Top 20 Actors Who Were Athletes
In my little theme going of sports related lists and whatnot for the Olympics, I dove into the data banks to find some actors who were athletes themselves. The criteria for this was a little vague, but they had to compete above a collegiate level because all though that is impressive, you wouldn’t believe how many actors played quarterback in the NCAA. They had to reach a professional, national, or equivalent for their sport level. And this list is not athletes who acted a time or two but people who would be more well known for their acting or has a long resume of appearances.
Carl Weathers- First of all RIP to the recently deceased legend that is Carl Weathers. Before he was Apollo Creed in ‘Rocky,’ Chubbs Peterson in ‘Happy Gilmore,’ the titular ‘Action Jackson,’ & Col. Dillon in ‘Predator,’ Carl Weathers was a linebacker who played 13 games on the Oakland Raiders and he also played for the CFL’s BC Lions. Though his NFL career was brief, his acting career was quite long. His more recent appearances included voicing Combat Carl in ‘Toy Story 4’ & Omnitraxus Prime in ‘Star vs. the Forces of Evil’ and live action TV roles as himself in ‘Arrested Development’ & Greef Karga in ‘The Mandalorian.’
John David Washington- A former running back from the St. Louis Rams practice squad, NFL Europe’s Rhein Fire, and the UFL’s Sacramento Mountain Lions, Washington has made himself known recently for starring roles in the show ‘Ballers,’ Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman,’ Chris Nolan’s ‘Tenet,’ and Gareth Edwards’s ‘The Creator.’ Also apparently his dad is some actor named Denzel. Never heard of the guy.
Terry Crews- Known for his film roles in ‘The Expendables’ & ‘White Chicks,’ and his fan favorite TV roles in ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ & ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ in a former life Terry Crews was a 6’2 245 lbs, D-End/Linebacker drafted in the 11th round of the NFL Draft. He spent time on the Rams, Chargers, & Redskins, the previously mentioned Rhein Fire, and the practice squad’s of the Packers & Eagles. All I know is if I saw Terry Crews barreling down on me trying to tackle me in any since, I would fear for my life.
Bubba Smith- Okay here we have a few guys that are more well known for their legendary football careers than their acting careers, but their resumes are still quite nice. A Super Bowl Champion, 1st Team All-Pro selection, 2x Pro Bowler, & College Football Hall of Famer, Charles ‘Bubba’ Smith is a legendary defensive end on the field. Off the field he is mostly known for his starring role as Moses Hightower in the ‘Police Academy’ films and he had other roles in the action film ‘Stroker Ace’ and wide variety of TV apperances.
Jim Brown- Now the biggest outlier on this list, obviously Jim Brown is more well known for being perhaps the greatest running back of all time. Playing for the Cleveland Browns from 1957-1965, Brown won an NFL Championship and was awarded 3 NFL MVPs, 9 All-Pro Selections, 9 Pro Bowl Selections, and is both a Pro & College Football Hall of Famer. Brown would go on to have a quite extensive film career, and his characters have been described as a ‘black Superman’ or ‘black John Wayne.’
Fred Williamson- AKA The Hammer, Williamson played in the NFL & AFL for the Steelers, Raiders, & Chiefs were he won 1 championship and was a 3x All-Star as a defensive back. He then starred in ‘Black Caesar’ and its sequel, ‘Hell Up in Harlem.’ And he had roles in a variety of other 70s blaxploitation films, usually in an action capacity.
Merlin Olsen- The final NFL player on my list, Olsen spent 15 years as a defensive tackle for the LA Rams and was a 8x All-Pro & 14x Pro Bowler (a number only matched or beaten by Tony Gonzalez, Bruce Matthews, Peyton Manning, & Tom Brady). He has been inducted into the College & Pro Football Hall of Fames and was named to the NFL’s 60s All-Decade Team, 70s All-Decade Team, 75th Anniversary Team, & 100th Anniversary Team. He had a 51 episode arc as Jonathan Garvey on ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and starred as the title character in ‘Father Murphy.’
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson- Okay so WWE Wrestlers were not eligible for this list, because I actually have a whole article just for them on the ‘Other Stuff’ tab. But The Rock also played on the 1991 National Champion U of Miami team and briefly played on the CFL’s Calgary Stampede’s practice team. So therefore he is list eligible. Now I’m not going to list his acting resume because I’m sure you know it.
Chuck Connors- Before his 40-year acting film, Chuck Connors played first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers & Chicago Cubs. He has countless film & tv credits, but is mostly known for his role as Lucas McCain on ‘The Rifleman.’
Gina Carano- A former MMA fighter with a 7-1 record in Elite Xtreme Combat & Strikeforce where she was dubbed the ‘face of women’s MMA.’ Carano had roles in ‘Fast & Furious 6’ & ‘Deadpool,’ before her very well known role as Cara Dune in ‘The Mandalorian.’
Bruce Lee- The founder of Jeet Kune Do and perhaps the most famous & influential martial artist of all time. Many action and martial arts film stars have a martial arts background, but few have the background of Lee. Becoming a pop culture icon before his acting career even before he started acting, Lee is also considered the forefather of MMA. He then starred in ‘The Green Hornet’ as Kato and in hit movies like ‘Enter the Dragon,’ ‘The Way of the Dragon,’ & ‘The Game of Death.’
Chuck Norris- One of Bruce Lee’s students, Norris earned his black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, & judo, and formed his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. Norris is one of the most well known action stars of all-time and also one of the best Internet memes.
Tony Danza- Known for TV roles in ‘Taxi’ & ‘Who’s the Boss?,’ Tony Danza stated out as a professional boxer with an 8-3 record before transitioning to acting.
Arnold Schwarzenegger- Arguably the most famous action star of all-time, Arnold has had a few careers. A storied acting career. Governor of California. And the most famous bodybuilder ever with 7 Mr. Olympia Titles.
Lou Ferrigno- Another former pro bodybuilder, Ferrigno played perhaps the perfect role for any muscle man, the Incredible Hulk, who he played on TV from 1978-1982.
Wyatt Russell- The son of Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn, Wyatt Russell has appeared in an array of movies, but rose to attention with his role as the new Captain America, John Walker on ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.’ Prior to his acting career, Russell played goalie for a handful of amateur and professional ice hockey teams.
Vinnie Jones- Jones roles in many well known movies like Guy Ritchie’s ‘Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels,’ & ‘Snatch,’ and as Juggernaut in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand,’ among other roles. Before this, Jones gained a reputation as a ‘hard man’ on the pitch playing soccer (football for those not in the US, but I doubt you’re reading this blog) as a midfielder for many teams including Leeds United, Sheffield United, & Chelsea.
Esther Williams- An actress in the mid 20th century, Williams had roles in Andy Hardy movies across Mickey Rooney and a variety of others, including her most popular as swimmer, Annette Kellerman in ‘Million Dollar Mermaid.’ Before acting she set regional & national swimming records and would’ve made the 1940 Summer Olympics if it wasn’t for the outbreak of World War II.
Jason Lee- The comedic actor known for his starring roles as Earl in ‘My Name is Earl’ & Dave in ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks,’ Lee also had roles in ‘The Incredibles,’ ‘Mallrats,’ & ‘Almost Famous.’ However, in the 80s and 90s, he was a professional skateboarder and he is credited with popularizing 360 flips.
Jason Statham- The most shocking name on this list for me. Not because of who he is because Jason Statham makes perfect sense as a boxer, or MMA fighter, or martial artist, or even rugby player. But he was none of those. Prior to becoming one of the top action stars of the 21st century, Statham was a national level diver. He competed for England in diving at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
