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WRESTLERS WITH SUCCESSFUL MOVIE STINTS IN THEIR CAREERS

The wrestling world is rapidly churning out massive talent with a worldwide appeal ready to take on different roles. The same catalog that blessed us with an Olympic gold medalist with a broken neck is rolling out new movie stars.

WWE Studio Inc. carved its name as an underrated producer of action movies, with success in Marine, 12 Rounds, and See No Evil. The segment witnessed a new side of these professional entertainers we were yet to see. 

Kane, The Miz, Dean Ambrose, and John Cena earned a new lease of life in the movie scene. However, other mega stars shifted their careers from a wrestling ring to a movie set. 

Transcending from chair shots, body slams, and cage matches to developing a character for a film requires discipline, talent, and dedication. Today, we look back at some of our favorite wrestlers who shared the limelight with some of Hollywood’s greatest.

Steve Austin 

If there’s one WWE superstar we wish we could pay a college paper writing service to catch a glimpse during homework time, it is Steve Austin. Despite lacking a starting role, he holds various supporting roles on DVD. 

These high-octane action releases include The Condemned, Recoil, The Hunt, and Tactical Force, among many more. One of his most successful roles came in the hit series Chuck in Seasons 3 and 4. 

The Rock

The outspoken ‘King of Promos’ showed his charisma during his wrestling days. Coming from a family lineage of successful wrestlers, it was written in stone by the son of Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson to cut it in WWE. 

It wasn’t smooth sailing in Hollywood with a couple of underwhelming roles in The Mummy Returns’ before he connected with the audience with Scorpion King. He cemented his role as a Hollywood star as Agent Luke Hobbs in the movie franchise Fast and Furious.

Currently, he ranks among the top-grossing actors in Hollywood, with numerous films under his belt. Even if he hails as DC Comics’s Black Adam, we still remember him as out-of-pocket Rock. 

Dave Bautista

Following the footsteps of The Rocks seems like a daunting task, given the big shoes to fill. This was the fate of superstar Dave Bautista, who took a detour in his wrestling career to try out his acting gig. 

He started slowly while playing the villain in Smallville. His presence was felt, followed by roles in blockbuster movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner 2049, and Spectre. 

Similar to turning to a pay for essay service, Bautista's consistency and hard work paid off while marking himself as a dignified actor in Hollywood. 

Even though he retired from in-ring wrestling, we still remember his heydays as part of the Evolution. 

John Cena

The poster child of WWE, John Cena, rose through the ranks in the industry, proving to be more than just a bodybuilder and rapper. The end of the Attitude Era earmarked him as the next star to take over from The Rock.

Undoubtedly, John Cena took on the role massively and became a crowd-favorite no-time. It came as no surprise when he decided to venture into the acting world. His most prestigious role remains Peacemaker in the 2021 remake of Suicide Squad. He mastered the role that HBO Max turned into a series. 

Cena has yet to hang his boots in the ring with a few bouts in WWE, such as during the Crown Jewel against Solo Silokoa. The future looks promising for the 16-time World Champion in Hollywood. 

Triple H

CM Punk might have dumbed down Triple H’s acting career during their feud with Vince McMohan. Despite some truth behind the lack of success for the 2011 movie The Chaperone, there’s still some decent actor behind the current WWE CCO.

One of his iconic roles came in the film Blade - Trinity, playing a vampire bodyguard. Another infamous movie was the action-crime film Inside Out alongside fellow actors Parkey Rosey, Michael Rapaport, and Bruce Dern. 

Given the anti-hero persona that created one of the most thrilling tag teams in the WWE, Degeneration X, it is a shame that Triple H didn’t channel his energy into making more movies for the franchise. 

Andre the Giant

Despite a short-lived acting career, Andre the Giant wasn’t shy of taking his behemoth stardom to our screens. One of his memorable roles came in 1987 in the fantasy classic The Princess Bride. 

As a supporting role, he teams up with the main character, Westley, in a rescue mission for the princess. Initially, the main actor was pegged for the Giant. But due to language differences, he recommended to go for Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Due to Arnold's rising stock, he was above the movie’s budget, forcing the directors to convince Andre the Giant to take the role. It was sad that six years later, he would pass away due to health complications.

Honorable Mentions

For some acts, some acting careers needed to be longer to impact our list significantly. However, they still deserve recognition and praise for their work outside the ring. Here are some of our honorable mentions: 

Randy Savage

Sometimes, it only takes one iconic appearance in a movie to seal your fate as a megastar in Hollywood. This is evident in Macho Man Randy Savage, who holds a short stint in the acting scene. 

However, his iconic appearance in Sam Saini’s Spiderman Movie remains relevant. His delivery of the iconic elbow to young Peter Parker in the cage match evoked many emotions in the cinematic world. 

Ronda Rousey

The MMA-cum-WWE superstar is a familiar face in the acting scene. She made her acting debut in the Expandable catalog. Given her action-packed character, she would later appear in the hit movie Fast and Furious as a female bodyguard. One memorable action scene is her in-house wrestling skills, such as body slams and submission. 

Final Takeaway

Transcending from the ring into the demanding movie set requires a high talent appeal. These infamous wrestlers successfully pushed the envelope and ventured into the acting scene. We hope to see the current crop of talent in WWE step out of their comfort zones and try these acting roles to cement their legacies. 

 

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