Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and 9 Professional Wrestlers Turned Actors

There's no profession quite like professional wrestling. It combines sports with entertainment to create a show unlike anything else. The performance element of being a wrestler has enabled many wrestlers to transfer into acting.

While a lot of wrestlers have tried their hand at acting, the results have varied. Some starred in supporting roles in a few weird movies before calling it quits, and some have gone on to become icons of their generation and genuine movie stars.

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan is undeniably one of wrestling's biggest stars of all time. WWF's pop culture boom in the 1980s was built around Hogan, who became a mainstream icon known by practically everyone around the world. It makes sense then, that The Hulkster got his shot to be a movie star.

His big-screen debut was as Thunderlips taking on Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III. He followed that up with a WWF Saturday morning cartoon called Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, which featured his fellow wrestlers going on adventures outside the ring. Around this time he made several TV appearances as himself on shows like The Love Boat and The A-Team. He then starred in the WWF-produced movie, No Holds Barred, before taking a break from wrestling to focus on his acting career. It was at this time that he headlined a couple of comedies in the 1990s, Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny, and starred in his action series, Thunder In Paradise, before returning to wrestling. While his acting career may not have taken off, that didn't stop Hogan from becoming arguably the most iconic wrestler to ever live.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was one of the first pro wrestlers to make the transition to movie star. His career as a wrestler was built upon his incredible character work, especially as a heel. He was, by far, the most entertaining performer of the 1980s, a decade where a wrestler was nothing if not entertaining. He possessed natural charisma both inside and outside the ring. However, he never won the WWF's top title, leaving many feeling like his career was one of unfulfilled potential. You could say the same about his acting career.

Roddy Piper had quite the beginning of his film career, following up a small role in the wrestling-based movie Body Slam with a starring role in the John Carpenter classic, They Live, and the bizarre cult classic, Hell Comes To Frogtown, both in the same year. Unfortunately, his career didn't exactly boom after those roles, headlining smaller action films and making many guest appearances on TV throughout the 1990s. Even if he didn't become the movie star he proved himself capable of in his breakout year, Roddy Piper built a truly unforgettable legacy on the silver screen as one of the most underrated stars of all time.

Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Jesse Ventura has lived a truly incredible life. He has been a member of the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War, a Hall Of Fame wrestler in the WWF, an actor in some of the most iconic action films of the 1980s and 1990s, and Governor of Minnesota, just to name a few of his many accomplishments.

It would be impressive enough to just have a career as an actor on top of all of his other jobs, but it's even more impressive that Jesse Ventura has been involved with two of the biggest actors of all time, working with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator and The Running Man, and working with Sylvester Stallone in Demolition Man. He also starred in the title role of the cult classic sci-fi movie, Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe. Jesse Ventura is living proof of the versatility professional wrestlers possess.

Terry Funk

Terry Funk is one of those wrestlers who truly lives to be a pro wrestler. Throughout his 50+ year-long career, Funk wrestled consistently into his 70s, give or take a few very brief retirements. He was incredibly successful, wrestling all around the world, and building a large fan base, especially in the United States and Japan. This success gave Funk a sense of security that allowed him to try out a few other parts of the entertainment industry without having to be afraid of failing.

He released some country-disco music in Japan, including the song "Barbara Streisand's Nose" of the album Great Texan. It did not catch on. His acting career, however, proved to be more successful. While not being big, probably due to not wanting to step away from wrestling, Funk's filmography includes some rather large projects including Road House, Quantum Leap, and the Sylvester Stallone movies Paradise Alley and Over The Top.

Kevin Nash

After being one of the biggest names in pro wrestling of the 1990s, both as Diesel in the WWF and himself in WCW, it seemed like Kevin Nash settled into the role of a semi-retired pro wrestler, working behind the scenes of several promotions and making the occasional in-ring return, all while taking small acting roles in movies like The Longest Yard and The Punisher.

