'90s Action Stars Who Disappeared

Anne Parillaud became well-known to international audiences after starring in the 1990 French thriller, La Femme Nikita. As Nikita, she portrayed a teenage junkie who kills a police officer in the midst of a robbery,  who then "escapes" from prison when she's given the opportunity to train as an elite assassin. The film was so popular that it spawned two remakes and two TV shows, earning a fierce fanbase.

Parillaud worked steadily through the '90s and '00s. Following her performance in the 2012 French drama What the Day Owes the Night, however, she dropped off the cinematic map altogether. Happily, she's recently decided to start taking on some select roles again. She starred as Gabrielle in the first season of the French drama H24. She's also rumored to be directing an upcoming horror film titled L'assistant, in which she's also allegedly playing a character named Nathalie. This could be an exciting return to the big screen for Parillaud.

In the '90s, French actor Jean Reno became a household name after starring as Leon in Leon: The Professional. While he had already appeared in action films like La Femme Nikita, this role was a high point in his career. As Leon, he played a professional hitman who ends up taking a young girl under his wing after her family is killed by a corrupt DEA agent. Things take an interesting turn when she starts learning his trade. After the success of Leon: The Professional, he quickly secured roles in other action films like Mission: Impossible and Ronin.

Has Reno left acting behind? Not at all — but many of his recent films have been produced primarily for European audiences. For instance, he's appeared in films like the 2017 Italian thriller The Girl in the Fog and the 2015 French action film The Squad. However, Reno did also have a supporting role in Spike Lee's 2020 drama Da 5 Bloods, and he's currently shooting two new action films, Bronx and The Doorman. While Reno may not be enjoying the same kind of stardom he once had, he's still quite successful in his own right.

In the '90s, it seemed like Jean-Claude Van Damme was popping up in every other action film. Although he had already been acting for years, the '90s represented a turning point in his career. With roles in movies like Hard Target and Time Cop, it seemed like he was well on his way to becoming an international star.

But after 1999, most of Van Damme's roles have either been cameos, parts in direct-to-video productions, or films that only had limited theatrical releases. While he's continued acting, he hasn't had any major roles in popular films in quite a while. For a short time in 2017, he did have his own TV series, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, but it was canceled after only one season.

Although you probably haven't seen him on screen for a while, you might be hearing him soon: Van Damme is going to be voicing the character Jean Clawed in 2021's Minions: The Rise of Gru. He's also working on the upcoming action comedy The Last Mercenary.

Acting seemed like a natural career choice for Bridget Fonda – after all, her aunt is none other than movie star Jane Fonda. Although she often acted in dramas and romances, she also established herself as a genuine action star in the '90s. Not only did she appear as Melanie Ralston in Jackie Brown, she also starred in the 1993 action film Point of No Return, which served as an American remake of La Femme Nikita. As Maggie Hayward, she transforms from a struggling addict into a skilled assassin, bringing serious intensity to the role.

Fonda was at the top of her game in the '90s, but it's been nearly two decades since she last appeared on screen. She's been plenty busy since, but not always for good reasons: Fonda was injured in a 2003 car crash. Happiness followed on the heels of this hardship, though — shortly after, she married Oingo Boingo frontman and superstar composer Danny Elfman. The couple now has one son, Oliver. They generally try to keep their personal lives private and have continued to stay out of the spotlight.

If you enjoy indulging in '90s B-movies, you probably recognize Robert Z'Dar, who starred in the Maniac Cop film series. Although the first film in the trilogy was released in 1988, it continued with Maniac Cop 2 and Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence in the early '90s. And while no one was watching Maniac Cop for the script or cinematography, Z'Dar was undeniably entertaining in his role as a vengeful cop who comes back from the dead to get back at the people who wronged him in life. Z'Dar later went on to appear in films like The Final Sanction and Samurai Cop.

Sadly, Z'Dar unexpectedly died in 2015 at the age of 64. After experiencing chest pains, he was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away due to cardiac arrest. Up until his death he was still acting consistently, and several films featuring Z'Dar have been released posthumously. So if you're feeling nostalgic for '90s-era B-movies, you might want to check out his final projects, like High on the Hog or Spring Fever.

Michael Dudikoff kicked off his career with supporting roles in films in the 1980s, and today, he's probably best known for the American Ninja franchise. Dudikoff starred in three American Ninja films, playing Private Joe Armstrong. After joining the US Army, his martial arts skills are put to the test when he has to fight off ninjas.

With American Ninja under his belt, Dudikoff landed roles in several other action movies throughout the '90s, including Chain of Command and Black Thunder. But Dudikoff has other passions besides acting, and after spending years working in film, he decided to pursue one of his other interests. Dudikoff loves working in real estate and flipping houses, and starting in 2002, he took a hiatus from acting and made this his full-time job instead. He continued working in real estate until 2013, when he once again began taking on sporadic acting projects. He has a few upcoming projects on his schedule, including the films Landfill, Trail Blazers, and Left Turn.