Famous Athletes Who Became Movie Stars

In today’s dynamic world, people switch between careers ever so often. For instance, research by the U.S. Department of Labor shows that the average American changes their professional vocation between 5 to 7 times on average in their lifetime.

Therefore, it is not surprising to see similar celebrity trends in career transitioning. Today, we are going to discuss some of the most famous athletes who have become movie stars. Taking up a career in acting is a common trending topic in the world of celebrities. After all, who can resist the temptation to become a part of Hollywood glamor?

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

I bet the first name that comes to mind when talking about sports players who became movie stars is that of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Rock was in showbiz way before he made it to the big screen, though. He was one of the most televised WWE stars. His career in wrestling served as a stepping stone for Johnson to pursue a successful professional passion in movies. After all, we all know WWE is as much about wrestling as it is about acting.

However, not everyone knows that before joining the WWE, the Rock had many significant sports successes. He was accepted to the University of Miami on an athletic scholarship to play football. He played defensive line for the Miami Hurricanes. His greatest success at that time was being on the team when it won the national title in 1991.

However, a severe injury halted his professional football career. Because of it, the Rock was not drafted into the NFL. However, he still tried to pursue his passion for football and played for some time in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders.

Once he decided his football career was over, Johnson joined the WWE to turn into one of the Federation’s most revered legends. He became a 10-time world champion and won many significant accolades.

In the process, the Rock discovered another inner passion – the filmmaking industry. This is how he began his career as an actor and a movie producer. He played his first role in the 2001 “The Mummy Returns.” Since then, Johnson has starred in more than a dozen films and has become a film producer. Indeed, the Rock has excelled in his career, turning into one of America’s highest-grossing and highest-paid actors. His movies have grossed over $10.5 billion worldwide.

To illustrate the acting talent of the Rock, here is a video with one of the most popular scenes from the 2001 “The Mummy Returns:”

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal, or simply Shaq, is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. His NBA career includes 19 years of play and 4 championship titles. His individual titles encompass the Most Valuable Player Award for 1999-2000, NBA Rookie of the Year Award 1992-1993, 15 All-Star Game selections, and many more.

We could talk all day about Shaq’s career in basketball, but it turns out this guy has plenty of other talents as well. He is also a rapper and has released four rap albums. His first one, Shaq Diesel, went platinum.

Besides that, O’Neal produces music and acts as a touring DJ. His artistic pseudonym is DIESEL.

However, Shaq also has an appetite for the big screen. He has appeared in several movies. These include the 1994 college basketball film called Blue Chips and 1996’s Kazaam, where Shaq played the genie. In 1997, Shaq became one of the first black actors cast as a main character in a superhero movie, Steel (1997).

The basketball player has also appeared in numerous TV series and also has his own reality shows. On top of that, he also hosts a podcast.

Sonja Henie

If you are a fan of the all-time favorite classic flicks, then you must probably have been impressed by the beautiful Sonja Henie. This Norwegian figure skater won three Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936. She was also a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion. Henie is the ladies figure skater with the most Olympic and World titles.

Besides being a successful figure skater, the Norwegian was also among the highest-paid Hollywood stars. Some of her greatest hits include the movies Thin Ice, Happy Landing, My Lucky Star, Second Fiddle, and Sun Valley Serenade.

Ronda Rousey

Ronda Jean Rousey is one of the most prominent US professional MMA fighters. She is a wrestler and a judoka, who has triumphed in WWE and the UFC. Besides, Rousey was the first US woman to win an Olympic medal. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she snatched the bronze medal. She is also the first female MMA fighter to be included in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 after she retired in 2016.

Rousey also pioneered her athletic field in other ways. She is the only female champion in both the WWE and UFC. She has also been the only woman who has headlined a pay-per-view event in the same two companies. In 2015, ESPN fans voted her the best female athlete of all time.

The female fighter’s movie career began before she retired from sports. She appeared in the Expandables 3 in 2014 and Furious 7 as well as the autobiography My Fight/Your Fight in 2015. In 2018, she starred in Mile 22.

Conclusion

As you can see, having a great career in sports can skyrocket you into the universe of Hollywood. Some other famous athletes who starred in movies include:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Johnny Weissmuller
• Mike Tyson
• Vinnie Jones
• And many more.

Often, money is also a trending topic when we discuss movie stars. That is why we have also dedicated a blog post to the richest actors in the world.