However, after taking the role of Tarzan in the cultural phenomenon, Magic Mike, Nash leaned more into acting, starring in the subsequent sequel, Magic Mike XXL, John Wick, several movies on the direct-to-video market, and most recently, reuniting with Channing Tatum in Dog. What makes Kevin Nash such a great performer to watch, is that it always seems like he's having fun, whether he's fighting the world's best assassin, or giving a bachelorette party a show they'll never forget.

Captain Lou Albano

Captain Lou Albano is a wrestler whose transition to acting seemed like it would be relatively smooth. Primarily working as a manager to other wrestlers in his heyday, Captain Lou's strength was his personality, drawing an audience in with his promos and over-the-top character work. Unfortunately, he didn't find a lot of work as an actor, but within his relatively small filmography are some truly iconic works.

Unlike most wrestlers who act, Captain Lou Albano didn't find much work in feature films. He had some small roles in movies like Wise Guys and Body Slam, but his real success was on the small screen, starring in 65 episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as the titular video game plumber, Mario. He also appeared in several Cyndi Lauper music videos, including playing her father in the iconic video for "Girls Just Want To Have Fun".

CM Punk

After becoming the voice of an entire generation of wrestling fans, and then having a rough falling out with the industry, CM Punk, aka Phil Brooks, retired from professional wrestling to try his hand at a variety of different jobs. He wrote some comic books for DC and Marvel, fought a few MMA matches in UFC, and even starred in a few horror movies.

Before returning to wrestling in 2021, CM Punk was beginning to put together a rather decent acting career, starring in three small, independent horror movies: The Girl On The Third Floor, Rabid, and Jakob's Wife. While he may not have made as big of an impact as an actor as he did a wrestler, he was certainly carving out a corner of the industry for himself, garnering something of a cult following for the cult of personality himself.

John Cena

John Cena is arguably the most well-known professional wrestler of the 21st century, dominating the industry for over a decade. During that time, Cena flirted with an acting career starring in several WWE-produced movies, including The Marine and 12 Rounds. While WWE Studios films aren't necessarily known for their high quality, they allowed Cena to build up to something of a filmography while still being the #1 name in pro wrestling.

Since stepping back from the industry in the 2010s, Cena has set his sights on Hollywood, making a name for himself with supporting roles in comedies like Trainwreck and Daddy's Home, and leading roles in movies like Blockers. His biggest role to date has been his work in the DC Universe as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad and on his self-titled HBO Max show. It may be too early to tell, but John Cena is proving that he has what it takes to take over the movie industry, just as he did the wrestling one.

Dave Bautista

Dave Bautista had an incredibly successful career in WWE, becoming a multiple-time world champion, but no one could have guessed how his transition to acting would play out. As a wrestler, Batista was best known for his physicality, so it would make sense that he would follow in the footsteps of other wrestlers and find success as an action star.

He began his acting career in small independent action movies like House of the Rising Sun and The Man with the Iron Fists, and the henchman role in the James Bond movie Spectre. However, his biggest role to date is Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, which he would reprise across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike his contemporaries who transitioned from wrestling to acting, Bautista shines brightest when he gets to flex his dramatic acting skills in movies like Blade Runner 2049 and Dune. As he wraps up his role as Drax with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and is set to star in M. Night Shyamalan's new movie, Bautista's future as an actor is exciting because he can do just about anything.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

The Rock may not have been the first wrestler to become an actor, but he was the first to become so successful that it's arguable his acting career has overshadowed his outstanding wrestling one. From The Mummy Returns to The Game Plan, to Fast Five, to Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson has proven time and time again that his biggest strength is adapting to the movie he's in while maintaining his persona as a larger than life character, which was also what made him such an iconic pro wrestler.

It's undeniable that Dwayne Johnson is the biggest movie star on the planet right now. He owns a production company, works on multiple projects at the same time, and can revive a franchise's popularity just by attaching his name to it. He even produces and stars in a sitcom about his own life, Young Rock. In a Hollywood that's moving past the star system, Dwayne Johnson's hard work and determination are keeping the old ways alive.

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