There are many actors and actresses with athletic ability and chiselled bodies who look like they really need to be in the field or field rather than act like they are. While they don’t have to be athletes-turned-actors, you might be quite surprised by their on-screen talent. Many athletes have pursued acting careers over the years, some of whom have become better known for their acting work than their sports careers.
From time to time, films mix reality and fiction, portraying sports stars as themselves. Sometimes these appearances are short cameos in which the athlete comes on screen to make a joke or joke, but other times the sports stars appear as if they were entire scenes and perhaps even integral to the film’s storyline itself. Top sports icons appearing in movies are nothing new, and here are 10 of the most memorable starring roles and cameos featuring our favourite athletes.
From American football stars to swimming sensations, many athletes have turned to acting after winning trophies. Several sports stars are aiming for an Oscar or an Emmy after switching to acting. Look at some of the athlete-turned-actors who have proven that success in Hollywood is truly a matter of survival of the fittest.
One of the most successful athlete-to-actor transitions is WWE superstar Dwayne Johnson. Johnson started his acting career with a cameo appearance as his father on the ’70s show before joining the Fast and Furious franchise.
Athletes have tried their hand at other initiatives outside of sports several times. Meanwhile, more and more professional athletes are venturing into TV and film, playing bit parts of themselves or even moving on to full-time acting careers. Stars such as Mark Wahlberg, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson have found enduring success as actors since retiring from their musical careers.
Many celebrities started their careers as sports stars before moving on to acting or music, and this experience may have been instrumental in their success later in life. Some stars found their way after injuries sustained while playing sports, while others were constantly thinking.
The singers have been trying their hand at acting ever since films were made. But Meat Loaf isn’t alone when it comes to musical talent showing off their range in movies. To honour Meat Loaf’s memory, we’ve rounded up 16 pop stars who blew our minds as actors or, conversely, made us beg them to stick with the music.
The death of legendary rock star Meat Loaf on January 21 reminded us not only of his musical prowess, but also of his acting career. Everyone knows that Michael Jordan is the best NBA player of all time, but he can also be considered the best player to star in the 90s classic Space Jam. But for kids in the ’90s, he’s also the star of a favourite kids’ movie, as Jordan played himself in the 1996 Looney Tunes comedy Space Jam.
He plays himself, a friend of one of the film’s main characters, Dr. Aaron Connors. He tried out the 1994 basketball drama Blue Chips. ONeal later appeared in the 1996 fantasy film Kazaam, released the same year as Jordan’s Space Jam.
