30 Athletes Who Have Appeared In TV Shows Or Movies, Proving Their Skills Are More Than Just Sports

Michele Bird
·4-min read

Athletes like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams are famous for their athletic abilities, but did you know they've expanded their résumé far beyond the sports world? Many have had cameos and even leading roles in TV shows and movies, proving their skills don't stop once they step off the field, boxing ring, or track. Here's a roundup of where you can find your favorite current and former pros onscreen:

1.To start, Mike Tyson portrayed himself in The Hangover:

Mike Tyson in "The Hangover."
Frank Masi / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Boxing

2.Michael Jordan portrayed himself in Space Jam:

Bugs Bunny, Michael Jordan, Pepe Le Pew, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote, and Foghorn Leghorn in "Space Jam."
© Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Basketball

3.Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson portrayed The Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns:

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in "The Mummy Returns."
© Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Wrestling

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4.Shaquille O'Neal portrayed the title role in Kazaam:

Shaquille O'Neal in "Kazaam."
Bonnie Schiffman / © Buena Vista / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Basketball

5.Marshawn Lynch portrayed Mr. G in Bottoms:

Marshawn Lynch in "Bottoms."
© United Artists / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Football

6.Travis Kelce portrayed Ed Laclan in Grotesquerie:

Travis Kelce in "Grotesquerie."
Prashant Gupta / © FX / Courtesy FX via Everett Collection

What's his sport? Football

7.LeBron James portrayed himself in Trainwreck:

LeBron James in "Trainwreck."
Mary Cybulski / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Basketball

8.Tom Brady portrayed himself in 80 for Brady:

Lily Tomlin and Tom Brady in "80 for Brady."
Scott Garfield / © Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Football

9.Juancho Hernangomez and Anthony Edwards portrayed Bo Cruz and Kermit Wilts in Hustle:

Juancho Hernangomez and Anthony Edwards in "Hustle."
Scott Yamano / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's their sport? Basketball

10.Kevin Garnett portrayed himself in Uncut Gems:

Kevin Garnett in "Uncut Gems."
© A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Basketball

11.Serena Williams portrayed herself in Pixels:

Serena Williams and Peter Dinklage in "Pixels."
George Kraychyk / © Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's her sport? Tennis

12.Rick Fox portrayed Mason in Melrose Place:

Rick Fox, Ethan Erickson, and Ashlee Simpson Ross in "Melrose Place."
Michael Desmond / © CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Basketball

13.Brett Favre portrayed himself in There's Something About Mary:

Cameron Diaz, Brett Favre, and Chris Elliott in "There's Something About Mary."
© 20th Century Fox Film Corp. / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Football

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14.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar portrayed Roger Murdock in Airplane!:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julie Hagerty in "Airplane!"
© Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Basketball

15.John Cena portrayed Jakob in the Fast & Furious franchise:

John Cena with two men blurred in the background in "F9."
Giles Keyte / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Wrestling

16.Mr. T portrayed B.A. Baracus in The A-Team:

Mr. T in "The A-Team."
Gene Trindl / TV Guide / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Wrestling

17.Terry Crews portrayed Latrell Spencer in White Chicks:

Terry Crews on the red carpet.
Steve Granitz / WireImage

What's his sport? Football

18.Kyrie Irving portrayed the lead role in Uncle Drew:

Kyrie Irving in "Uncle Drew."
Quantrell D. Colbert / © Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Basketball

19.Derek Jeter portrayed himself in Anger Management:

Derek Jeter is being interviewed on the field.
New York Daily News Archive / NY Daily News via Getty Images

What's his sport? Baseball

20.Jimmy Butler portrayed himself in Office Christmas Party:

Jimmy Butler in "Office Christmas Party."
Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images

What's his sport? Basketball

21.Ronda Rousey portrayed Kara in Furious 7:

Ronda Rousey on the red carpet.
Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic

What's her sport? Wrestling and MMA

22.Dale Earnhardt Jr. portrayed himself in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. holding a racing trophy.
Doug Benc / Getty Images

What's his sport? NASCAR

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23.Dave Bautista portrayed Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise:

Dave Bautista in "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Jay Maidment / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Wrestling

24.John David Washington portrayed Protagonist in Tenet:

John David Washington in "Tenet."
Melinda Sue Gordon / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Football

25.David Beckham portrayed Trigger in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword:

David Beckham standing around a group of guys in armor in "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword."
Daniel Smith / © Warner Bros. Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Soccer

26.Reggie Jackson portrayed an Angel Right Fielder in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!:

Reggie Jackson in "Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!"
© Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Baseball

27.Dan Marino portrayed himself in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective:

Dan Marino and Jim Carrey in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective."
Warner Bros./ Courtesy: Everett Collection.

What's his sport? Football

28.Lance Armstrong portrayed himself in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story:

Lance Armstrong in "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story."
© 20th Century Fox Film Corp. / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Cycling

29.Carl Weathers portrayed Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise:

Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers in "Rocky."
© United Artists / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Football

30.Finally, Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed the title role in the Terminator franchise:

Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Terminator."
© Orion Pictures Corporation / Courtesy Everett Collection

What's his sport? Bodybuilding

Which other athletes would you love to see in TV shows or movies? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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