5 Full time wrestlers who appeared in big Hollywood films

It has become quite common for professional wrestlers to branch out into Hollywood once they reach their peak in the field of sports entertainment. The transition isn't as tough as it seems at first, considering how professional wrestlers are tasked to follow a script and embody a character as well.

Superstars like John Cena, The Rock, and Dave Bautista chose acting as their full-time profession after making it big in WWE. On the other hand, Superstars like Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, etc. tried out their acting skills in WWE productions.

Being a part of a multi-million dollar Hollywood production while being contracted full-time to a wrestling promotion has got to be a tough task. The scheduling conflicts, location changes, and many other factors play as variables in such cases.

Regardless, these hurdles haven't been able to stop professional wrestling Superstars from appearing in Films. That being said, here are 5 superstars who appeared in big Hollywood productions while being contracted full-time to a wrestling promotion.

#5 Braun Strowman (Holmes & Watson)

Braun Strowman played a role similar to his WWE character in Holmes & Watson

If there is one Superstar in WWE whose mean streak isn't to be questioned, it is the Monster Among Men Braun Strowman. In less than 4 years, Strowman has become one of the hottest WWE Superstars. He has feuded with the likes of Brock Lesnar, The Shield, Kevin Owens and the list goes on. He has also headlined multiple pay-per-views including SummerSlam 2017. Currently, he is one of the top Superstars on WWE's flagship show Raw.

Even though Strowman appears as a hot-headed monster on WWE TV, he is actually multi-talented. His interesting tweets and Instagram posts indicate how charismatic the former Wyatt Family member actually is.

Strowman also possesses decent acting skills and it was proved when he appeared in the 2018 Buddy Comedy film Holmes & Watson. The film starred Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in respective titular roles. Strowman made a cameo in the movie and his character Brawn was based on his WWE character.

#4 Kurt Angle (Pain & Gain)

Kurt Angle got his rematch against The Rock in 2013, but this time in a Hollywood film

Kurt Angle has appeared in numerous films throughout his illustrious WWE career. However, most of the features he has been a part of were low-budget direct-to-DVD ones. If you have been following Angle's professional career since the Attitude Era, you should know that the Olympic Gold Medalist has a charismatic screen presence. He has done full justice to the comedic as well as the vicious wrestling machine characters assigned to him.

In 2013, Angle made a brief appearance in the dark comedy crime flick Pain & Gain featuring The Rock as one of the lead stars. At that time, Angle was employed to Total Nonstop Action (now Impact Wrestling). His role in the Michael Bay directed film was that of a prison inmate who engages in a fight with The Rock's character. Even though the fight didn't last as long as their WWF matches did, it was a fun cameo.

#3 The Great Khali (Get Smart)

The Great Khali surprised the audience with his performance as Agent Dalip in Get Smart.

He is one of the largest professional wrestlers to have ever graced the WWE Universe with his presence. When he made his WWE debut in 2006, he was pushed quite heavily as he went on to destroy the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, and Kane during his debut year. He even won the World Heavyweight Championship at one point.

Even though The Great Khali appeared at first as a destructive monster with no layers to his character, he completely turned things around in 2008. He was roped in to the play the character of KAOS agent Dalip in 2008 spy comedy film Get Smart alongside The Rock, Steve Carell, and Anne Hathaway.

Although The Great Khali's role in the flick was a supporting one, it was quite significant to the plot. The Punjabi Playboy ended up impressing the audience members with his acting chops. He even went on to star in a number of Bollywood films.

#2 Sheamus (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows)

Sheamus as Rocksteady in the 2016 TMNT film before getting mutated.

The Celtic Warrior's decade-plus WWE career has been full of accomplishments. He has won multiple world titles, the King of the Ring tournament, the Royal Rumble match, the Money in the Bank contract, etc. Due to nagging injuries, he had to take a back seat a few years ago and limit himself in the ring. Still, the first-ever Irish born WWE Champion has a lot of achievements under his belt to be called one of this generation's greatest performers.

Sheamus tried his luck in Hollywood when he got the role of Rocksteady in 2016's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Sheamus' entertaining portrayal of the humanoid mutant white rhinoceros was praised by many. Not only that, the 2012 Royal Rumble winner also took part in the film's promotional work. He interviewed some of his cast members as well, alongside his co-star Gary Anthony Williams, who portrayed Bebop.

#1 Roman Reigns (Hobbs & Shaw)

Roman Reigns will be seen teaming up with his real-life cousin in Hobbs & Shaw.

Roman Reigns shocked the entire world when he announced the return on his Leukemia last fall. He had to vacate the Universal Championship and undergo treatment right away. It should be noted however, that he was still contracted to WWE at that point. In addition to receiving treatment, The Big Dog landed a couple of acting gigs as well.

He was roped in to play Hobbs' brother in the highly anticipated summer action flick Hobbs & Shaw (slated to release this Friday). Reigns is also the real-life cousin of The Rock (who will be portraying the role of Hobbs). Even though Reigns shot for the film while being away from WWE, he continued to make promotional appearances to hype up the film after his return in March.

Reigns would be appearing in an extended cameo, but his marketability has had him significantly featured in a number of TV spots.