The Geek Twins

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Top 12 TV Stars Who Tragically Died During Sci-Fi Television Production

    August 22, 2023

    Secret Invasion: Every Episode Ranked from Worst to Best

    August 17, 2023

    Paul Reubens: 9 Sci-Fi Roles Ranked from Worst to Best

    August 4, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    The Geek TwinsThe Geek Twins
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Movies
      1. Movie Reviews
      2. Movie Trailers
      3. View All

      Review: THE FLASH (2023) Is Everything Wrong (and Right) with Superhero Movies

      June 19, 2023

      SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE: New Posters and New Pics Reveal More Alternate Spideys

      May 2, 2023

      ICYMI: Alan Arkin Dies at 86, Dune 2 Trailer Drops, and More

      June 30, 2023

      Major Worm-Riding in New DUNE: PART TWO (2023) Trailer

      May 3, 2023

      First GRAN TURISMO Trailer and Poster Races In

      May 2, 2023

      Peter Cullen Returns for the New TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS 2023 Movie Trailer

      April 27, 2023

      Paul Reubens: 9 Sci-Fi Roles Ranked from Worst to Best

      August 4, 2023

      12 Geekiest Monopoly Games on Toynk

      July 14, 2023

      ICYMI: Wolverine Costume Revealed in leaked DEADPOOL 3 Pic, THE FLASH Drops Out of Top Ten, and More

      July 10, 2023

      Gal Gadot: 11 Things You Never Knew About Her Wonder Woman Costume

      July 5, 2023
    • Comics
      • Comic Reviews
    • Television
      1. Television Reviews
      2. Television Trailers
      3. View All

      Secret Invasion: Every Episode Ranked from Worst to Best

      August 17, 2023

      The Mandalorian: Every Season 3 Episode Ranked from Worst to Best

      July 7, 2023

      Superman & Lois (2023): Season 3 Finale Recap and Review

      June 29, 2023

      Review: SECRET INVASION Episode 1 is Good But Not Good Enough

      June 23, 2023

      Star Wars: AHSOKA Teaser Trailer Breaks the Internet

      April 10, 2023

      15 Facts About Marvel’s First SECRET INVASION Trailer You May Have Missed

      April 4, 2023

      Top 12 TV Stars Who Tragically Died During Sci-Fi Television Production

      August 22, 2023

      Secret Invasion: Every Episode Ranked from Worst to Best

      August 17, 2023

      Paul Reubens: 9 Sci-Fi Roles Ranked from Worst to Best

      August 4, 2023

      12 Geekiest Monopoly Games on Toynk

      July 14, 2023
    • Books
    • Reviews
    • Trailers
    • About the Geek Twins
    The Geek Twins
    Home » The 9 Best (and 3 Worst) Wrestlers-Turned-Actors of All Time
    Temp

    The 9 Best (and 3 Worst) Wrestlers-Turned-Actors of All Time

    Maurice MitchellBy Maurice MitchellMarch 20, 2013Updated:May 16, 202317 Comments7 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Hulk Hogan said, “When the script for ‘The Wrestler’ kept coming to me I said, This movie is so good if you put me in the film as a wrestler people are going to say, ‘No credibility, Hulk Hogan isn’t a good actor,’ whatever Hollywood thinks of me.” 

    Above
    Image:  G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Roadblock (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)

    So, even Hulk Hogan agrees wrestlers aren’t good actors. Many say, since professional wrestling is fake, they’re already great actors.

    John Batista is playing Drax the Destroyer in
    the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a pretty tall order, because
    Drax is deeply emotional character with a troubled history. Drax and his family were killed by Thanos and he was recreated as the champion to destroy Thanos.

    Will he do a good job? It’s hard to say, but looking back at the
    history of wrestlers-turned-actors they don’t have a good track record.  Here are the nine best (and three worst) wrestlers who have tried to become actors.

