Jun 25 - 09:13 PM

jack giroux

Also where's Rose McGowan, I mean come on Plannet Terror! With that machine gun leg she was a fully loaded woman! Also for the guys a forgot Russel Crowe I mean Gladiator and 3:10 to Yuma, oh and Kurt Russel.

Jun 25 - 09:15 PM

dmetri myers

Like most lists on here it's a mixed bag.

And joker, Arnold and Ford wouldn't be near #1

Jun 25 - 09:38 PM

Uver Pena

Linda Hamilton is WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY too low on the list!

Jun 25 - 09:43 PM

Chris Moore

Pretty good list. A lot of the names on the list were "one-hit wonders" as far as good movies are concerned, but action films aren't exactly poetic from an acting standpoint. No argument on #1 at least.

Jun 25 - 09:58 PM

Greg Guro

I was happy to see Ziyi Zhang and Milla!

Some I'd like to see, but maybe aren't strict heroines.

Obviously Missed: Franka Potente in Run Lola Run

maybe Irene Jacob in RED

Keira Knightly as Domino (we see her boobs!)


1. Jodie Foster for Silence of the Lambs
2. Carrie Fisher in Star Wars
3. Gillian Anderson
4. Elizabeth Hurley in Austin Powers
5. Jennifer Jason Leigh in ExisTenZ
6. Lori Petty in Tank Girl
7. Meg Ryan in Courage Under Fire
8. Katherine Hepburn in The African Queen
9. Charlize Therone in that God Awful MTV movie . . .forgot name
10. Jane Fonda in Klute/Barbarella
11. Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby
12. Meryle Streep in Silkwood
13. Sarandon and G. Davis in Thelma and Louise
14. The girl from Whale Rider
15. Parker Posey as Fay Grimm
16. Mary Stuart Masterson in Fried Green Tomatoes
17. Pocahantos girl in The New World
18. Halle Berry X Men


I love Famke J, but I don't think she is even the best Bond girl, let alone someone who should make the list.

I'm sure I forgot a ton.

Oh well.

Jun 25 - 10:03 PM

Greg Guro

FRANCES McDormand in FARGO


Natassja Kinski in Cat People
Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight
Theresa Russel in . . . err, i forget. Someone help me.
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins
Whoever played Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. . .
Ingrid Bergman as Joan of Arc
Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark

Sissy Spacek as Carrie
Julia Roberts as Erin Brokavich
Renee Zellweger in COld Mountain

Judy Garland as Dorothy in OZ
Sally Field as Nora Rae
Angela Basset as Tina Turner
Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (BUt no way the awful awful sequel)

Selma Blair in Hellboy I/II

Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity



*Diane Lane in Streets of Fire

OK. As you can tell, I'm putting off doing something by coming up with names. . .

Jun 25 - 10:33 PM

Silver The Evil Chao

This list is FAIL. Sigourney Weaver should be #1 for Alien ALONE.

Jun 25 - 10:44 PM

Greg Guro

Juliet Lewis as Mallory in Natural Born Killers

Neve Campbell in Scream?

female main actor in first Nightmare on Elmstreet.


I agree about McGowan in Planet Terror.

I think this category is TOO BROAD for my simple mind.

BROAD. he heh.

Jun 25 - 11:15 PM

Shawn Amoroso

Another dissapointing list, R.T. Seriously, Demi Moore? And how

the hell is Weaver not in the top five? Also, is it too much too ask for you

to list the best action heroines on good movies. Seriously, any list that

includes a McG movie makes it an invalid list, just saying RT staff. Also, I

hope these lists are not being determined by how good of an YouTube video

you can find.

Jun 25 - 11:48 PM

Greg Guro

Yah! Carrie Fisher!

Jun 26 - 12:55 AM

Brandon Sideleau

Sigourney Weaver should be #1 hands down, no argument. And 90% of the ladies in this list shouldn't even be there....lots of 80's one-note punchlines and even a couple modern flavor of the months.

