top of page
Top 10 Sport Stars Turned Actors
Here’s our list of the top 10 sporting people that have tried their hand at acting in feature length movies.
 Top 10 Sport Stars Turned Actors24 May, 1966, saw the birth of Eric Cantona, one of the many sporting heroes that tried their hand in the film world, here’s our list of 10 sporting people that have featured in movies. |  No.10. Mike TysonTruly a great sporting hero, not without controversy, but it’s hard to deny his raw talent as a boxer. This doesn’t necessarily transfer to his acting ability, although his performances in the Hangover films aren't too cringe worthy. But enough to put him bottom of this particular list. |
|---|---|
 No.9. Shaquille O'NealAgain, sporting wise O’Neal is a legend – 6th in NBA history for total points scored and winner of 4 NBA Championships. But his acting career has been somewhat slammed by critics, and who can blame them having starred in a variety of bad films from Scary Movie 4 to Grown Ups 2. He was good at basketball though! |  No.8. Annette KellermanThis silent film star was also a talented swimmer. She was the first woman to attempt to swim the English Channel, she tried three times but failed to make it the whole distance. She was also one of the first women to wear a one-piece swimsuit much to the disgust of her contemporaries. She went on to star in a number of silent movies, and was the first major actress to do a full nude scene in A Daughter of the Gods (1916). She was an all-round trailblazer. |
No.7. Eric CantonaIt pains me to put Eric seventh in this list and I know that Annette should probably be above him, but it’s Eric Cantona!! I am biased, sorry! However, his obvious talent as a footballer and having played for the best team in the World ;-) means that he gets this position. He became an actor after his football career and made his first major performance in Elizabeth (1998). A true legend!! |  No.6. Michael JordanNeeds no introduction. Best ever points per game average at 30.12 in the NBA, and won two lots of three consecutive NBA Championships. No doubt, one of, if not the, best basketball player in the history of the sport. And Space Jam (1996) was awesome! Everyone knows it, in fact 6th now seems quite harsh on Jordan, sorry Michael. |
 No.5. Vinnie JonesMaybe a shock that Vinnie Jones finds himself at no.5, but he is here, because of just that, the shock. He was an average footballer, he was tough, rough & knew his talents. He won the FA Cup with Wimbledon, but the shock comes in his acting ability. He plays the tough man well & in Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (98) his performance is really good and also in Snatch (2000). He may have only one type of performance, but some actors have made a very good living out of playing one part! |  No.4. O.J. SimpsonMore controversy me thinks! I know, I know! But in 1973, he was the first professional (American) football player to rush more than 2000 yards in a season. But the reason he is really here is because of the Naked Gun series. No need to continue, those films speak for themselves! I’m ignoring the murder accusations here, forgive me, but this wasn’t necessarily a personality contest! If it was, well… you decide. |
 No.3. Arnold SchwarzeneggerOh Arnie! Winner of Mr. Universe at the age of 20 and winner of Mr. Olympia 7 times, there is no doubt that Arnie was a successful weightlifter. And that was just the start of his illustrious career. His first feature film was Hercules in New York (1969) in which he played Hercules, amazing! He went on to make a big name for himself in Hollywood, playing the Terminator and even trying his hand in comedy roles, such as his excellent performance in Twins (1988). A deserved bronze medal winner. |  No.2. Bruce LeeThe legend! Lee’s career in martial arts ran alongside his career in film. But before his first major role in film, The Big Boss (71) he appeared in the Long Beach International Karate Championships in '64. Here, it is reported, that he performed his famous “one-inch punch” & made his volunteer Bob Baker “…stay home from work…” He went on to perform in some of the most famous martial art films of all time. It's hard to beat this, but I think my no.1 truly displays the true success in both fields |
 No.1. Johnny WeissmullerJohnny Weissmuller was a world class swimmer, winning 3 gold medals at the 1924 Olympics & 2 more at the 1928 games. He also won a bronze medal in '24 with the US Water Polo team. As a swimmer he broke 67 world records & was reportedly undefeated in official competition! If this wasn't enough, in the 30s he signed a contract with MGM and starred in his first film. He played Tarzan in Tarzan the Ape Man (32) & went on to star in a further 11 Tarzan films. He truly is a legend of both domains. |
bottom of page