It might be easy to think that professional wrestlers would make great actors. After all they engage the crowd, they act contrary to who they really are and they play a part in the wrestling world that has little if anything to do with their real life. A lot of wrestlers have tried to make the transition to the big screen, but only a few have ever really seemed to shine when it comes to big time films. Several of those have only ever been in a few films, while some have gone on to make a very impressive career.
Here are five of the biggest name wrestlers that have wowed the crowds with their acting talents in film.
5. Batista – Guardians of The Galaxy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B16Bo47KS2g
Dave Bautista has entered the film industry with credits in films such as Brass Body in The Man With The Iron Fists and even as Tong Po in a newly updated Kickboxer movie. As Drax though he seems to have a lot more freedom and a lot more fun. The character is a simple-minded barbarian that lives for destruction and carnage but is still loyal to his teammates, which seems a perfect role for Bautista, who is known to be a very physical character in the ring.
4. Stone Cold Steve Austin – The Condemned
Come on, it’s Stone Cold, you know it’s about to get real. Strangely enough he’s shown to have a sensitive side when he first gets “selected” to take place in this macabre thrill ride that pits ten death row convicts against one another. He’s actually feeding a crumb to a mouse when he’s pulled out of his cell to go fight for the cameras. During this bout he shows that as sensitive as he can be, he can also dial up the violence to a quick and efficient 11 with little difficulty. Because Stone Cold said so.
3. Andre the Giant – The Princess Bride
This one had to be mentioned. Andre the Giant was such a legendary figure in sports entertainment that his jump to the big screen was nothing short of impressive. His character was almost typecast for his size and accent, but it worked so perfectly that no one ever thought to argue whether he could play another character and be successful. As far as classics go this was a role that Andre simply couldn’t have passed up.
2. John Cena – The Marine
Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect started putting his name to movies back in 2006 with the stand out hit, The Marine. Since then he’s done TV and films and started a rather impressive career that might sustain him once he finally retires from WWE. You know it’s coming, it’s just a matter of when. Hopefully, and the chances are good, Cena will be gracing the big screen more often once he’s hung up his wrestling gear. As of now he’s featured in a film titled The Wall.
1. The Rock – The Rundown
So to be fair The Rock has had a lot of hits since leaving the WWE. The first of many that he was noticed in was his role as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns. But the role that really got him noticed as a true Hollywood contender was as Beck the retrieval agent. His no-nonsense attitude and physicality brought this role to life in a way that no one expected but everyone loved. From this point on The Rock could do no wrong.
So now that it’s proven that WWE stars can be real actors, it’s only a matter of time before more and more of those on the active roster start seeing Hollywood as their go to place when their careers hit a bump. It makes sense, right?
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