America cinema is no stranger to female gunslingers and the phrase "girls with guns" is a trendy label for well-armed women with the confidence to shoot. The action film roles available to women have evolved from female sidekick or love interest to full on protagonists packing not only their wits but also their firearms.
Here are eight notable female gunslingers in American Cinema:
1. Angelina Jolie: Jolie is an Oscar-winning actor with notable gunslinger roles in such films as "Tomb Raider," "Wanted," and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
According to the Internet Movie Firearms Database (IMFDB), in her role as a female assassin in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," the guns Jolie wielded included a Glock 19, a Beretta 92G Elite II, a Sig-Sauer P230, and a sawed-off double barrel shotgun.
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2. Scarlett Johansson: Johansson is considered a modern-day sex symbol with one of the most beautiful faces in Hollywood. However, she has also played major roles in action films that put her in the "girls with guns" category. In her role as Natasha Romanoff in "Iron Man 2," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," and "The Avengers" she wielded a Walther PPK, a Glock 26 and a Heckler & Koch USP Compact according to IMFBD.
3. Lucy Liu: Liu got her start as an ice-cold attorney in the television series "Ally McBeal" and she has a bevy of film, voiceover and television work to her credit. Liu wielded numerous firearms in the film "Ecks vs. Sever" including a Beretta 92FS, and a M60 machine gun. In "Kill Bill Vol 1." she wielded an M4A1 Carbine assault rifle according to IMFBD.
4. Sigourney Weaver: The original alien-kicking female gunslinger, Weaver has films to her credit as varied as "Annie Hall and "Ghost Busters" to the "Aliens" films for which her gun skills are most notable. As Ellen Ripley in "Aliens" Weaver wielded an M41A Pulse Rifle, and in the film "The Cold Light of Day" a Micro Uzi according to IMFBD.
5. Carrie-Ann Moss: As computer programmer and hacker Trinity in the science fiction action series "The Matrix," Moss wielded various Beretta's, a Micro Uzi, and a Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun. IMFBD also reports Moss wielded a Glock 26 as an FBI agent in the film, "Unthinkable."
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6. Linda Hamilton: As Sarah Connor in "The Terminator," Hamilton earned her "girls with guns" status fighting off a cyborg assassin played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. She starred in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" as well and wielded some hefty firepower including a Ruger Security Six, Beretta 92FS Inox, Colt Commando AR-15, and a Russian AKM automatic rifle according to IMFBD.
7. Helen Mirren: Oscar-winning actor Mirren has an impressive list of film and television credits and was named the "the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama," according to IMDB. In the action films "Red" and "Red 2" Mirren plays an ex black-ops agent and wields a Browning M2, Glock 34, Beretta 92FS Inox, and a Heckler & Koch MP5K submachine gun according to IMFBD.
8. Keira Knightley: In the 2005 film "Domino," Knightly plays the role of a former model turned gun toting bounty hunter. In the film, she wields a Sig-Sauer P226, and a Remington 870 pump-action shotgun. In the three "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, Knightley plays an independent minded character who evolves from "lady" to "courageous pirate" and wields a Flintlock pistol and a Brown Bess Flintlock Musket according to IMFDB.
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws before purchasing or traveling with a firearm.
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