There’s no rule saying that one must attend acting classes before becoming a movie star, and there are so many naturally talented people out there, that pretty much everyone wants to give acting a shot. Waiters, musicians, newspaper boys, chefs – you name it! And, of course, some of the actors started out as athletes, growing muscles, and even rowing their boats (literally). Now those ex-jocks are in every third blockbuster, and their faces are used as avatars by millions of fans.
Here are 10 famous actors, who started out as athletes!
1) Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Yes, believe it or not, the world famous WWE wrestler is the same Dwayne Johnson we all love seeing today! But did you know he was a member of a football team well before his WWE fame came along? He played for the Miami Hurricanes, then went PRO for the Calgary Stampeders.
2) Arnold Schwarzenegger
As you may’ve guessed, Arnie used to be a bodybuilder and even won the Mr. Universe championship at the age of 20, not to mention 7 Mr. Olympia titles, and different smaller accolades.
3) Burt Reynolds
Burt used to play for a Florida State football team, which probably helped him portray his character in “The Longest Yard.”
4) Jason Statham
Back in the day Jason was on the Britain’s National Diving Squad! Say what?
5) Joel McHale
This funny guy, known for his amazing performance in the “Community” and “The Soup”, used to play football for Washington University, but here’s the funny part, he never actually made it into a game but still got his ring. Yes, benchwarmers get their rings!
6) Terry Crews
I don’t know if Terry became huge before or after his Old Spice commercial, but I know him more from the “Expendables” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, and the more recent “Deadpool 2” cameo. Like many others on this list, he was involved with the NFL and played for the Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles.
7) Vinnie Jones
This tough British guy from “Snatch”, “X-Men: The Last Stand”, and hugely underrated “Galavant” played real football, or what folks in the USA call “soccer”. He played in the 80’s for Chelsea, Leeds United and Wimbledon.
8) Sylvester Stallone
It’s no surprise that Sly actually used to play football during his university years. It seems this legend has always been an action hero.
9) Steve Carell
Never thought Steve Carell was a hockey player. Long before “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”, he played hockey growing up.
10) Forest Whitaker
Forest’s recent role in “Black Panther” did not allow him to show off his football skills, but that’s fine. Knowing that he attended California Polytechnic State University on a football scholarship shows he has the talent.