    BEST

    1. The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)

    Scorpion King (2002) Mathayus (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)

    “Can you smeeeell what the Rock is cooking?!” When The Rock broke on
    the scene, his toothy smile, cocked eyebrow and charming personality
    captivated everyone in the wrestling world. Even if you’re not into
    wrestling you’ve heard of the Rock. He had a couple of acting roles
    outside the ring, but it was when he appeared in The Mummy Returns (2001) that he broke out. Since then he’s taken a bunch of great roles from comedy to drama. We’ll forgive him for Tooth Fairy (2010) since he gave us Fast Five (2011) and the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2012), but if he does Tooth Fairy 2 all bets are off.

    Best: The Game Plan

    2. Sgt. Slaughter (Bob Remus)

    G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) Sargent Slaughter

    Sgt. Slaughter is a legend in the wrestling world, but in the 80s he
    took on a more legendary status. He played a character on the animated G.I.Joe series. He was great. In the G.I. Joe Movie
    (1987) he played a drill Sergeant with the task of whipping those soft
    Joe boys into shape. Whether he’s barking orders on the mat, or on the
    big screen, Sgt. Slaughter delivered. He even appeared on the Super Mario Bros Super Show with “Captain Lou” Albano. More on that later…

    Best: G.I. Joe The Movie

    3. Tosh Taga (Harold Sakata)

    Goldfinger (1964) Oddjob (Harold Sakata)

    A former American Olympic weightlifter, this Hawaiian born wrestler is one of the greats for his single greatest role: Oddjob in Goldfinger. His performance as the mute hat-throwing bodyguard was so iconic Mike Myers parodied him in Austin Powers: Man of Mystery. Admittedly, he was mute, so he wasn’t exactly doing Shakespeare. But he co-starred in William Shatner’s movie Impulse and guest starred on a Gilligan’s Island episode. In 1971, Sakata even had a regular role on the short-lived TV series, Sarge with George Kennedy. Not bad for an old 70s wrestler.

    Best: Goldfinger

    4. Joshua Ben-Gurion—The Israeli Commando (Scott L. Schwartz)

    Star Trek: Enterprise, Orion (Scott L. Schwartz), T’Pol (Jolene Blalock)

    Schwartz is a name you’ve probably never heard unless you’re into 80s
    wrestlers, but you’ve seen his face dozens of times.  Just try and
    remember the 6′ 8″ big guy with a goatee and it’s probably him. He’s
    been in Spider-man, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Scorpion King and The Tick. His most recognizable role is ‘The Bruiser’ from Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen. Being big, quick and able to speak coherently makes him the perfect thug.

    Best: Ocean’s Eleven

    5. Andre the Giant (Andre Roussimoff)

    The Princess Bride (1987), Fezzik (Andre the Giant)

    Andre the Giant was a giant of a man, but also had a giant heart. As a
    wrestler, his size and lumpy face made him the perfect villain, but it
    was his personality that shined as the loveable Fezzik in The Princess Bride.
    My favorite scene was when he thoughtfully explains why he’s having trouble fighting one man, while pummeling the “Dread Pirate” Wesley (Wes Anderson) against a rock. Sadly, he passed away many
    years ago. Rest well Andre, and dream of large women.

    Best: The Princess Bride

    6. Hulk Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea)

    Suburban Commando (1991) Shep Ramsey (Hulk Hogan)

    Hulk Hogan has conquered the world of television and movies even though
    he hasn’t made a single worthwhile movie in his career. Why? Because
    he’s Hulk Hogan! His personality is legendary! Anyone that can do Mr. Nanny (1993) and still get work deserves an Oscar.

    Best: Thunder in Paradise

    8. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Randy Mario Poffo)

    Spider-Man (2002) “Bone Saw” McGraw (Macho Man)

    “Oh Yeah!” Randy “Macho Man” Savage had the most distinctive voice in the world. When he spoke it was like one part honey and two parts gravel. Which is why his greatest role was in Spider-Man (2002) as “Bone Saw” McGraw. His huge muscles and greasy-looking hair made him look like a psychopath, but it was his voice that made him great. I still love the part when he says, “Hey freak show! You’re goin’ nowhere! I got you for three minutes! Three minutes of playtime!”

