WWE showrunner Vince McMahon once had this to say about the WWE, known then as the WWF, “We are Hollywood. We’re entertainment, and that’s what the World Wrestling Federation is all about.” This is undoubtedly true given the amount of pro wrestlers that have worked their way into Hollywood and found success. They may not all be superstars, but there are any number of incredible performances to be found by the people that used to spar in the ring. The line between sports and entertainment has always been blurred by wrestlers. This list highlights the best of the best that have elevated their careers into Hollywood.
5Dwayne Johnson - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnsonis undoubtedly the most successful wrestler turned actor of all time. Almost every movie he makes rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars, and he’s been a household name for years now. The only thing keeping him from being higher on this list is the lack of variation in his roles. It’s easy for him to play the eyebrow-raising cool guy that saves the day, but he rarely stretches his acting muscles for his movies.
This was not the case with his performance inJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.He plays Spencer Gilpin, a young kid who is more used to using his brain than his muscles. When he and his friends find a video game copy of Jumanji, they’re all sucked into the game and given new avatars. It’s a completely different type of role for Johnson. He’s awkward, scared easily, and unsure of himself. Probably the three things that most people wouldn’t attribute to the actor. Luckily, he’s great in the film.
Dwayne Johnson proved that he can play different types of roles with this movie, and it’shis best performance so far.
Related:Karen Gillan Gives Disappointing Jumanji 4 Update
4Andre the Giant - The Princess Bride (1987)
Andre the Giantwas a character, in and out of the ring. There are so many incredible stories of him throughout the years, and that includes one that claimed hedrank 156 beers in one sitting. Similarly, his role inThePrincess Brideis just as memorable. The lovable and dangerous Fezzik seemed to have been written just for Andre. In a movie full of memorable quotes and unforgettable scenes, Andre the Giant delivered in all of them.
It’s not a particularly challenging role. The character of Fezzik doesn’t require a thespian, but it does require someone with a heart to match their brawn. Andre The Giant was the only man for the job. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 46 in 1993. This was one of his last roles, and one that fans will never forget.
Related:Andre the Giant Honored by WWE and The Princess Bride Fans in Remembrance on His 75th Birthday
3Roddy Piper - They Live (1988)
They Liveis a classic John Carpenter movie that has spawned a cult following ever since it was released in 1988. It’s irreverent, exciting, and hilarious. As great as it was; it would all be lost without the fantastic performance byRoddy Piper, playing the too cool character of Nada. Nobody spits out catchphrases better than Roddy Piper, with the quotes from this movie going down as some all-time bests.
They Livemay outwardly seem like a silly movie, but it has a lot to say about society and isstill relevantto a lot of the problems we’re facing today.It’s essentially a criticism of class and conformity, and what Roddy Piper does so effectively is work as a catalyst for an actual message, while still looking cool and slinging catchphrases at a rapid fire rate. He works as a Trojan horse for audiences.
In the words of Roddy Piper’s Nada, “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, but I’m all out of bubblegum”.
2Dave Bautista - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Dave Bautistahas been finding a lot of work lately. He’s taken on films likeDuneandBlade Runner: 2049, and has many projects in the pipeline. He’s still managing to appear in the occasional WWE special as well. Other than Dwayne Johnson, Bautista is easily finding the most success of all of these former wrestlers. The best is yet to come.
However, it’s his role as Drax the Destroyer inGuardians of the Galaxythat, for now, is his best role. He proved that he can easily be one of the funniest wrestler-turned-actors, but he also isn’t afraid to bring the chops when things get serious. Some of themost emotional moments in the MCUare brought together by Bautista. It’s because no matter how silly something Drax is doing, Bautista plays him with a lot of humanity and care. At his heart, Drax is a broken person who lost his wife and child. He may be naive in some ways, but he’s fiercely loyal to his newly-found family. Bautista has understood this from the start.
Bautista may be done with the role afterGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but audiences will not be quick to forget him.
1John Cena - Peacemaker (2021-Present)
John Cenahas been in the game for a while. He started in 2006 with the mostly forgettable action movie,The Marine.He had a scattering of roles in the following years before departing from the WWE. He had memorable roles in12 Rounds,TrainwreckandBumblebee, but it wasn’t until he started working with James Gunn that he trulyshowed off his chops.
2021’sThe Suicide Squadand the HBO Max follow-up seriesPeacemakerwork as Cena’s best performances to date. He’s funny, charming; but also a dark, complex character. Especially in the show, the character of Peacemaker really delved into it in a way that none of the wrestlers on this list have been able to do yet.
Peacemaker will go down as one of the best performances by a wrestler of all time. With how good all of these wrestler-turned-actors have been, it’s only a matter of time before we get another all-time great performance.
