From the squared circle to the silver screen! Join us as we count down the most memorable instances where professional wrestlers proved they had acting chops beyond the ring. These superstars traded bodyslams for Hollywood fame, showing versatility in roles ranging from terrifying villains to comedic scene-stealers and even action heroes!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable instances
00:20where a professional wrestler left the squared circle for the silver screen.
00:31Number 20.
00:33Terry Funk – Roadhouse
00:50This hardcore legend possessed numerous contacts within the entertainment industry, resulting
00:54in some surprising Terry Funk sightings.
00:58Funk made memorable appearances in testosterone-fueled films like Roadhouse and Over the Top, alongside
01:04real-life friend Sylvester Stallone.
01:19The former, meanwhile, saw Funk portraying one of the Double Deuces' tough-guy bouncers,
01:24which admittedly wasn't much of a stretch.
01:33Funk, after all, was one of professional wrestling's legitimate stalwarts, an unbreakable force
01:39of nature that kept his career going until the literal wheels fell off.
01:54Number 19.
01:55Triple H – Blade Trinity This third entry in the Blade franchise admittedly
02:01wasn't the best vampire-hunting story Marvel had to offer their fans.
02:06It did, however, at least feature one Hunter Hearst Helmsley, alongside a very tiny and
02:12very cute dog.
02:23Triple H's character, Jarko Grimwood, was a brooding bodyguard with plenty of muscles
02:28and metallic fangs to boot.
02:30Most fans of Blade Trinity remember Trip's little Pomeranian companion more than anything
02:36else, but this isn't really a bad thing.
02:39It gave what could have been a very single-node character a little color, while also making
02:44Triple H's time in the Marvel spotlight shine just a little bit brighter.
03:00Number 18.
03:01Ronda Rousey – Furious 7 The toughness of Ronda Rousey has never been
03:12in question, which sort of makes her inclusion within the cast of Furious 7 feel like a perfect
03:18fit.
03:19She portrayed the character of Kara, a security leader whose job title made great use of Rousey's
03:25martial arts training.
03:30Granted, both of Rousey's performances around this time, the other being The Expendables
03:393, predated her tenure as a WWE wrestler, but we feel that all things are equal in hindsight.
03:47The fight choreography in Furious 7 likely made her transition to the WWE methods of
03:52athleticism feel like the next natural step.
04:02Number 17.
04:04Kevin Nash – Magic Mike XXL The acting careers of some wrestlers have been
04:19shorter than others.
04:21Big sexy Kevin Nash is not one of those wrestlers, since his silver screen career can be traced
04:27all the way back to the first live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel.
04:32Other films such as The Punisher and The Longest Yard would follow.
04:44Nash would eventually graduate to roles that offered the former diesel more substance however,
04:49specifically the Magic Mike franchise.
04:52The second film in the series, Magic Mike XXL, might feature the best Kevin Nash performance.
04:58But if we're going to be honest, the camera just loves the guy.
05:14Number 16.
05:15Tyler Mayne – Halloween The wrestling career of Tyler Mayne saw this
05:20Canadian native journey all across the world for various promotions.
05:30Mayne's movie career has been equally eclectic, acquiring roles in films like X-Men and The
05:41Devil's Rejects.
05:47It was this latter film that eventually led to Mayne collaborating further with director
05:52Rob Zombie in his Halloween franchise.
05:56The wrestler's formidable height and strength made his portrayal of Michael Myers one that
06:00just feels frightening and visceral.
06:06There's a weight and malevolence to how Mayne's Myers slaughters his victims that
06:13feels ripped from a death match.
06:16Number 15.
06:17Kurt Angle – Warrior The amateur wrestling and Olympic experience
06:30of Kurt Angle likely went a long way into his preparation for the 2011 film, Warrior.
06:37Angle appeared alongside other combat sports professionals in a minor role but one that
06:42definitely didn't go unnoticed by wrestling fans.
06:45Co-star Joel Edgerton faces off against Angle's character of Coba, and the Olympic hero looks
06:51like he's in tremendous physical shape.
06:54Warrior was filmed during Angle's tenure with total non-stop action, serving as a great
06:59bit of extra promotion for the wrestler's career.
07:02Not that it needed much.
07:09Number 14.
