# Good and Bad celebrity non-actors from Rodman to Bon Jovi... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661 "2003-11-11T19:58:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/1 "2003-11-11T19:58:23Z")
Celebrities for one reason or another that made a jump to the big screen…who’s good and who’s bad? I’d say Denis Rodman was terrible as an actor, and Bon Jovi is just OK as an actor, better than say The Rock. Who are your picks? I’m having a difficult time remembering which actors were essentially nobody sports stars or rock stars…hmmm ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/2 "2003-11-11T20:06:18Z")
Well, Terry Bradshaw was pretty terrible in **The Cannonball Run**. I don’t know if he has done much lately. Kris Kristofferson has done some pretty good stuff, and his acting is okay as well. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/3 "2003-11-11T22:05:12Z")
I think The Rock has a ton of potential to be a HUGE movie star in the years to come, at least for action-adventure roles. You can make fun all you want because he’s a wrestler who made the jump to acting, but the truth is, he is extremely charismatic and surprisingly funny. The Rundown was one of the better action-comedy buddy movies in recent years, and he carried the leading role well, playing the straight man to comic sidekick Sean William Scott and the hero to over-the-top villain Christopher Walken. His guest appearances on Saturday Night Live are usually hilarious, and he is great at self-deprecating humor. I’m not saying The Rock should sign on to do Shakespeare anytime soon, but he already is a lot more fun to watch than Vin Diesel, Steven Seagal, or Keanu Reeves. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/4 "2003-11-12T02:04:41Z")
I agree with **BBVL** about The Rock. the bad: Howie Long, Mariah Carey, Gene Simmons ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/5 "2003-11-12T07:59:06Z")
There are some rap/ hip hop guys that get my respect: Ice Cube LL Cool J Heavy D And a few others from the music scene that are ok: Meat Loaf Neil Young Jon Bon Jovi (as mentioned) I don’t know if you’d consider directors who act in this cathegory, but there are a few that do a good job: Frank Oz Rob Rainer Sydney Pollack Bad: The Usual Suspects. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/6 "2003-11-12T08:55:50Z")
I love Ice-T. He and Belzer make a great team on _Law and Order: Special Victims Unit_. He’s even better when playing a bad guy. And it almost goes without saying that he plays a perfect pimp. ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/7 "2003-11-12T09:08:52Z")
Completing the rap list, Tupac Shakur was a very, very good actor. At least he was in that one thing I saw him in, _Gridlock’d_. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/8 "2003-11-12T09:20:49Z")
I thought George Stienbrenner did a surprisingly good job when he hosted SNL. Definitely better than Wayne Gretzky, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/9 "2003-11-12T11:27:37Z")
Arnold is the only one I will go out of my way to watch. Showing my complete lack of taste, I really enjoyed _True Lies_ and _Twins_. Or doesn’t he count since he has successfully made the transition from Body Builder to Movie Star now to Governor of California. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/10 "2003-11-12T14:35:37Z")
James Taylor and Dennis Wilson were bland in _Two-Lane Blacktop_. It worked with the psuedo-existentialist vibe of the film, but wouldn’t for most acting roles. David Crosby has been adequate in sitcom roles, although he was a little better on _The John Larroquette Show_. Willie Nelson has been better than most with his roles in films like _Thief, Barbarossa,_ and _Wag The Dog_. Busta Rhymes was better than I expected in _Narc_, haven’t seen his other work. Master P is awful, just look at _Dark Blue_. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/11 "2003-11-13T06:22:40Z")
Glenn Frey was passable in “Miami Vice”. Burton Cummings was actually pretty good in “Melanie” John Prine was supposedly pretty good in “Falling from Grace” and “Daddy and Them”, but I never saw either one. And who can forget Suzi Quatro as Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days… ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/12 "2003-11-13T06:31:37Z")
And, **Sam Stone** , I may be in the minority, but I thought that John Mellencamp did a passable job in _Falling from Grace_. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/13 "2003-11-13T13:06:04Z")
