Summary

Becoming a professional sports star takes an incredible amount of decision , cause , and time , and to follow up this achievement with a successful career as an thespian show veridical talent and versatility . There were some jock turned role player who utilized their athletics skills for a career in motion picture and video , such as Chuck Norris , who brought his martial graphics talent to a calling as an action champion . While others moved off from their former profession entirely to pursue a vocation in comedy or spectacular theatrical role .

There were plenty of athlete who amazingly were able toutilize their decipherable talent and channel that DOE into a successful Hollywood playacting career . Someathletes turned movie starshad already touch the greatest heights of their profession before they decided to switch gears and prosecute a new theatrical role as a movie or video wiz . One example was the football participant Jim Brown , who was rank among the best athletes the sport has ever realise and used his asterisk power as a sport ikon to forge a fresh indistinguishability as a successful doer .

10Terry Crews

Former NFL player

Before direct up acclaim sitcom roles such inEverybody Hates ChrisandBrooklyn Nine - Nine , as well as memorable parts inWhite ChicksandIdiocracy , Terry Crews had an impressive career as an NFL player . Asa football player for the Los Angeles Rams , the San Diego Chargers , and the Washington Redskins just to name a few , Crews was a human beings of many hidden talent as he often supplemented his income by paint commission portraits of his teammate ( viaJimmy Kimmel . ) After retire from football game in 1997 , Crews shifted to playacting and detect success in the Earth of comedy .

9John Cena

Former WWE wrestler

John Cena first gained recognition in Hollywood for his telling launching as John Triton inThe Marine , however , before this , he already made chronicle as aworld - champion WWE matman . regard as one of the capital professional wrestlers of all time , Cena follow in the footsteps of Dwayne Johnson to become one of Hollywood ’s most seek - after virtuoso after transition out of the WWE . With comedy roles inTrainwreck , action parts such as inFast X , and even spat voice performance in the likes ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Mutant Mayhem , Cena has now firmly cement himself as a keystone in the world of motion picture .

8Dave Bautista

The unbelievably likable Dave Bautista is mostly widely know today as Drax inGuardians of the Galaxyand the Marvel Cinematic Universe , although before this he rose to fame as a WWE world champion . Withan impressive grappling career in World Tag Team , Wrestle Mania , and the Royal Rumble , Bautista also begin acting in 2006 and lento became a major movie superstar . With telling roles inBlade Runner 2049,Dune , and even phonation work inThe Boy and the Heron , Bautista ’s acting career has been on a continued upward trajectory and does not show any signs of slow down .

7Kali Reis

Former professional boxer

Kali Reis was a former boxer who despite being imply in a serious motorcycling accident in 2012 that shortly staunch her career ( viaGirlboxing ) handle to becomeworld maven in two different weight class . In 2021 , Reis made her acting debut as the maven of the thriller movieCatch the Fair Onefor which she received far-flung critical plaudit . Reis has recently star alongside Jodie Foster in the quaternary season of the anthology crime seriesTrue Detectivewhere her brilliant carrying out along with the season ’s strong penning has helped recapture the spirit and tycoon of the show ’s first season .

6Jim Brown

Perhaps with the greatest running back in NFL history , Jim Brown broke multiple records in throughout his sports careerbefore retiring at age 30 , at the elevation of his career , to pursue do full - clip . Having already taken up minor roles in movies likeRio ConchosandThe Dirty Dozen , Brown was tramp as a leave man inThe Spitand100 Riflesand continued an acclaimed career on television in the 1980s . While Brown ’s acting career never quite reached the altitude of his football game achievement , he demonstrated himself as a capable actor with serious star power .

5Chuck Norris

Former martial artist

While sealed mass may be more intimate withChuck Norris memesthan his factual life history , this soldierlike creative person and actorfollowed his impressive Karate Championship calling with major roles as an activeness movie star . After training famous person in the direction of martial arts , Norris was invited by Bruce Lee to wager a villain inThe Way of the Dragonin 1972 and he continued with a life history as a major star in moving-picture show likeThe Delta ForceandCode of Silence . jestingly known for tremendous exploit of military posture and survival , in late years Norris leaned into his reputation as a beloved internet meme .

4Carl Weathers

While the previous actor Carl Weathers may be best known onscreen as professional boxer Apollo Creed in theRockyfranchise , he was almost a historied athlete in his own right who had an acclaimed vocation as aprofessional NFL player from 1970 to 1974 . While still play football , conditions take up uncredited persona in blaxploitation movies before finding mainstream success withRockyand later look inPredator , Happy Gilmore , and his final part beforeWeathers ' death in 2024as Greef Karga inThe Mandalorian . With an impressive football game calling behind him , weather condition found even greater success as an worker .

3Jason Lee

Former professional skateboarder

Before take a leak a name for himself with flick likeMallratsandAlvin and the Chipmunks , as well as TV winner as the sitcom lead inMy Name Is Earl , Jason Lee was a major figure within the worldly concern of professional skateboarding . Lee ’s attainment as a skater was documented in the iconic skate videoVideo Dayswhich was directed by Spike Lee and was an important document of the sportsman . While Lee retired in 1996 and swop his focussing to act full - prison term , he is still the co - founder of Stereo Skateboards and has been a playable character in theTony Hawk’sgames .

2Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Today Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest military action pic stars in Hollywood , but hefirst rose to prominence as a WWE matman under the name The Rock . An built-in part of the WWE ’s popularity during the recent nineties and early 2000s , Johnson transition into acting with as The Scorpion King inThe Mummy Returnsin 2001 . This led to him lead a spin - off movieThe Scorpion Kingin 2002 where he cement himself as a leading military man . Since then , Johnson has led numerous action and comedy movies and even excelled with voice oeuvre in pic such asMoana .

1Arnold Schwarzenegger

Former professional bodybuilder

By geezerhood 20,Arnold Schwarzenegger had won the title of Mr. Universeand soon made a name for himself as one of the greatest bodybuilders ever . After Schwarzenegger retired in 1977 , he gained worldwide celebrity as an role player , first inConan the Barbarianand later as a character in the box office strike successThe Terminator . As one of the biggest moving picture stars of the 1980s , Schwarzenegger lead numerous natural process moviesbefore temporarily hit the hay to pursue a political career and become Governor of California . Schwarzenegger has since returned to acting and currently star in the Netflix seriesFUBAR .

Sources : Jimmy Kimmel , Girlboxing

In a dusty landscape Finn stares out into the distance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Ben-Stiller’s-$128M-Dark-Comedy-Lands-On-Netflix’s-Global-Charts-18-Years-Later

Dwayne-Johnson-as-Black-Adam,-Teth-Adam-Black-Adam-(2022)-&-Terry-Crews-as-Terry-Jeffords-Brooklyn-Nine-Nine-&-Kali-Reis-as-Evangeline-Navarro-from-true-detective-4

Custom image by Yalin Chacon

John Cena WWE 2K22 Roster

Dave Bautista as Drax looking surprised in Guardians of the Galaxy

Kali Reis as Navarro in True Detective: Night Country

Black and white photo of Jim Brown in a football uniform.

Chuck Norris holding Uzi in The Delta Force

Custom image of Carl Weathers as Dillon juxtaposed with Jesse Ventura shooting a gun as Blain in Predator.

Jason Lee as Earl in My Name Is Earl.