Famous actors who left the sporting world for the silver screen
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Famous actors who left the sporting world for the silver screen

We all love to marvel at the athletes and the actors on our screens, so it's all the better when a celebrity manages to be the full package. With the huge crowds at sporting events and the showmanship of athletes, maybe sports aren't as different from acting as you might think at first! Take a look at these talented actors who made the career switch.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

In the wrestling world, Dwayne Johnson or The Rock - as what we called him, was dubbed "The Great One" and "The People's Champion". Before stepping into the limelight, Dwayne originally wanted to become a CIA agent, plus he was on track to become a pro football player. But things didn't go as planned so he decided to continue his family's legacy in the WWE.

The Guinness World Record holder then made his acting debut in an episode of "That '70s Show", in which he played his real-life father, Rocky Johnson. Apart from being one of Hollywood's top-earning actors, Dwayne also co- founded a production company with his ex-wife Dany Garcia, called Seven Bucks Productions.


Can you smell what The Rock and Vin Diesel are cooking? Yup, the "Fast & Furious" stars had some beef going on for the past few years

 


He will bring DC's antihero Black Adam to life in the upcoming 2022 film

 


Dwayne teams up with "Deadpool" Ryan Reynolds and "Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot for their upcoming Netflix's film "Red Notice"

 

Dave Bautista

Long before playing remarkable roles on the silver screen, Dave Bautista has already conquered the WWE ring under the name Batista. The 2005 Royal Rumble champion began acting in 2006 as a guest-star in TV series "Smallville". He left WWE in 2010 but for some reason joined it again in 2014 and retired from the ring for good in 2019 in order to prove his worth in the Hollywood industry.

Dave once said in an interview that he will literally play any part as long as the character is interesting or he gets to work with interesting people. Other than being an actor and a pro wrestler, Dave also excels as a bodybuilder and MMA fighter.


Dave turned down James Gunn's "Suicide Squad" just to work with Zack Snyder for "Army of the Dead"

 


After starring in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" and the "Avengers" franchise, Dave finally bids goodbye to his character, Drax the Destroyer

 


Don't forget to catch Dave as Glossu Rabban in the highly anticipated film, "Dune"

 

Jason Statham

Before Jason Statham made his debut on the silver screen, he was an elite level diver and a member of the British National Diving Squad for over a decade. His amazing diving skills also qualified him to compete for England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in the 10 meter, 3 meter and 1 meter competitions. Although he loved the sport, Jason realised that it was hard for him to make money and decided to venture into the acting industry instead.


Years after Jason made his debut on Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", he reunited on Ritchie's latest action thriller "Wrath of Man"

 


During the filming of "The Expendables 3", he faced a near-death experience after a stunt went horribly wrong

 


Jason and Dwayne are reported to reprise their roles for "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" sequel in 2022

 

John Cena

John Cena is undoubtedly one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever known. He made his acting debut with "The Marine" and has been seen on the silver screen ever since. Though he sailed through his acting career, John told his WWE family that he will continue to make his wrestling career a priority. In addition to being a 16-time WWE world champion and Hollywood A-lister, John is also a New York Times #1 Best Selling Author and a rapper with a chart-topping rap album "You Can't See Me".


His "You Can't See Me" catchphrase has evolved into a hilarious meme on the Internet

 


Since Dwayne Johnson is no longer a part of the "Fast & Furious" franchise, John is declared as the best replacement

 


SAlongside his role in "The Suicide Squad", John will also star in "Peacemaker", his own spin-off character series on HBO Max

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger is well-known as a seven-time Mr. Olympia, four-time Mr. Universe, successful real estate investor, best-paid actor of the 90s and the Governor of California. Before he pursued an acting career, Arnold was already a self-made millionaire in his 20's. He made his debut after quitting bodybuilding with "Hercules in New York".

The early stages of his career was tough as he was told that his body was 'too weird', he had a funny accent and that his name was too long. He became an action superstar through his breakthrough film "Conan the Barbarian" which became a box-office hit, and he led the "The Terminator" franchise.


Did you know that Arnold got paid $21,429 for each word that he said in "Terminator"? That's a whole lot of money!

 


Arnold didn't appear in any "Predator" films since the first instalment because he thought sequels are usually disappointing

 


He shared the first look of David Sandberg's "Kung Fury" sequel in 2022, in which he will portray the US President


Related Movies:
The Suicide Squad (30 Sep 2021)
Jungle Cruise (23 Sep 2021)
Dune (14 Oct 2021)
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw (01 Aug 2019)
Wrath Of Man (20 Jan 2022)
Red Notice (Not Showing)

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