    Plus, he did the “Slim Jim” commercials. I love those.

    Best: Spider-Man 

    9. Wee Willie (William Davis)

    One of the first successful “wrestler-turned actors” William “Wee Willie” Davis appeared in dozens of movies from Mighty Joe Young (1949) to Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950).
    So, he’s already a classic of science-fiction movie actors. Plus, he
    invented the Glowmeter, an early Heads up display that projected a cars
    speed onto the windshield. I can’t say much for him other than he has a
    face only a mother, or casting agent, could love.

    Best: Mighty Joe Young

    WORST

    Most wrestlers are terrible actors, but these are the worst of the worst.

    1. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (Steven James Anderson)

    The Expendables (2010) Stone Cold Steve Austin

    The best “Stone Cold” Steve Austin can do is play “Stone Cold” Steve
    Austin.  His best non-wrestling roles were as himself on the
    animated series Death Match and The Bernie Mac Show. Other than that, he’s mainly done direct-to-video garbage like The Condemned (2007) and Tactical Force (2011). We have the capability to build the world’s worst actor.

    Worst: The Condemned

    2. Capt Lou Albano (Louis Vincent Albano)

    Super Mario Bros Super Show (1989) Capt Lou Albano

    One of the most captivating wrestlers in history, Louis Vincent Albano
    has done a bunch of acting roles, but his greatest crime was as the plumber Mario in
    the live-action sequences for the kid’s show The Super Mario Brothers Super Show. He told kids to “do the Mario!” It was less a dance than a fat guy swinging his arms and jiggling in place for three minutes.

    If you’ve never seen it then watch the video, but be warned, what has been seen cannot be unseen.

    Worst: The Super Mario Brothers Super Show

    3. Jeep Swenson (Robert Alexander Swenson)

    Batman & Robin (1997) Bane (Jeep Swenson)

    While The Dark Knight Rises (2012) brought Bane out of obscurity, his first appearance was in the terrible Batman & Robin
    (1997). This was the worst villain, much less Bane, performance ever.
    Grunting, growling and throwing Bat-Signals around, he was the single
    reason people thought Bane would suck in The Dark Knight Rises.

    Thank goodness for Tom Hardy.

    Worst: Batman & Robin

    Do you think wrestlers can be great actors?What’s the best or worst acting performance you’ve seen from a wrestler?

    [Image Source: /Film]

    Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post.
    Click on the links to follow us for free by Email,
    RSS
    and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins

     Fandango - We've Got Your Movie Tickets!

    Related Posts

    • Six Reasons Why ‘Batman and Robin’ Was The Best Comic Book Movie Ever  
    • 7 Nerdiest Fictional Nerds of All Time
    • The Seven Most Cheer-Inducing Scenes In Sci-Fi Movie History 
    • 7 Minor Characters in Scifi Movies Whose Fates Are Never Explained
    Batman Dwayne-the-Rock-Johnson GI-Joe-Retaliation Guardians-of-the-Galaxy Lists SpiderMan Superhero
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Maurice Mitchell
    • Website
    • Twitter

    Related Posts

    Top 12 TV Stars Who Tragically Died During Sci-Fi Television Production

    August 22, 2023

    Secret Invasion: Every Episode Ranked from Worst to Best

    August 17, 2023

    Paul Reubens: 9 Sci-Fi Roles Ranked from Worst to Best

    August 4, 2023

    17 Comments

    1. Pat Dilloway on March 20, 2013 3:17 pm

      I don't think I would have put Hulk Hogan on the good list. Or Sgt Slaughter. A fun fact is that Liam Neeson auditioned for the role in The Princess Bride that Andre the Giant won.

