Many athletes come and go, some making an impact in their respective sport, others simply retiring and riding off into the sunset. With many athletes finding a new niche post-retirement, some rarely find the same success they found in their playing career. Sometimes, they retire back to a normal life, sometimes they go back to coaching.
For other athletes, they take their talents and become mega-stars on the big screen. Sometimes they find they have just as much talent acting as they do hitting home runs or hitting the game-winning basket. Here are 10 athletes that have been in movies and have found success acting.
Lebron James - Trainwreck (2015)
Everyone knows who King James is. As arguably one of the best NBA basketball players of all time, he is a household name, whether you’re a sports fan or not. What fans of Lebron didn’t know was he had some acting chops as he demonstrated in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck.
Although the movie starred and revolved around Amy Schumer and Bill Hader’s character, Lebron had a significant role and played a big part even though it was his first time on the big screen.
And his acting career is far from over. In the near future, Lebron James will be starring in the Space Jam sequel that had another basketball star in it in 1996. Lebron has also had a hand in producing and we’ll most likely see more of Bron in Hollywood after his retirement.
Lawrence Taylor - Any Given Sunday (1999)
Lawrence Taylor was a monster on the football field, an intimidating, career-ending hulk with a hunger for sacks. Lawrence Taylor changed the game, by making the left tackle in football one of the highest-paid positions due to his terror on the offense’s blindside.
Onscreen LT got his start in 1998’s Waterboy before making his claim to fame in Any Given Sunday. He plays an aging veteran on an underperforming team run by Al Pacino’s character and manned by Dennis Quaid’s.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar - Airplane (1980)
Kareem Abdul Jabbar was one of the most dominant players in NBA history and one of the best Lakers to ever put on a jersey. Like Lebron, Abdul Jabbar is a household name and just about any casual fan knows him for his accomplishments on the court.
In 1980, Kareem traded his basketball for a script and starred in Airplane alongside Leslie Nielsen and Julie Hagerty. Being an athlete, especially in a demanding sport like Basketball, it’s tough to find time to do anything else, let alone act in a movie.
We’re glad he did so as we got to see a different side to the gentle giant.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Terminator (1984)
Long before he was the Terminator or the Governor of California, Schwarzenegger was a 4-time Mr.Universe and a powerlifting champion. He focused on his lifting and transformed his body and that got the attention of plenty of Hollywood producers and directors who he got his first start in Conan The Barbarian.
Nowadays, we know Arnold Schwarzenegger as an accomplished actor and entrepreneur and we forget he was an athlete.
Jason Lee - Alvin And The Chipmunks (2007)
Jason Lee is best known as Dave in the live-action adaptation of Alvin and the Chipmunks or as Earl in My Name is Earl but what many don’t know about the actor is that he was once a famous skateboarder.
He accomplished a lot as a skateboarder, even impressing Tony Hawk himself before becoming an actor and well-known celebrity.
Johnny Weissmuller -Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
Long before we was swinging through vines in the jungle and ruling the apes, Johnny Weissmuller was a dominant Water Polo star. A five-time gold medalist and a literal Olympic hero, Weissmuller was the one who came up with Tarzan’s ululating yell.
As one of the actors that's fame in Hollywood came very close to his achievements as an athlete, Weissmuller very well deserves a spot on this list.
Ronda Rousey - Furious 7 (2015)
Ronda Rousey was one of the most dominant female bantamweight champions and was the face of the UFC alongside Conor Mcgregor. Although her UFC career didn’t end in the best of terms with her being brutally defeated in her last two matches, she still found success on the big screen and WWE.
Nowadays Rousey has a pretty extensive acting career, showing up in different action movies and shows and her success doesn’t seem to stop there. Rousey is a talented actress and will surely be starring in her own movies sometime soon.
Terry Bradshaw - Failure To Launch (2006)
Terry Bradshaw was a four-time Super Bowl champion and Pittsburgh Steelers legendary quarterback. Many know Bradshaw today as a broadcast announcer or former coach but many forget that Bradshaw had a huge role in Failure to Launch, a movie starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Bradshaw was surrounded by talent in his big role where he played McConaughey’s father and Kathy Bates' husband. He’s hilarious, stern, and overall great to watch. So whether you’re a football fan or a Terry Bradshaw fan, this movie is a must-watch.
Ray Allen - He Got Game (1998)
Ray Allen is another basketball star that makes his way on the list and he got his chance to shine in the 1998 film He Got Game. Ray Allen was just two years into his basketball career when he starred alongside Denzel Washington and he got a lot of praise for his acting and his portrayal of Jesus Shuttlesworth.
Allen went on to take minor roles in movies and shows throughout his basketball career and although he is now retired, there’s no doubt we might see him on the big screen in the near future.
Jim Brown - 100 Rifles (1969)
Jim Brown turned many heads with his on-field performance as one of the most dominant running backs in NFL history. He turned even more heads when he retired early for a career in acting.
And it turned out to be pretty successful. Jim Brown went on to star in 100 Rifles in 1969 and then went on to make a name for himself outside of the turf. He claims it was because he found more financial success in movies than he ever did in his nine-year playing career.