For every athlete who becomes a movie star, many others only get one chance and end up making awkward cameos with cringe-worthy lines. But the good part of it is that we do get some gems now and then, like Dave Bautista, Terry Crews, and a few others.
Here are some famous athletes who became legit action movie stars.
Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds was a football star before Hollywood came calling. He even went to FSU on a football scholarship, but due to injuries, he had to make a choice and pick a different path. After years of working on TV, Reynolds became one of the biggest stars of the 1970s. He had the confidence, charm, and a mustache that soon became iconic. Movies like White Lightning and Smokey and the Bandit made him into a true Hollywood legend.
John Cena
Cena used to be a college football player before becoming one of the biggest names in WWE. For years, he was basically the company’s mascot. He had his catchphrases, unlikely wins, and millions of fans around the world. Cena started with small roles in The Marine and 12 Rounds, then he started using his charm and sense of humor to get more and more gigs, and now he’s the star of DC’s Suicide Squad and its spinoff, Peacemaker. We see him now!
Jason Statham
Before becoming Hollywood’s favorite bald man with an English accent, Statham was a professional diver. His acting career kicked off thanks to Guy Ritchie, who cast him in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and then Snatch, arguably two of his best movies. After that, Statham was fully prepared to establish a successful career characterized by furrowing eyebrows, driving fast, and beating up people. The Transporter, Crank, The Italian Job, The Expendables, The Meg, and the Fast & Furious movies all helped turn him into one of the most reliable action stars of the 2000s.
Dolph Lundgren
This Swedish tank looks as if someone had created him in a lab to be a perfect Hollywood action movie star. Lundgren is a legit martial artist with a black belt in Kyokushin karate. But don’t let those muscles fool you, because he’s also studied chemical engineering. His big role was, of course, in Rocky IV, where he became instantly iconic with very few words and a terrifying stare. Thereafter, Lundgren was cast in Masters of the Universe, The Punisher, Universal Soldier, The Expendables, and Aquaman.
Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers will always be remembered as Apollo Creed, but he played for the Oakland Raiders and later the BC Lions before he became a boxing movie legend. His acting career began to flourish in the 1970s, and the film Rocky solidified his place in history. Weathers later appeared in Predator, Happy Gilmore, and The Mandalorian. Whether he was playing a boxer, a soldier, a mentor, or a space-western authority figure, Weathers always nails every scene.
Dave Bautista
Bautista’s roots come from WWE, but he worked hard to become a full-fledged actor, unlike some other wrestlers, who used their manes to get cushy roles. His early roles were mostly about incorporating his bulky physique, but then James Gunn cast him as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. Suddenly, people realized Bautista wasn’t just a big lump of muscles, but also surprisingly funny and emotional. Since then, we’ve seen him in Blade Runner 2049, Army of the Dead, the Dune movies, and other underrated projects.
Terry Crews
One look at Terry Crews and you can tell this man knows how to play ball in more senses than one. He spent time in the NFL with teams including the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, Washington, and Philadelphia Eagles before moving to Los Angeles and changing careers. He started off with Friday After Next, White Chicks, The Longest Yard, and later Brooklyn Nine-Nine. But he’s also been in plenty of action flicks, including Terminator Salvation, Gamer, The Expendables, and Deadpool 2.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson actually used to be a football star in his university days, before wrestling took over his life. WWE may have made him famous, but the movies made him a global sensation. After appearing in The Mummy Returns, he received his own spinoff, The Scorpion King, and has continued to thrive in his career. Since then, Johnson has starred in The Rundown, Walking Tall, Fast & Furious, San Andreas, Rampage, Skyscraper, Jumanji, Black Adam, and plenty more. At this point, he’s pretty much a walking franchise machine.
