For years, professional wrestling has been considered an “act”. Performers get in the ring with a predetermined outcome to the delight and disappointment of the fans in arenas and on television. Today, those same performers have taken their talents to the big screen.
Whether it is a major motion picture that some have appeared in or a “B” movie that gets some attention but flops, wrestlers have taken their talents away from the squared-circle and attempted to prove they are more than just a pretty face who can say a few words in front of a camera.
There have been many successes, but there have been just as many, if not more, failures to produce when it comes to acting out a scene with flopping around in tights.
Here is a look at seven wrestlers who have also been actors on screen.
Roddy Piper
While Piper was known as one of the best talkers and best performers in the ring, he was not limited to just the squared-circle. He won acclaim for appearing on the big and small screen including the lead role of John Nada in the 1988 cult classic They Live and a recurring role as a deranged professional wrestler on the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. They Live was a satirical horror film that was directed by John Carpenter. Oddly enough, Piper always played the unpredictable character for WWF/E but was showed his serious side when it came to acting in movies.
Hulk Hogan
He got his start in movies in Rocky III as Thunderlips, a wrestler who was supposed to put on a “show” for the crowd with Rocky Balboa. All Hogan did was bounce the boxer around the ring. Hogan appeared in other movies like “No Holds Barred” which introduced us to Tiny Lister and the ill-fated classic Mr. Nanny and Santa and Muscles. All of this happened before Hogan took a walk on the dark side and turned his back on wrestling fans. Hogan also was part of a TNT original series, Suburban Commando.
The Rock
We all smelled what the Rock was cooking when he left WWE for a future on the big screen. The chiseled looks, the million-dollar smile, and the intensity were enough for him to become one of the highest-grossing actors today. He is part of the Fast and Furious franchise and won acclaim for being in The Scorpion King as well as Gridiron Gang. We have also seen him in Be Cool, The Mummy Returns, and Faster as well as other box office hits. Now it seems The Rock takes time out of his busy Hollywood schedule to wrestle or appears on Raw every once in a while.
John Cena
Cena followed The Rock to Hollywood, which led to the confrontation between the two at WrestleMania – not once, but twice. Cena has not had the same kind of response from the media as The Rock with his movie choices, but nonetheless, he has enjoyed success outside the ring. Cena was in 12 Rounds, The Marine, Legendary and was just in Sisters and Trainwreck. There will be more acting opportunities for the 15-time world champion in the future and maybe the possibility to once again do what The Rock does – act full time and come out of his trailer once in a while to get back in the ring.
Tosh Togo
The former Japanese star was a silver medalist for the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London in weightlifting. He was also an actor, with his most famous role as the villain Oddjob in the James Bond film Goldfinger. Togo wrestled from 1949 to 1975 and was a popular figure in wrestling promotions up and down the East Coast. At one point, he won the Texas Heavyweight Championship and the Southern Tag Team Championship with Ike Eakes.
Steve Austin
I did not know “Stone Cold” has appeared in 15 movies, but apparently, he has a future in the business, should he decide to leave the company that made him a household name and his podcast on the WWE Network. Austin was in the remake of The Longest Yard, Damage, The Expendables and The Knockout – to name a few. And if you are impressed with that kind of knowledge, give me a Hell Yeah!
Batista
The Animal is enjoying the same kind of success on the big screen as he did in WWE. The former World Champion was in the movie Spectre as Mr. Hinx. After he left WWE for a second time following his role in WrestleMania 30 that saw Daniel Bryan win the company’s top title, he has distanced himself from the wrestling ring. Even when he was offered a chance to come back for WrestleMania 32 this past year, possibly as an opponent for The Undertaker, he turned it down.
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