The 1980s were a decade of booming creativity for the American film industry. It was also a decade in which popular American actors, who have come to be known as Hollywood A-listers, began to make their mark on the world’s stage.
This article will examine some of these prominent actors in detail, going in detail to discuss the success of some of the most significant American actors of the 80s.
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox was probably the most famous American actor to emerge in the 1980s. He has appeared in a large number of hit movies, notably the “Back to the Future” franchise, as well as several television shows including “Family Ties” and “Spin City”.
He began his career with feature film roles on Midnight Madness (1980) and Class of 1984 (1982). From there he continued to appear in numerous films throughout the decade, including “The Secret of My Success” (1987), “Bright Lights, Big City” (1988) and “Teen Wolf” (1985). In 1985 he gained international recognition for playing Marty McFly in “Back to the Future,” and reprising that role for the rest of the mega-hit trilogy.
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford was an extremely successful actor and the quintessential Hollywood leading man during the 1980s. He has appeared in over 40 films since his debut in 1975’s “American Graffiti” and has developed a wide range of characters that have all been memorable for their uniqueness.
He is most known for playing as Han Solo in the Star Wars films, as well as the role of Indiana Jones. These films were released in the 1980s and are considered to be among the greatest films ever made. He has also played other memorable characters throughout his career, such as Rick Deckard in “Blade Runner” (1982).
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro is an extremely successful actor who has played numerous memorable characters throughout his career, although he is most widely known for his role as Travis Bickle in “Taxi Driver” (1976) and Jake LaMotta in “Raging Bull” (1980).
De Niro began his career with early films including “Mean Streets” (1973), and was later cast in “The Godfather Part II” (1974). In 1976, he gained international recognition for playing Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s hit film, “Taxi Driver”. Since then he has continued to appear in a number of hit movies, including “New York, New York” (1977), “The Deer Hunter” (1978) and “Goodfellas” (1990).
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise is an extremely successful actor and Hollywood superstar who has appeared in over 60 films since his debut as a supporting role in “The Outsiders” (1983). He is also the only actor to have won a People’s Choice Award twice (for “Days of Thunder” in 1990 and “Jerry Maguire” in 1996).
Cruise began his career by appearing in numerous films including “Risky Business” (1983) and “All the Right Moves” (1983). In 1987, he gained international recognition for playing Jack Traven in “The Color of Money.” Since then, he has continued to appear in a number of hit movies including “Rain Man” (1988) and “A Few Good Men” (1992).