07:10Macho Man Randy Savage – Spider-Man The character of Bonesaw McGraw may have been
07:24created for the 2002 Spider-Man film but it also possessed real-life comic roots.
07:42Although the name was changed, the Macho Man Randy Savage was able to be a part of what's
07:47almost certainly the turning point in Peter Parker's life.
07:51Savage's scenes with co-star Tobey Maguire are largely played up for comedy, yet it's
07:57Parker's laissez-faire attitude towards capturing a petty criminal that ultimately
08:01leads to his Uncle Ben's death.
08:04Meanwhile, Savage's larger-than-life persona updated the wrestling stereotype formerly
08:09embodied by Joseph Crusher Hogan for a whole new knowing audience.
08:24Number 13.
08:25George The Animal Steele – Ed Wood Has there ever been a case of casting Kismet
08:41quite like George The Animal Steele, portraying the equally animalistic Tor Johnson?
08:47Steele's unhinged wildman persona not only made him a great fit for Johnson, but the
08:52former WWE star actually looked great in the role too.
08:58Johnson's big, hulking physique was said to have contrasted with his gentle demeanor.
09:09This also applies to The Animal's legacy as a lovable character.
09:14Steele was great on-screen as Johnson, reminding many wrestling fans how the man behind the
09:19animal gimmick was much more than grunts and groans.
09:3312.
09:34Hulk Hogan – Rocky III Being the most recognizable professional wrestler
09:53in the world and an unlikely thespian, Hulk Hogan had to make an appearance somewhere
09:58on this list.
10:00During his various film roles, we're going with his debut performance as Thunderlips
10:05in Rocky III.
10:14Towering over the Italian Stallion, Thunderlips throws Sylvester Stallone around the ring
10:19as if he were a ragdoll.
10:21Even the referee and security guards can't restrain the wrestling machine.
10:26As always though, good ol' Rocky never backs down and gives the diaper-wearing monster
10:31a run for his money.
10:3811.
10:42The Big Show – The Waterboy When 31-year-old Bobby Boucher loses his job
10:57as a waterboy, he offers his services to his wrestling idol, Captain Insano.
11:03Big Show portrays Insano as a commanding titan with a mighty build and even mightier mouth.
11:11After learning Bobby's age, he opens up a can of whoop-ass on the poor waterboy's
11:15feelings live on TV.
11:17Gee, Captain Insano shows no mercy, whether he's breaking your legs or your heart.
11:24In all fairness though, we'd probably be laughing at Bobby too.
11:4410.
11:48John Cena – The Suicide Squad 2015 was a very good year for John Cena
11:59the actor, since films like Trainwreck and Sisters proved that this WWE legend possessed
12:05legit performance chops.
12:07Cena's run on the silver screen would only improve from here, particularly when it came
12:12time for him to appear in The Suicide Squad.
12:24The face that runs the place brought his A-game for his portrayal of Peacemaker, a hyper-nationalist
12:30with blood on his hands.
12:32The worst villains often feel as if they're the hero of the story.
12:36Cena's performance underlines Peacemaker's delusional ideas of peace and what he'll
12:41do to achieve these ideas.
12:489.
12:52Stone Cold Steve Austin – The Longest Yard The 2005 remake of The Longest Yard was a
13:05bit more comedic and definitely sillier than its 1974 source material, but it did admittedly
13:11feature some fun faces in its cast.
13:15Stone Cold Steve Austin appeared in this film only a couple years before starring in his
13:19own vehicle, The Condemned.
13:26Austin's character of Dunham is one of the guards in the film, a provocative role yet
13:30admittedly of a lower profile compared to The Condemned.
13:34Despite this, Austin's work on The Longest Yard served as a nice warm-up to a career
13:40that would see the Texas Rattlesnake explore meatier tough guy roles within the subsequent
13:45years.
13:538.
14:03Jerry The King Lawler – Man on the Moon Professional wrestler Jerry Lawler allegedly
14:23shared an infamous rivalry with comedian Andy Kaufman in real life.
14:30their relationship with Jim Carrey portraying Kaufman and Jerry Lawler portraying himself.
14:44The film touches on many actual events, most notably Lawler punching Kaufman on David Letterman
14:50and Kaufman throwing a cup of coffee in his face.
