In the 1980s, we saw a plethora of future Hollywood A-Listers get their start in horror movies, but the same can’t be said for the science fiction genre. Many of these actors were already established in their careers by this point, with few exceptions. As a result, audiences were treated to commanding performances in a genre that wasn’t seen as exploitative as horror.
Thanks to their talents, many of these films have gone on to be regarded as classics, and influenced a generation of filmmakers to strive for perfection. Let’s take a look, then, at some of Hollywood’s biggest stars that appeared in sci-fi movies from the 1980s.
Ron Perlman – The Ice Pirates (1984)
Before becoming known as Vincent on the hit ’80s series, Beauty and the Beast, Ron Perlman made his second big screen appearance in the sci-fi comedy gem, The Ice Pirates. Directed by Stewart Raffill, who would later go on to direct the cult favorite, Mac and Me, The Ice Pirates follows a band of interstellar pirates who help a princess track down her missing father, while at the same time searching for a mythical planet that can solve the ongoing water shortage happening in the universe.
It’s a massively fun film to watch, and though Perlman only had a small part in the film, he would go on to make it big in the Hellboy movies, as well as portray Clay Morrow in the FX smash hit, Sons of Anarchy.
Spoiler alert: we didn’t make contact in 2010, but 2010: The Year We Make Contact is still a worthy sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 epic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Featuring such heavyweights as Roy Scheider, and John Lithgow, the film also starred Helen Mirren, who was no stranger to Hollywood at the time. She portrayed Tanya Kirbuk, a Russian cosmonaut part of a joint team with American astronauts sent to Jupiter to learn what happened to the spaceship Discovery, and the H.A.L. 9000 computer from the previous film.
Though it had some big shoes to fill, considering the shadow cast by Kubrick’s classic, the movie was generally well-received by both audiences and critics. Mirren, of course, has gone on to have a long and successful career, recently appearing in the Fast and Furious franchise, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. In 2003, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, so in other words we can now call her Dame Helen Mirren.
Ethan Hawke – Explorers (1985)
Making his film debut alongside the late River Phoenix, Ethan Hawke starred as Ben Crandall in the 1985 sci-fi fantasy, Explorers. This coming-of-age film was directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins) and tells the story of a group of youngsters that manage to build a spaceship thanks to a series of dreams, and technical ingenuity. On their travels, they meet some aliens that teach them about life, friendship, and love.
Though it bombed at the box office thanks to bad timing, Explorers has earned a cult reputation all these years later. Ethan Hawke would gain in 1989 for his role in Dead Poet’s Society, and has since gone on to become a Hollywood mainstay. He’s appeared recently in the films The Black Phone, and The Northman, as well as in the MCU as Arthur Harrow for the Disney+ series, Moon Knight.
Jeff Bridges – Starman (1984)
Directed by John Carpenter a couple of years after The Thing, Starman tells the tale of an alien stranded on Earth inhabiting the body of a dead man, and the subsequent relationship he forms with the man’s widow while trying to get back home. Starring Jeff Bridges (who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor), Starman is one of those films that blends romance, drama, and the science fiction aspect really well.
Bridges had tremendous chemistry with his co-star, Karen Allen, and together the pair presented us with a realistic take on an unrealistic event. Though Bridges had done a ton of award-worthy roles in his career, it wasn’t until 1998 he entered the consciousness of pop culture as Jeffery “The Dude” Lebowski in The Big Lebowski. These days he’s also known as Iron Monger in the MCU, and plays the lead in the critically acclaimed FX series, The Old Man.
Christopher Walken – Brainstorm (1983)
Featuring Hollywood icon, Natalie Wood, in her final film role, Brainstorm also starred everyone’s favorite quirky actor, Christopher Walken. The film revolves around a group of scientists that create a device that gives users the ability to record their sensory and emotional experiences, allowing them to be replayed for someone else. Everything goes to hell when the military gets involved, but in the end, it’s a pretty decent flick about life, death, and what comes after.
Receiving high praise at the Saturn Awards back in the day, Brainstorm has gone largely forgotten about, but despite that, Christopher Walken has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. He can currently be seen in the Apple TV+ sci-fi series, Severance, and will make an appearance in the upcoming film, Dune: Part Two, which is due out in November 2023.
Sean Connery – Outland (1981)
Gaining worldwide fame for his portrayal of the James Bond character, Sean Connery ditched the martinis to star in the 1981 sci-fi western, Outland. Called a futuristic remake of High Noon, the film is about a Marshal stationed at a mining facility on Io, Jupiter’s third moon. When he uncovers a ring of drug smugglers, all bets are off as Connery dishes out some intergalactic justice as only he can do.
Even that wasn’t enough to help the film from being a box office flop, though, but his career would survive. He may have retired from acting before his death in 2020, but following Outland, Sean Connery had parts in Highlander, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and took up the mantle of Indiana Jones’ father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Kurt Russell – Escape from New York (1981)
Though he’d been acting since the 1960s, Kurt Russell hit it big portraying the no-nonsense, wisecracking convict, Snake Plissken, in John Carpenter’s low budget sci-fi action flick, Escape from New York. A former Disney kid, the studio initially wanted Charles Bronson, or Tommy Lee Jones, to play the part of Plissken, but Carpenter wouldn’t budge, and Kurt Russell found himself in the role.
A year later he’d appear in another Carpenter film, The Thing, and in 1986 the duo would pair up once more for Big Trouble in Little China. These trios of movies solidified Russell’s status as a bona fide star, and propelled him into the limelight. He’s recently appeared in the Fast and Furious franchise as Mr. Nobody, and in a couple of family movies for Netflix.
Harrison Ford – Blade Runner (1982)
It’s hard to imagine anyone else portraying Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, but the role almost went to the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood, and Al Pacino. However, it was Harrison Ford who ultimately won over director Ridley Scott, thanks to his success in Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as a good word put in by Steven Spielberg himself. What followed was a film that has gone down as one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made, even though it was received with mixed reviews at the time. Ford would go on to reprise his roles of Han Solo, and Indiana Jones a bunch more times, as well as CIA agent, Jack Ryan, in the 90s classics, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger.
His range as an actor also saw him appear in several comedy and dramatic roles, and these days he can be seen as Indy for the last time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Ford is also set to join the MCU in the upcoming film, Captain America: Brave New World.
Arnold Schwarzenegger – The Terminator (1984)
Though he only spoke 17 lines in The Terminator, and regarded it as just another B-movie at the time, the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger would never be the same after he appeared as Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi classic. Although he was initially thought of for the part of Kyle Reese, Cameron just didn’t see him in the role, and Schwarzenegger was eventually cast to play the villain, but only after Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone had turned it down.
After the success of the first film, Schwarzenegger appeared in four more Terminator movies, and has become one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars. He can currently be seen in the Netflix comedy-action series, FUBAR, where he plays CIA operative Luke Brunner.
Sigourney Weaver – Aliens (1986)
After the success of the 1979 original, it was inevitable that a sequel would appear down the line, and in 1986 audiences were treated to James Cameron’s Aliens, a film that is regarded to be one of the best sequels of all time. Though she initially rejected a return to her role of Ellen Ripley, Sigourney Weaver eventually agreed to the movie after a lengthy negotiation process which saw her take home the largest salary she’d ever earned at the time. It was a smart decision by Weaver, who had recently portrayed Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters, as Aliens would propel her into stardom, and only serve to further her career.
She’s since built up one of Hollywood’s most impressive resumés, appearing in the Avatar franchise, and can be seen next in the upcoming Amazon Prime series, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.