Top 10 Movie Actors That Inspired Popular Action Figures

If we are to ask you what your most memorable toy from your childhood is, we expect your answer could be any of the following:

• A cuddly plushie
• The gorgeous doll
• That hot toy car
• Your ageless action figure

Actually, those 4 are the most popular and most collectable genre of toys that span generations. But the oldest ones that fit the list are dolls and action figures. Practically, these 2 are the same in the sense that they are modelled after the human form. Toys that replicate the human form are believed to be the oldest kind of toys in history, as evidenced by many archaeological findings. Experts say ancient children have been playing with figures ever since humans learned the art of wood carving.

What’s unique about action figures is that they usually represent a “hero” from our childhood. And often, this hero is a character from a movie, TV show, or comic book. As a child, we didn’t care much if that hero was fictional or not; we adore them because, to us, they embody our childhood aspirations and what we wanted to become when we grow up.

If you’re one of those who has a memorable action figure from a favourite movie or you’re an avid collector of action figures, then you may find the below list interesting. We picked 10 famous actors whose characters they played in movies inspired the creation of popular action figures.

Here they are…

Johnny Depp

• Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean
• Willy Wonka – Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Depp portrayed Willy Wonka in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, a confectionary genius/loner with a coterie of pocket-sized men doing his bidding, a perfectly coifed bob, exquisitely milky skin, elegant purple gloves, a tailored burgundy suede jacket, and a custom-designed walking stick. Depp also created Jack Sparrow’s trademark catchphrase “savvy” during improvisation while playing the part of the pirate.

Did you know that Johnny Depp is one of the most versatile actors of his day and age in Hollywood? He has been nominated for major acting awards. He has been listed in the 2012 Guinness World Records as the highest paid actor, with earnings of $75 million. Depp was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2015.

Tom Hanks

• Woody – Toy Story 1 to 4

Tom Hanks has a signature voice that’s unmistakable. He lent it to Disney-Pixar for the role of Sheriff Woody for Toy Story in all 4 films.

Did you know that his real name is Thomas Jeffrey Hanks? He is known for his comedic and dramatic roles. He also publishes a selection of short stories inspired by his typewriter collection. The book, Uncommon Type, was published in 2017. He is a leading American actor who has become one of the most popular stars in contemporary American cinema.

Robert Downey Jr

• Iron Man – Iron Man 1 to 4, Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame

In 2008, Downey began portraying the role of Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), appearing in several films as either the lead role, member of an ensemble cast, or in a cameo.

Did you know that Robert Downey Jr has evolved into one of the most respected actors in Hollywood? With an amazing list of credits to his name, he has managed to stay new and fresh even after over 4 decades in the business. And most importantly, he is hailed by many critics as one of the most brilliant and versatile actors of his generation.

Tom Holland

• Spider-Man – Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far from Home

Young actor, Tom Holland, is the most recent actor to play Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man. He is also the youngest actor and the only teenager to play our favourite Wall Crawler at 19 years old.

Did you know that Holland found out that he got the coveted role of Spider-Man from Marvel’s Instagram post? In an interview by The Hollywood Reporter, he said, “I was in my bed scrolling through Instagram. It had been about a month since my audition. And Marvel just posted a photo saying go to our website and find out who the next Spider-Man is. I went on the Marvel website on my computer and there it was, ‘The new Spider-Man is Tom Holland.’ I went ballistic, like absolutely nuts.”

Gal Gadot

• Wonder Woman – Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, Justice League, and Wonder Woman: 1984

Did you know that Gal Gadot was 5 months pregnant when she was filming Wonder Woman? With all the rigors (and stunts) of shooting the movie, she indeed proved that she was a wonder woman.

The former Miss Israel got her big break in showbiz as a model for a cover in Maxim and different ad campaigns for brands like Jaguar, Captain Morgan, and Gucci. Also, did you know that her name means wave (Gal) and riverbank (Gadot) in Hebrew?

Harrison Ford

• Han Solo – Original Star Wars Trilogy
• Indiana Jones – Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade

Did you know that George Lucas gave Harrison Ford his first major role in the 1973 drama film, American Graffiti? But Ford’s career failed to progress much at that time, so he had to work as a carpenter to supplement his income. Now, however, Harrison Ford is one of Hollywood's leading actors, with an acting career that has spanned nearly 40 years which includes iconic roles such as Indiana Jones and Han Solo.

Mark Hamill

• Luke Skywalker – Original Star Wars Trilogy
• Joker – Batman: The Animated Series and several Batman animated films

Mark Hamill is best known for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, which earned him the Saturn Award for Best Actor 3 times. He is also popular among Batman fans as the definitive voice of the Joker, as he has been voicing the iconic villain in animated series, movies, and video games since the 1990’s. Hamill also starred in other box office hits like Corvette Summer, The Big Red One, and Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Ryan Reynolds

• Deadpool – Deadpool 1 and 2
• Hal Jordan – Green Lantern

Actually, the self-titled Deadpool movies are not the first films Reynolds was cast as Deadpool. He played the character (with the same name) in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which did not look like the Deadpool the fans knew from the comics.

We also know Ryan Reynolds to have played another famous superhero character, Hal Jordan, one of the Green Lanterns of the DC Comics universe.

Chris Hemsworth

• Thor – Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

Did you know that Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor, who rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series Home and Away? Of course, we know him as the mighty “god of thunder” and member of the Avengers in the MCU. Hemsworth also starred in noteworthy Hollywood flicks such as A Perfect Getaway, Snow White and the Huntsman, Red Dawn, Blackhat, In the Heart of the Sea, Ghostbusters (2016), Men in Black: International, and Star Trek as Captain Kirk’s father.

Hugh Jackman

• Wolverine – X-Men movies and spinoff films

Hugh Jackman is a well-known Australian actor who is famous around the world for giving Wolverine of the X-Men a live-action face. He has won international recognitions for his roles in a variety of film genres, including musicals – the most noteworthy are The Greatest Showman as PT Barnum and Les Miserables as Jean Valjean.