      • Maurice Mitchell on March 22, 2013 4:38 am

        Liam Neeson?! I never saw that one coming Pat.

    2. Alex J. Cavanaugh on March 20, 2013 3:46 pm

      Andre the Giant was the best.
      No Jesse The Body Ventura?

      • Maurice Mitchell on March 22, 2013 4:40 am

        Good call Alex! He deserves, at least an honorable mention.

    3. Melissa Bradley on March 20, 2013 5:04 pm

      The best performance for me by The Rock was Fast Five and now Snitch. Forget Game Plan ever happened as that filmed sucked like Tooth Fairy. I hope he never ever does another Disney flick. 😀

      • Maurice Mitchell on March 22, 2013 4:43 am

        I haven't seem all his movies but I liked The Game Plan because it showed a range of comedy and drama. He was awesome in Fast Five though. Bigger muscles than Vin Diesel!

    4. Jessica Stank on March 20, 2013 6:49 pm

      I agree with The Rock being number one. I would have put Andre at number two. I was surprised John Cena didn't make the "bad list."

    5. jeremy [retro] on March 20, 2013 7:15 pm

      i love the bad ones… steve austin was on chuck [nbc]… i liked him in that… didn't i…

    6. jeremy [retro] on March 20, 2013 7:15 pm

      they had good morals… in the end!

    7. jeremy [retro] on March 20, 2013 7:16 pm

      i don't got time to bleed…

    8. MPax on March 20, 2013 7:25 pm

      The Rock has definitely been the best. Jesse Ventura could have made the bad list. He was in one of the worst movies I ever saw… I want my eyes back! lol

    9. Tony Laplume on March 21, 2013 2:26 am

      Nathan Jones tanked as a wrestler but was a convincing dead-in-a-minute-against-Achilles presence in Troy. Roddy Piper is all out of chewing gum! And actually, Wade Barrett accounts pretty well for himself in the new Dead Man Down.

    10. Tony Laplume on March 21, 2013 2:26 am

      Jesse ain't got time to bleed! He actually named one of his books that.

    11. He Geek She Geek on March 21, 2013 7:45 pm

      Lucky for us all, Tooth Fairy 2 was taken by Larry the Cable Guy. Yeah.

    12. The Knights Blog on March 21, 2013 8:57 pm

      Honestly it should be 8 best as Hulk Hogan was never a good actor. His best stuff was in the squared circle.

    13. Maurice Mitchell on March 30, 2013 2:42 am

      I was going to put George in, but he hadn't really done a lot of work. Then again playing an actor in the worst movie probably counts for something. As for Magic Mike that would put him in both categories at once depending on your view of the movie. Thanks for the comment David!

    14. j m on December 9, 2014 12:19 am

      Roddy Piper in They Live > everyone else.

    Demo
    Our Picks
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Don't Miss

    Top 12 TV Stars Who Tragically Died During Sci-Fi Television Production

    Television August 22, 2023

    Remembering the actors who died during a sci-fi television show

    Secret Invasion: Every Episode Ranked from Worst to Best

    August 17, 2023

    Paul Reubens: 9 Sci-Fi Roles Ranked from Worst to Best

    August 4, 2023

    12 Geekiest Monopoly Games on Toynk

    July 14, 2023

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from SmartMag about art & design.

    About Us
    About Us

    Your source for the hottest geek news. We know you love science fiction and we do too. Our goal is to help you enjoy what you love even more.

    Email Us: geektwins@gmail.com

    Facebook Twitter
    Our Picks
    New Comments
    • Patrick Dilloway on Top 12 TV Stars Who Tragically Died During Sci-Fi Television Production
    • Patrick Dilloway on Secret Invasion: Every Episode Ranked from Worst to Best
    • PT Dilloway on Paul Reubens: 9 Sci-Fi Roles Ranked from Worst to Best
    • Patrick Dilloway on 12 Geekiest Monopoly Games on Toynk
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
    • Home
    • Buy Now
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.