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With “The Expendables 3” opening tomorrow, here are five acting veterans who can still hack it like pros.
Liam Neeson
Neeson was always a formidable actor, but the revenge thriller “Taken” cemented his rebirth as a bona fide action superstar, despite being over the hill. Now 61, he’s since appeared in the “Taken” sequel, “Non-Stop,” and “The Grey,” and will be back this fall in “A Walk Among the Tombstones.” It helps that Neeson brings some true thespian chops to a genre that’s starved for them, but it’s his signature scowl that keeps viewers hooked.
Jeff Bridges
He’s had some recent duds like “R.I.P.D.,” but the inimitable Bridges has paid his dues enough to earn a few get-out-of-jail-free cards. Currently starring in the long-awaited adaptation of “The Giver,” this 64-year-old Oscar winner has played a washed-up musician (in “Crazy Heart”) and a Coen Brothers loser (in “The Big Lebowski ”) with equal aplomb. And he’s never shown fewer signs of slowing down.
Jeremy Irons
At 65, Irons hasn’t only retained his rigor as an actor, he’s also kept his sophisticated sex appeal intact. Known for everything from “Die Hard: With a Vengeance” to TV’s “The Borgias,” he has always succeeded in staying relevant and potent. As we speak, he’s filming “Batman vs. Superman” as Alfred.
Samuel L. Jackson
Jackson, 65, could reprise his role as Jules in “Pulp Fiction,” and we wouldn’t even know that two decades have passed. Jackson is as much of a badass now as he was when he was spouting Bible verses with a Jheri curl, and moreover, he doesn’t look much different. He’s had his fun in genre films like “The Avengers,” but the flick that reminded us of his clout was another Quentin Tarantino triumph, “Django Unchained.”
Stellan Skarsgård
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His son Alexander may be the one getting more attention these days, but Skarsgård, 63, has an unfazed spirit that would put him right at home on a randy show like “True Blood.” The Swedish actor isn’t always dashing into the fray (he often has people for that), but he won’t shy away from something like “Nymphomaniac” either.
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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