We're used to seeing athletes in commercials, guest spots on TV series, or even playing themselves in movie or two, but most of them go right back to what they are good at: being athletes. But there is another group of athlete-actors who have made acting into a full time career and have turned in memorable performances and even created some beloved characters. This is a list of some of the best of those performances by actors that used to be professional athletes. (Here's a complete list of athlete-turned-actors.)
With so many high octane, wizz-bang-effect-laden movies and series out there, it is no wonder that Hollywood comes a knockin' on the doors of prominent athletes who have the skills and charisma to play starring and supporting roles in some of the biggest properties out there. Many use their athletic prowess or physical appearance to aid them in their roles, while others were selected solely based on their existing fame; regardless, the actors who were athletes on this list have done something worth mentioning and certainly worth watching.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
List this one under athlete turned actor, turned politician, turned actor again. Arnold "The Governator" Schwarzenegger gained fame in the 1960's as one of the most influential bodybuilders of the time before transitioning into film.
After some so-so, albeit well known, performances in movies like Conan the Barbarian, Schwarzenegger was cast in the role that defined his career as the title character in James Cameron's breakout hit The Terminator. His buff physique made him the perfect choice to play an (almost) unstoppable robot sent from the future to murder a young woman.
Schwarzenegger left the public life for... eh... public life as the two-term governor of California. However, he brought new meaning to his most famous line "I'll be back," when he returned to acting in movies, including Sabatoge and The Expendables franchise.
Bruce Lee
World famed martial artist Bruce Lee came to acting early through his father's career as a famous Cantonese opera star. By the age of 18, he had already appeared in 20 films, but decided to quit acting in favor of martial arts in the early 1960's.
In 1966, Lee decided to give acting another try and landed the role of Kato in the TV series "The Green Hornet." In a time when TV action consisted largely of a WHIZZ, BANG, or POW graphics instead of any real action (fans of Adam West's "Batman" know what I'm talking about) it must have been nice to see a real martial arts pro on the small screen.
Bubba Smith
NFL defensive end, Bubba Smith played pro-football for the Colts, Raiders, and Oilers between 1967 and 1976. Slap a police uniform on Smith's 6'7" and 265 pound body and you have one hell of an intimidating cop! Or at least that's what the producers of Police Academy thought when they cast him as Officer Moses Hightower. For most of his post-NFL acting career, Smith was typecast as a variety of police officers; either making us laugh as he did in six installments of Police Academy or scaring us into obeying the law in other roles. As Cadet Barbra says, "If all cops looked like him, there'd be no crime at all."
Carl Weathers
After a brief stint in the NFL and several years on a Canadian football team (there's football in Canada? What a world!), Carl Weathers decided it was time for a career change and luckily for the world he gave acting a try. Until 2004, Weathers was probably best known for the Rocky film franchise, Predator, Action Jackson and the "In the Heat of the Night" series. However, a little show called "Arrested Development" introduced him to a entirely different audience and a new generation. Playing an incredibly shrewd (read: hilariously slimey) and frugal version of himself, Weathers was one of the funniest parts of an already side-stitching series. And what are his feelings on ham? Does he like it? No... he loves it.
Chuck Norris
"Fear of spiders is arachnophobia, fear of tight spaces is claustrophobia, fear of Chuck Norris is called logic." -Chuck Norris Facts
Thanks to his fists of fury and roundhouse kick of death, the great bearded Chuck Norris made a name for himself by becoming the Professional Middleweight Karate champion in 1968 and holding the title for six consecutive years.
In the late 1960's, Norris began his transition into acting highlighted by films such as Return of the Dragon (opposite Bruce Lee), but is probably best known for the not-at-all cheesy TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger" where he got to put his martial arts skills to good use for 10 seasons between 1993 and 2001.
Did you know that Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice? It's a fact.
Jason Lee
Many know Jason Lee for his work in Mallrats, Almost Famous, and The Incredibles, but few may know that he was once a professional skateboarder in the late 1980's and early 1990's, even receiving a sponsorship from Airwalk shoe company alongside the great Tony Hawk.
In 2005, Lee accepted a role for a new sitcom about a lottery winner who tries to right all the wrongs his committed in his life. "My Name is Earl" ran for four seasons and earned Lee two individual SAG award nominations as well as two Golden Globe nominations. Suck on that, Tony Hawk.
Lou Ferrigno
Former Mr. America and two-time Mr. Universe, bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno was the perfect choice to play the title character in the 1977 tv series "The Incredible Hulk," based on the Marvel comic book character. In the days before CGI, big green monster men had to be played by big monster men in green makeup. Ferrigno has made an entire career out of his Hulk character, after the series ended in 1982, he continued playing The Hulk in several made-for-TV movies and even a 1990's animated series. Most recently, Ferrigno lent his voice to the CGI version of the character in 2008's The Incredible Hulk and to 2013's The Avengers.
O. J. Simpson
Even though he is hardly remembered for anything expect his alleged involvement in the death of his estranged wife and her lover and the high profile court case and controversial acquittal that followed, O.J. Simpson was once a high profile NFL player turned actor.
In 1969, Simpson was picked "number one" in the NFL draft where he went on to play for the Buffalo Bills and the 49ers between 1969 and 1979. Being a star player made him perfect for the movie business. Hollywood came a knocking with roles in the "Roots" mini-series and Capricorn One, but he was probably best known as the bumbling Detective Nordberg in The Naked Gun film trilogy, showing some real slapstick comedy chops. Despite his many legal entanglements over the years, it's hard to deny that Simpson certainly had swagger and could definitely make us laugh.
Terry Crews
Former NFL linebacker Terry Crews only played four seasons of professional football (for four different teams) before calling it quits. Luckily, he was able to leverage that fame into a much more successful acting career.
Since 1997, Crews has appeared in dozens of TV series, movies, music videos, and even video games, but had his longest run co-staring in all four seasons of the Chris Rock narrated sitcom "Everybody Loves Chris" for which he was nominated for four NAACP Image Awards.
Dwayne Johnson
Depending on your views, "Professional Wrestling" could be called a sport or it could be called an elaborate reality TV show. In any case, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has consistently maintained his athletic prowess; especially in the pro-wrestling world where he made his name before transitioning into more traditional acting roles.
Johnson, who has since tried to shake his "The Rock" moniker, broke into legitimate acting with a supporting role in the 2001 hit The Mummy Returns where his convincing performance spawned its own spinoff franchise, The Scorpion King. While it will be a some time before he claims his acting Oscar®, Johnson's toned body and sharp wit make him perfect for any action genre film or even a quirky family comedy.