Professional wrestling, at its core, is about showmanship and acting so it’s no wonder that numerous wrestlers make the leap to Hollywood.
Over the years, we’ve seen numerous wrestlers make the jump from the squared circle to the silver screen. While some make it into movies, others find a home on TV.
Regardless of where they go, wrestlers tend to find success both because of their acting prowess and the star power they can bring to any production. Some are better than others, but Hollywood continues to return to the wrestling well time and time again.
So, who is your favorite wrestler-turned-actor?
In recent years, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista have all made regular appearances.
The Rock has found his way into being the top star in Hollywood largely because of his charisma. There are criticisms about his acting as he can often play similar roles in each of his movies, but there’s no denying his abilities.
He started by making small appearances in Star Trek: Voyager and That 70s Show, portraying his father Rocky Johnson in the later. After his movie debut as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns, he donned a new villainous character in WWE, portraying an arrogant Hollywood actor as his gimmick.
Cena has started to make a name for himself, mainly with comedies. He’s appeared in Trainwreck, Peacemaker, Suicide Squad, Bumblebee, and some movies in the Fast & Furious franchise.
The one who I believe has shown the widest range is Bautista. He switches pretty well between comedies and dramas. Furthermore, he seems to challenge himself and continues to grow in his role selection. I thoroughly enjoy anything Bautista is in.
While these three are the biggest names, there are others who have had impacts. Hulk Hogan has been in his fair share of movies over the years, especially at the height of his popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
An iconic line in cinema history comes from “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in They Live. His line is “I’m here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum.”
Andre the Giant was also memorable in The Princess Bride while “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has made a few appearances including in Adam Sandler’s The Longest Yard.
Other wrestlers have made small appearances such as Adam “Edge” Copeland appearing in Vikings and Becky Lynch guest starring as Cyndi Lauper in an episode of Young Rock.
There are so many great appearances from wrestlers in films and movies. In turn, there are some who do the reverse and come to wrestling as a guest wrestler or eventually become stars. Mike “The Miz” Mizanin is an example of this as he began wrestling after being on MTV’s The Real World.
I’m sure there are others that I have missed but there’s no doubt that thanks to professional wrestling and WWE, our entertainment landscape wouldn’t look quite the same.
So what about you? Which wrestler-turned-actor is your favorite? Which current wrestler do you think will make the leap to Hollywood next? Let us know in the comments below or by heading over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, LeRon, Stephanie, Edward, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk their week in games, entertainment, and more while also bringing topics for conversation, answer listener and community questions, and cover major news and events happening in the video game industry. Watch The Boss Rush Podcast live on Wednesday Nights on Twitch at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT or on Monday mornings at 7 a.m. ET on YouTube and podcast services everywhere. Thanks for listening! You can also get this episode one week early on Patreon.
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