# Pro athletes who became successful actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282 "2006-12-22T22:47:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/41 "2006-12-25T22:45:16Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] See post #35. [/QUOTE] Learn to spell. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/42 "2006-12-26T00:01:38Z")
[Brian Bosworth](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0098372/). NFL linebacker and crappy actor who has somehow still managed to have an acting career. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/43 "2006-12-26T00:50:31Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Learn to spell. [/QUOTE] Learn to RTFT all the way to the end before posting duplicates. Hell, learn to read the first ten posts. Depending on how loosely one defines success one could include Mitch Gaylord. Olympic gymnast who’s appeared in several films, also has a minor career as a stuntman. And if one wanted to be _extremely_ generous one could include Kurt Thomas (star of “Gymkata”) and Cathy Rigby (known for playing Peter Pan on-stage and little else acting-wise). ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/44 "2006-12-26T01:02:43Z")
He didn’t really make a career out of it, but **Dennis Rodman** acquitted himself well in perhaps the greatest preposterously (intentionally; it’s almost a spoof) campy international action flick in which a CocaCola logo saves a baby of all time: \*[Double Team](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119013/) \*, with Jean Claude Van Damme, directed by the incomparable Tsui Hark. One of, oh, I don’t know, the 5 or 10 most sheerly \*fun \*movies ever made. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/45 "2006-12-26T03:46:58Z")
Does TV host count if it’s not sports-related? If so, as a kid I only knew Fran Tarkenton as one of the hosts of _That’s Incredible!_ ---
**Author:** ![Don26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@Don26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don26)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/46 "2006-12-26T05:04:26Z")
I like the distinction between successful and good… ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/47 "2006-12-26T05:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] He didn’t really make a career out of it, but **Dennis Rodman** acquitted himself well in perhaps the greatest preposterously (intentionally; it’s almost a spoof) campy international action flick in which a CocaCola logo saves a baby of all time: \*[Double Team](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119013/) \*, with Jean Claude Van Damme, directed by the incomparable Tsui Hark. One of, oh, I don’t know, the 5 or 10 most sheerly \*fun \*movies ever made. [/QUOTE] **lissener** , You just make me laugh so hard sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/48 "2006-12-26T05:37:47Z")
Babe Ruth acted in ten feature films. It was never his primary source of fame, but hey, that’s six more movies than John Cazale and seven more than James Dean… Similarly, Pelé acted in nine movies and scads of TV shows. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/49 "2006-12-26T05:41:36Z")
Kurt Russell played second base for the California Angels, a AA team. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/50 "2006-12-26T05:53:25Z")
[QUOTE=zamboniracer] Originally Posted by Murdoch [/quote] That was me. > [@](#): > > Just a slight nit. Noted thespian Abdul-Jabbar was referring to dragging Walton and Lanier, not Dernier, up and down the court. Bob Lanier was a great NBA center in the 1970s and 80s for the Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. Yes, and even I, noted non-sports-fan, realized that the moron who transcribed the movie got that one wrong, but AFTER I posted. I hoped you young’uns wouldn’t notice. ---
**Author:** ![Stinkum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Stinkum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinkum)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/51 "2006-12-26T05:59:02Z")
**Ken Berry** , played AAA baseball for the Indianapolis Indians, went on to star in F-Troop and Mama’s Family. OK, not wildly world-caliber performing, but has made a decent living at it. Does AAA baseball count? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/52 "2006-12-26T06:04:17Z")
AND Ken Berry was discovered by his sergeant, Leonard Nimoy, who suggested he head to Hollywood upon his discharge. Still, there are other things which would prevent my demanding Nimoy be put against a wall when the Revolution comes. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/53 "2006-12-26T15:44:05Z")
[QUOTE=Stinkum] **Ken Berry** , played AAA baseball for the Indianapolis Indians, went on to star in F-Troop and Mama’s Family. OK, not wildly world-caliber performing, but has made a decent living at it. Does AAA baseball count? [/QUOTE] I think you’re confusing [Ken Berry](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0077607/) with [Ken Berry](http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/berryke01.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/54 "2006-12-26T17:51:57Z")
After Cathy Rigby retired as a gymnast, she played the title role for years in a touring company production of _Peter Pan_. I saw it. She was very good. ---
**Author:** ![Tazmanian\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@Tazmanian\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tazmanian_Devil)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/55 "2006-12-26T18:15:44Z")
[Reggie Theus, former NBA guard](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857696/) ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/56 "2006-12-26T18:30:29Z")
**The Rock** (is wrestling considered a sport?) - Walking Tall, The Mummy Returns, The scorpion King, Welcome to The Jungle. **Hulk Hogan** one of the Rocky films, No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, \*\*Roddy Piper - They Live, **… \*\* L.T.** (the original) - The Waterboy - Any Given Sunday. Johnny Weissmuller? ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/57 "2008-01-11T06:58:47Z")
[QUOTE=jali] Johnny Weissmuller? [/QUOTE] Good point. Nobody’s mentioned him yet. [d&r] ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/58 "2008-01-11T07:15:04Z")
[Victor McLaglen](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0572142/) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/59 "2008-01-11T15:09:51Z")
[QUOTE=jali] **The Rock** (is wrestling considered a sport?) - Walking Tall, The Mummy Returns, The scorpion King, Welcome to The Jungle. [/QUOTE] And before wrestling The Rock **Dwayne Johnson** also played football for the University of Miami and the Canadian Football Leauge. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282/60 "2008-01-12T03:45:39Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Depending on how one defines “successful” one might include Bruce Jenner. [/QUOTE] If you’re going there, you have to include [Joe Namath.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0620619/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-athletes-who-became-successful-actors/385282.md?page=2)