Harry Connick Jr. has a recurring role on _Will and Grace_, but I don’t watch that show. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/14 "2003-11-13T13:10:25Z")
Wil Smith definitely made the jump from rapper to actor. Sebastin Bach didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/15 "2003-11-13T15:28:11Z")
How was NBA star Ray Allen in Spike Lee’s _He’s Got Game_? I never watched _Hill Street Blues_ back in the day. IIRC, though, former Minnesota Vikings running back Ed Marinaro got some acclaim for his role on the show (IMDB says no Emmies or nominations, though). Marinaro was also on the '90s evening soap _Sisters_. Former Los Angeles Rams defensive end Fred Dryer starred on the long-running TV series _Hunter_. I watched some of that show now and then. Dryer seemed passable as an action star, but never made a blockbuster film. … **Ol’Gaffer** , Terry Bradshaw was genuinely funny in another Burt Reynolds vehicle, _Hooper_. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/16 "2003-11-13T15:39:22Z")
Also, I’m surprised to see no mention of Dolly Parton in this thread yet. After a decade of country-music superstardom, Parton recieved a Golden Globe nomination for her motion-picture-debut role in _9 to 5_. She received another GG nomination one a few years later for _Best Little Whorehouse in Texas_. I’d say she held her own in _Steel Magnolias_, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/17 "2003-11-13T16:21:37Z")
I liked Dwight Yoakam in the three movies I’ve seen him in (_Red Rock West_, _Sling Blade_ and _Panic Room_). ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/18 "2003-11-13T17:05:20Z")
Andre the Giant in _The Princess Bride_ - magnificent. Brett Favre (Green Bay QB) had a brief role in that terrible _Mary_ movie and was all right. Ronald Reagan. Nuff said. Howzabout the bajillion models who turned to acting, some with passing results (Milla Jovovitch stands out as very good). Huey Lewis was in _Back to the Future_, but I have no idea if he did anything else. Al Yankovick made and starred in _UHF_. George Foreman has been on TV constantly since the days of old (he guest-starred in an episode of Sanford and Son). J-Lo Mic Jagger played an amusing security chief in that “Flashjack” or whatever it was with Emilio Estavez. David Bowie was probably just playing himself in _Labyrinth_. Phil Collins has a cameo in the beginning of _Hook_, but I’m not sure if he did anything else. Sting was in the original, and frighteningly annoying _Dune_ and I’m certain has been in things since, but I just can’t think of any right now. Billie Idol played himself with much hilarity in _The Wedding Singer_. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/19 "2003-11-13T17:13:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Howzabout the bajillion models who turned to acting, some with passing results (Milla Jovovitch stands out as very good). Good point. Elizabeth Hurley was fantastic in _Bedazzled_, and Rebecca Romijin-Stamos has been pretty good as Mystique in the X-Men movies. ---
**Author:** ![gooti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eb8c5e/32.png) [@gooti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gooti)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661/20 "2003-11-13T19:56:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorgon Heap \* > > \*\*Mic Jagger played an amusing security chief in that “Flashjack” or whatever it was with Emilio Estavez. > > \*\* That’s _Freejack_. I dated a guy several years ago who was in that movie as an extra. Six degrees, indeed. That movie sucked almost as much as that relationship did…_almost._ 🙂 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorgon Heap \* > \*\*Phil Collins has a cameo in the beginning of _Hook_, but I’m not sure if he did anything else. > \*\* Phil Collins was actually an actor as child before he seriously got into drumming. He also played the title role in the film _Buster_ sometime in the late 80’s. I’ve never seen it, but I think at the time it was pretty much panned by critics and movie goers alike. To add to the list: I’ve seen **John Doe** from the punk band **X** in a couple of things, including a recent episode of _Carnivale_ in which he did an excellent job of playing the smarmy owner of a rival carnival operation. **Eminem** did a decent job in _8 Mile_, but then again it wasn’t much of a stretch since he was basically playing himself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-celebrity-non-actors-from-rodman-to-bon-jovi/212661.md?page=2)