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Avatar's Sam Worthington is the latest actor to join the ranks of celluloid action heroes.  Worthington made his notable American debut in last summer's misfire Terminator Salvation but his top grossing film Avatar has propelled the Aussie actor into leading man status.  In 2010, the actor who once lived in his car, will further cement his action hero status when his Hollywood action-adventure Clash of the Titans opens in April. 

So how long will his action man hero status last?  The life span for action movie heroes varies depending on their career choices.

Jean-Claude Van Damme (Universal Soldier), Sylvestor Stallone (Rambo, Rocky, Cobra), and Steven Seagal (Under Siege, Exit Wounds) are former action stars that are no longer in the big picture.  Their macho-fueled efforts these days include straight to DVD titles and resurrecting old franchises in hopes of propelling themselves back into A-List status.   Seagal's new plan back to stardom includes a stint as a reality tv star with Steven Seagal: Lawman on A&E but don't expect any beatings on this venue...well not on camera at least. He don't need no stinkin' badge.

So where did they go wrong?

While their box office power has waned throughout the years,  Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford's lasting power can also be partly attributed to their movie franchises (Die Hard, Terminator, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible) but they also carved out a career with non-action films. 

Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwartznegger took the comedy route while Harrison Ford proved himself in the dramatic department with hits such as Witness (Kelly McGillis) and Working Girl (Sigourney Weaver, Melanie Griffith).  Bruce Willis had The Sixth Sense to go the Whole Nine Yards with his choice in movie roles but lately the Die Hard star has played it safe returning to what he does best with Surrogates (2009) and his upcoming action comedy Cop Out with 30 Rock's Tracy Morgan.

Before the Terminator was side-tracked with a poor performance as the governator, Arnold Schwartznegger took a stab at being funny with Kindergarden Cop (1990) and Twins (1988) with Danny DeVito and Kelly Preston.  After his governorship run, it will be interesting to see which genre he tackles.

Wesley Snipes has been missing in action since the last of the Blade series but that may be more of a personal choice due to his IRS troubles than a career lull.  But the tax evader is back in the ensemble cast Brooklyn's Finest.

Tom Cruise didn't start out as an action star.  The Risky Business star had a solid career when Top Gun (1986) jetted him into box office gold and an action star but the Mission Impossible star's popularity took a hit after his couch jumping antics on Oprah, mating choices, and Scientology rants.  The Jerry Maguire actor has cruised along with mostly action-driven material sprinkled in with some characters pieces (Rain Man, Eyes Wide Shut, Lions for Lambs) but his most memorable turn as an agent in Tropic Thunder got the Hollywood tongues wagging again.  Instead of heading into the comic arena, Cruise opted for more action with the upcoming Knight & Day with Vanilla Sky co-star Cameron Diaz.  Given the titles of his upcoming projects in development, he's not letting up on stunts over character-driven films. 

Speaking of crazy personal escapades and durable action stars, Mel Gibson has been missing from in front of the camera since 2002's Signs. The Lethal Weapon and Braveheart star returned as a revenge seeking cop in Edge of Darkness but it's lackluster $19 million opening proved audiences may not be so forgiving of his personal troubles or just not interested in aging stars. 

John Travolta's new action movie might prove the latter to be true.  Travolta re-visited the bad-ass genre as a balding, goatee-looking killer with From Paris With Love opposite The Tudors' Jonathan Rhys-Meyers but the audiences didn't share his love of Paris so much with a poor opening of $8.2 million. 

Nicolas Cage has not had a decent action film in the last decade but the National Treasurer star keeps them coming. Denzel Washington took a successful turn as an action hero in The Book Of Eli but don't expect the versatile actor to keep cranking out them out like Cage. 

The shoot-em-up days for the likes of John Travolta and company might be over but John Travolta's proven track record with the family-friendly genre (Wild Hogs, Old Dogs, Bolt) will keep him in the big picture.  Others have turned to the kiddie-flick arena to survive.  Like Arnold Schwartenegger, former WWF wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson first played up the muscle-bound characters (The Mummy Returns, Doom) as expected but he soon expanded his roles with comedy (Get Shorty, Get Smart) and family-friendly fare. 

Dropping "The Rock" as his marquee name, Dwayne Johnson took on the role of serious actor with dramatic roles in Richard Kelly's Southland Tales (2006) and Gridiron Gang (2006) but when that didn't work, he turned to another genre. Johnson's recent string of hits come from kiddie flicks with Game Plan (2007), the remake of Race To Witch Mountain, Planet 51, and his most recent Tooth Fairy.  It's safe to say the former WWF wrestler will be sticking to the family-friendly genre with an upcoming role in the Johhny Quest movie.

Jackie Chan is another action star embracing this genre with his recent The Spy Next Door but unfortunately the Rush Hour star failed with the matinee crowd.

Other muscle-bound action stars such as Vin Diesel (The Fast and Furious, Pitch Black, XXX) went the kiddie route with the successful The Pacifier but he soon left the family genre behind opting for more action in the disappointing Babylon A.D.  After a successful comeback with Fast and Furious (2009), Diesel's plan of action includes resurrecting other franchises as Riddick and xXx's Xander Cage.   Hannibal the Conqueror is also on the actor's roster.  Action seems to be his bread and butter for at least the next five years. 

Women have not had much luck in the action genre except for the multi-talented Angelina Jolie who is one of the few actresses to jump from drama (Clint Eastwood's The Changeling, A Mighty Heart) to action.  The Wanted and Mr. and Mrs. Smith star has been able to hold on to her ass-kicking ways since Tomb Raider and she's translated it into a versatile career.  Brad Pitt's significant other can next be seen outsmarting the FBI in the action-filled Salt which was originally intended for Tom Cruise but rewritten for the Academy Award winning actress when Cruise pulled out. 

Only a handful of other actress can claim their own action franchises with the likes of Sigourney Weaver's Alien series, Linda Hamilton's first two Terminators, and Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil.  Geena Davis comes to mind as failed action star with her box office flops Cutthroat Island and The Long Kiss Goodnight.  Audiences either did not buy the 6'0 tall actress as an action star or perhaps it was the cheesy films. 

There is one unlikely lady who seems to be making her place on celluloid as an action queen. Mila Kunis from That 70's Show fame might give Jolie a run for her money as the go to action gal as she's proven herself action proof in Max Payne and The Book of Eli. 

However, the ladies still trail far behind the men in the action department.  For stars like Stallone and Seagal, their life span as an action hero translated into a decade and a half on the big screen.  For others like Willis and Cruise, mixing up their role choices prolonged their careers. 

So what should the new crop of action stars learn from the old-timers in the action business?  Like your stock broker might advise - diversify.  Sam Worthington is already taking that advice as his upcoming roster also includes non-action films.