Pro athletes after establishing their careers become household names, thanks to advertising and merchandising and media appearances. Some try to push their popularity further by dabbling in a film role or two. Some of these are glad in appearing in funny side-roles or cameos, while others end up being professional actors too.
However, it's to be noted that list does not include athlete-turned-actors like Jason Statham (who was a Commonwealth Games-level diver) or Arnold Schwarzenneger (who was once the holder of the Mr. Universe title in bodybuilding). Instead, the focus is on pro-athletes who acted on the side while continuing their sports endeavors too. So, here are the 5 best and the 5 worst movie roles played by popular pro athletes.
Best- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game of Death
LA Lakers alumnus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a basketball superstar who is famous for his role in Airplane as well as appearances in various TV shows, ranging from New Girl. He made his acting debut in Bruce Lee's Game of Death, a project that left unfinished due to the martial artist's untimely death.
In the half-finished footage, Abdul-Jabbar is dressed in casual clothes, wearing shades, and sitting in a lethargic pose. He's apparently guarding a building that Bruce Lee's character wants to enter. What follows is an engaging 'David vs Goliath' duel between the two. Abdul-Jabbar hardly says any words but his stuntwork is pretty impressive, leading to one of the most memorable martial arts duels in cinema.
Worst- Shaquille O'Neal in Steel
Shaquille O'Neal, aka Shaq, is one of the greatest basketballers ever but that doesn't imply he would fit for the role of a DC comics character. Back in 1997, when there was no DC Extended Universe, Shaq starred as Steel, a character who can be described as 'Superman with a robotic metal costume'. But in this campy '90s flick, Shaq ended up looking like a cosplayer wearing metal scraps.
His acting is as wooden as it gets but it's the extremely cheesy and laughable costume design that distracts viewers from taking this movie seriously at all.
Best- Ronda Rousey in Furious 7
Some might like Ronda Rousey in her cameo in the Furious 7 that puts her fighting skills on full display.
The MMA bantamweight legend goes one-on-one in a fight with Michelle Rodriguez. They engage in various punches, kicks, and blows till eventually, Rodriguez overpowers her. Rousey's cameo is definitely one of the best fighting scenes in the Fast & Furious series, a franchise that's otherwise known for its vehicular stuntwork only.
Worst- Dennis Rodman in Double Team
The green-haired basketball player once starred in an abomination of a film known as Double Team. The action flick paired him next to Jean- Claude Van Damme, an actor with brilliant martial arts moves but very mediocre acting chops.
One would hardly the movie anymore except the fact that Rodman yapped a lot in the film, wearing sleeveless spandex bodysuits.
Best- Pele in Victory
Victory (alternatively known as Escape to Victory) is a simple, heartwarming film starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and soccer icon Pele. They star as Allied prisoners who play a football match against a Nazi team, the match being a ploy for them to escape. The plot is pretty much in the name.
The usually cheery Brazilian footballer has his moments to shine in this role, as he manages to do a decent-enough job as an actor. And then, of course, there's a slow-motion shot of him doing a bicycle kick that displays the full range his prowess with the ball.
Worst- Caitlyn Jenner in Can't Stop the Music
Before her transition, Caitlyn Jenner was the decathlete that the world knew as Bruce Jenner. An Olympic gold medallist, she was unofficially known as 'the greatest athlete of the world' and made appearances in many shows, films, and ments.
But Jenner surely wasn't a great actor. A case in point is her first foray in acting, a role in Village People's pseudo-biopic Can't Stop The Music. Jenner's role as one of the founding of the music group was so panned that she ended up getting nominated for Worst Actor at the first-ever Razzie Awards ceremony.
Best- LeBron James in Trainwreck
Trainwreck is a silly rom-com with some delightful cameos. John Cena plays heroine Amy Schumer's boyfriend in a few scenes while NBA great LeBron James (aka the King) plays himself. He's a client of Bill Hader's protagonist who's shown to be the best sports doctor.
James seems to be pretty comfortable in his role which he portrays effortlessly, often giving romantic advice to the hero. There's hardly anything superficial about his performance. Considering how many basketballers have acted in critically-panned roles, James emerges as a 'king' in acting too.
Worst- Dan Marino in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
NFL quarterback Dan Marino plays himself in theAce Venture: Pet Detective. The result is a bland, scripted performance. Just take the scene where Marino gets kidnapped for instance. He is doing a commercial for Isotoner gloves and kidnappers abduct him mid-shooting.
All this while, Marino shows no change of emotion and continues saying his lines in the same monotonous manner. It might seem weirdly funny but it's primarily bad acting. Another odd cameo where Marino played himself was Bad Boys 2.
Best- Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride
Nobody might have anticipated pro-wrestler Andre the Giant to be such a memorable, gentle giant in The Princess Bride. In fact, Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenneger were considered earlier for the role.
But maybe Andre was the perfect fit for this role as the wrestler had a naive charm about him off-screen too that fit well with the role of Fezzik. Fezzik continues to be one of the most iconic fantasy characters, and Andre's name usually props up as one of the best actors to come out of pro-wrestling. It's a feat in itself as wrestling has often given us many bad actors like Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin.
Worst- OJ Simpson in The Naked Gun
Football quarterback OJ Simpson aka 'the Juice' was once an influential figure for the American audience. Now, people just know him for his reputation as a convicted felon and the highly-publicized trials around the killing of his wife.
He played the role of Detective Nordberg in the spoof comedy The Naked Gun. Even for a film that relied on gags and slapstick comedy, Simpson's overacting is to the limit that it becomes cringe-inducing. Throughout most of the film, he's falling or being injured with the most over-the-top sounds and facial expressions. It's very ironic to think that Simpson was once considered to play Terminator franchise!
