One of the NBA's greates players, Kareem Abdul Jabbar also had some memorable movie roles.
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Going through a list of athletes turned actors is a tough sell, mainly because there really aren’t a lot of good ball players who made much of an impact in their thespian trade. However, a handful of them have been able to make a successful transition from one career to the next. This list takes a few liberties as it includes body builders and wresters, but some of the most entertaining “athletes” come from those athletic classifications, and if felt unfair to ignore them.
10. Jim Brown (NFL: Cleveland Browns)
He might have been the greatest of all time. Some even say that he was, even if his days in the league were abbreviated. But after he walked away from the football field, Brown went on to have a quite, successful movie career. His first big role was in the World War II era movie entitled The Dirty Dozen. He starred in various action movies as well as a comedy or sports movie here or there. One unlikely pairing was Brown’s action resume with the comedy spoof Mars Attacks. But Brown eventually returned to his football roots in Any Given Sunday.
9. Shaquille O’Neil (NBA: Orlando Magic, L.A. Lakers, Miami Heat)
O’Neil is the only triple threat on this list. Not only has be made a few movies that did well at the box office, like Blue Chips, but he also has a rap album in the 90s that went platinum in Shaq Diesel. He accomplished all of this while winning championships on the basketball court. But not even the mighty Shaq can avoid the missteps and bad choices. His turn as Superman in Steel was less than the ideal created by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and it might be best for everyone if no one ever mentioned Kazaam again.
8. Bob Ueker (MLB: Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves)
A mediocre baseball player for the Braves, Ueker has found a place in movie history. His voice is attached to one of the most celebrated sports movies of all time. Major League was not only a great movie, but it set the standard for sports comedies. Ueker played the part of the cynical announcer who called the games for the Cleveland Indians, and his biting commentary on the team soon turned to enthusiasm as they started winning more games. It appears that the phrase “winning cures all ills” applies even to the hometown broadcaster. But even more importantly, Ueker will be remembered for his part in the Major League films, and not his baseball career.
7. Vinnie Jones (Football Clubs: Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelsea, Queens Park Poopers)
Few athletes break into the movies and make more than a movie or two before the gimmick is up. Vinnie Jones is the exception to that rule. The British actor has played roles for many big movies, though he’s usually cast as the muscle. His first film was Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels where he played the part of Big Chris. And in Snatch he was Bullet Tooth Tony, a similar role. He has also appeared in Swordfish, Gone in 60 Seconds, and even lent his voice to Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties. Some will say his biggest role is the Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand, but I have to admit that the part I enjoyed him most in was the soccer coach in She’s the Man. Sure, he was muscle bound and angry, but he also had some genuinely funny lines that he delivered perfectly.
6. Andre the Giant (World Wrestling Federation)
Andre the Giant wasn’t in a lot of films, but there is on that stands out and might even be considered a classic for many. Andre played the role of Fezzik in The Princess Bride, a tale of heroics, adventure, and love. His character, who had the requisite level of strength for Andre the Giant, also had a surprising amount of comedy. Few who love the movie can forget the scene where he is constantly taking every word that his cohort, Vizzini, says and while coming up with a rhyme for it, ending in the Vizzini exclaiming “no more rhymes now, I mean it!” and Fezzik replies “anybody got a peanut?”
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (NBA: Milwaukee Bucks, L.A. Lakers,)
Most athletes have one movie or character they are famous for. One defining role that said to everyone “I’m not just a sensational athlete, I’m a sensational actor too.” Kareem had two. His first major role was in a chop socky flick called Game of Death. Bruce Lee had to climb a tower and face combatants on each floor. High in the tower was a looming giant, played by Kareem, and the battle was epic. Kareem traded kick for kick with Bruce Lee, but eventually fell to the speed and power Lee commanded. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s other role was the co-pilot in Airplane, opposite Leslie Neilson. Kareem showed that not only could he hang with Bruce Lee, but he also had the comic timing and delivery to bounce jokes off Neilson.
4. Bubba Smith (NFL: Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, Houston Oilers)
Police Academy movies need three things: that guy who makes the sounds with his mouth; Hightower, being strong based purely on height; and Steve Guttenberg to add a bit of class and credibility. Bubba Smith filled in a third of that equation, as he was the muscle of the series. Kicking in doors, knocking heads together, and basically filling the role of the unbeatable strong guy, Smith’s football legacy translated perfectly to the fitting, if stereotypical, role of Moses Hightower.
3. O.J. Simpson (NFL: Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers)
Before the melancholy day where a white Bronco was followed to its destination by the police, O.J. Simpson was one of the greatest football players ever. After he retired, his camera friendly face started showing up in movies, most notably the Naked Gun series. O.J. found success in Hollywood as the straight guy to Leslie Nielsen’s buffoon, and is probably one of the better actors when it comes to athletes.
2. Dwayne Johnson (World Wrestling Entertainment; Miami Hurricanes)
Before hoards of adoring fans ever heard of “The Rock,” he was simply known through spandex circles as Rocky Maivia. Not many people know him by his actual name, but that hasn’t slowed the meteoric rise of the best wrestler-turned-actor of all time. In fact, Johnson eventually purchased the rights to his wrestling alias so he could use it in movies (until recently). Where “The Rock” parts ways with most of the wrestlers who went before him is that his movies don’t suck. They are actually entertaining, and his acting is strong enough that he has no trouble finding consistent work in a variety of roles. Dwayne Johnson is the exception to the rule. His acting is strong, and his studly good looks don’t hurt either.
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Bodybuilder)
He was the first to really make it big in the film business. All signs pointed to a short, unsuccessful career in acting. After all, he had a heavy Austrian accent, and his long and confusing last name seems impossible to pronounce. But somehow he managed to find staying power with a few key roles. Who can forget when Arnold took on the iconic role of Conan, or when he became the ultimate soldier in Commando? He even took risks, such as plying his trade to comedy in films like Twins and Kindergarden Cop. But his most important role saw him playing a character that wasn’t even human. In the Terminator franchise, Arnold became an emotionless killing machine, and we loved it. Almost enough to forget that he almost single handedly created the corny one liners that populated his movies. But anyone who can take the simple phrase “I’ll be back” and foist it into the lexicon of the times deserves to be the number one guy on the list.