Jun 26 - 06:11 AM

Nick Esser

How 'bout Kiera Knightly. Three 'Pirates' movies, plus an interesting role in 'Domino'. Not great movies, but pretty strong action/heroine roles. At least better than some of others listed. (I mean come on waitsjr, seriously, Erin Brakovich??? To each their own I guess.)

Jun 26 - 07:29 AM

Tim Ahlberg

I enjoyed the list but agree Ripley and Sarah Connor are far too low. I would vote for Uma to be in top 2, if not 1, I have never seen any woman kick more *** then in the Kill Bill flicks. I appreciate the kung-fu ladies I have never heard of but there are plenty of better know heroines that are not on the list (see above comments). I also was not aware The Fifth Element is now a cult classic...I just thought is was cheap to put on syndication as it is on TV all the time.

Jun 26 - 07:39 AM

neal white

This list is total BS! How can anyone beat out Sigourney Weaver for Alien and Aliens? No offense to any other female characters but Ellen Ripley kicked total *** in both movies. She should be number one hands down.

Jun 26 - 08:18 AM

Rob Beste

I don't normally criticize RT lists. I know most of them have formulas and every list is HIGHLY subjective anyway......

But I have to agree with many of my peers on this one:

- Linda Hamilton is BEYOND too low.

- Sigourney Weaver should be top 3 at the very least IMO.

- It seems like knowing Kung Fu will get you a much higher spot....but you don't see martial artists kicking the sh** out of robots and aliens.

Glaring absences:

- Carrie Fisher (as many have said). Just....WOW.

- Jamie Lee Curtis. Mike Myers is cultural folklore now because of her.

- Sarah Michelle Geller. Ok...not a movie heroine, but you can't deny the badassery of Buffy.

- Jodie Foster. Silence of the lambs is now Iconic.

- Halle Barry. Yeah...I'm joking. But I do like Storm. :)

Jun 26 - 08:48 AM

Rob Beste

oh....and though she's not real....

I think Elastigirl should get an honorable mention. :)

Jun 26 - 08:50 AM

Doug Ray

hehe, michelle yeoh. i can see this. i loved her in tomorrow never dies.

Jun 26 - 09:50 AM

Winston Zhang

The fact that Rotten Tomatoes included so many Asian women on its list is much appreciated.

Disclaimer: Rant Ahead

Asian action films (both kung fu and non) are underrated and underwatched, due to datedness, limited promo, and cultural tastes.

Martial arts sequences, while admittedly requires less acting like the roles of Ridley, demands tons of physical work from its performers. Yet Michelle Yeoh did her own stuntwork in her heyday(perhaps insignificant because her countless, amazing feats haven't been seen by too many western audiences), is no slouch with firearms, and has proven she is no acting-lightweight.

Yeoh has also managed to become prominent largely by her own means, wading through mediocre films in her early HK career; shining at every chance she's given. She rose to stardom not through great directors like Cameron or Scott, or behemoth Hollywood budgets, but by her presence and physical prowess.

She's made way for the Western appreciation for earlier, often trivialized actresses like Angela Mao, who deserves to be on the list as much as Linda Hamilton.

End of Rant.

Jun 26 - 10:15 AM

Daniel Klein

I am VERY curious what was the formula for determing placement. Seems kind of random, to me.

And 'yes' I agree that Ripley should be top 5 easy.

Personally, I think Linda Hamilton, for T2 alone, should be top 5. That was the coolest, most real kick-your-***-and-make-you-squeal-like-the-scared-*****-you-are-and-she's-not in years.

As I've mentioned before, I think James Cameron should get an honorable mention for being the only director, male OR female, who can consistently cast women in action roles and have it not suck

>Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Aliens
>Linda Hamilton as Sarah Conner in T2
>Jeanette Goldstein as Lt. Vasquez in Aliens
Great f#cking scene:
Vasquez the space marine is doing pull-ups
Hudson: "Hey Vasquez, you ever been mistaken for a man?"
Vasquez: "No (does another pull-up). --Have you?"
(Assembled marines laugh)

and
>Jamie Lee Curtis as Helen Tasker in True Lies.

Jun 26 - 10:48 AM