Male Sex Symbols of the '80s, '90s, and Today: How Much Has Changed!

The Expendables 2 will be in theaters soon and it got us thinking about the difference between movie-star hotties of the ‘80s and ‘90s and how very different they are from today’s most popular actors. Back in the day, über-manly beefcakes like Stallone, Willis, and Schwarzenegger were the kings of the box office and held up as the masculine ideal. Today, it seems we prefer a more sensitive, less ass-kicking sort of guy—even if we’re still happy to look at shirtless dudes with awesome abs.

By Cristina Sayre

Then: Sylvester Stallone

Rambo, Rocky, Jude Dredd, Cliffhanger. In the ‘80s and ‘90s Sylvester Stallone was an action superstar. He was a go-to for beefy butt-kicking movie roles—and there were lots released in that twenty year span. His brand of muscle-bound physique and no nonsense personality were de rigueur for men of the decade. Stallone was so associated with action movies and muscles, it was a big deal when he gained weight and tried to go serious, starring alongside Robert Di Niro, in the 1997 film Cop Land. While the serious actor thing didn’t really work, we can thank Stallone for the goofy Expendables films, which feature a dozen action stars—most of whom haven’t been popular in fifteen years.