14:53Although it looked like they hated each other, Man on the Moon clarified once and for all
14:58that the entire feud was staged.
15:01Behind the scenes, the two enemies were really good friends.
15:127.
15:15Harold Sakata – Tosh Togo Goldfinger.
15:20Has there ever been a more iconic movie henchman than Odd Job?
15:24Well-bent on destroying his target and poised with class, without ever totally upstaging
15:29Goldfinger's main antagonist, Odd Job's everything a good right-hand man should be.
15:43A professional wrestler like Harold Sakata, who, went under the name Tosh Togo in the
15:49mid-20th century, was born to play this role, bringing both an intimidating physical presence
15:55and a certain degree of humor to a mostly silent part.
16:00And let's not forget his deadly bowler cap, which would decapitate you in three seconds
16:05flat.
16:06But honestly though, who throws a hat?
16:166.
16:18Kane – See No Evil Professional wrestlers are tailor-made to
16:35play action stars.
16:37They're also the ideal vessel to bring raging psychopaths to life.
16:41At least, according to this slasher flick, it shouldn't come as a major shock that
16:46See No Evil was the first feature produced by WWE Films.
17:05Kane is Jacob Goodnight, who can whip a chain, wield an axe, and hook a human being unlike
17:11any other.
17:12In a way, the film is an allegory for being stuck in a cage match with a disgruntled wrestler
17:18who isn't afraid to fight dirty.
17:255.
17:29Jesse The Body Ventura – Predator Arnold might have kicked the most ass and
17:38delivered the best one-liners in Predator.
17:41If any of his teammates could have given him a run for his money, however, it would be
17:45Jesse Ventura as Blaine Cooper.
17:58A machine-gun-loving sexual tyrannosaurus who has no time to bleed.
18:03It's a shame this awesome character didn't get more screen time, but at least Ventura
18:07got to star alongside Arnold again a few months later in The Running Man.
18:184.
18:20Dwayne The Rock Johnson – Fast Five Dwayne The Rock Johnson has had such a successful
18:38acting career that he's been able to sell a movie without always using his ring name.
18:43While he demonstrated solid comedic range in The Rundown, his most memorable action
18:48role has got to be as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious movies.
18:52Making his first appearance in Fast Five, Johnson fit in perfectly as an ex-bounty hunter
18:58determined to take in Dominic Toretto's crew.
19:13In their mutual love for everything macho, however, it isn't long until Hobbs and Toretto
19:18become bros.
19:243.
19:28Dave Bautista – Guardians of the Galaxy We very often see our tough guys and gals
19:40from professional wrestling take on movie roles that mirror their strenuous daily careers.
19:46This is why Dave Bautista's filmography is so interesting.
19:49The former WWE star has chosen some unique films and delivered some impressive performances.
19:55Bautista's work in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise surprised just about everyone
20:01with how funny it could be.
20:21Meanwhile other films like Blade Runner 2049 and Knock at the Cabin explored Bautista's
20:27range while also demonstrating how the wrestler could change his physical appearance to reflect
20:33each new role.
20:382.
20:41Andre the Giant – The Princess Bride Although Andre the Giant was king of the
20:55ring in the world of wrestling, he was a mere peasant in The Princess Bride.
21:00Often described as a gentle giant, Andre couldn't have been better suited to play the thick-headed
21:05yet also resourceful Fezzik.
21:23While he starts off working for the bad guys, this larger-than-life character eventually
21:28sees the light thanks to his innocence, sportsmanship and oversized heart.
21:33Wherever you are now, Andre, we hope you're dreaming of large women.
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22:041.
22:05Rowdy Rowdy Piper – They Live In They Live, Rowdy Piper's John Natta looks
22:22like a wrestler, talks like a wrestler and fights like a wrestler.
22:26Despite all of this, Piper manages to do the unthinkable – convince the audience that
22:32John Natta is not a pro wrestler, but an average nobody who becomes humanity's last
22:38hope.
22:39Charismatic, funny, comfortable and down-to-earth, it's actually sort of surprising that Piper
22:51didn't have a more prominent film career as an action star.
22:54They Live is proof that few performers can kick ass and chew bubblegum better than him.
23:14Do you think we live in an era where it's easier for professional wrestlers to transition
23:19into acting?
23:20Let us know in the comments.