Pro Wrestlers in Films

[Scott]

Best wrestlers to star in films:

Hulk Hogan (Rocky III)
Jesse Ventura (Predator & Running Man)
Roddy Piper (The One and Only & They Live)
Terry Funk (Paradise Alley)
Professor Tanaka (James Bond)
Primo Carera (Mighty Joe Young)
Tor Johnson (Plan 9 from Outer Space, Night of the Gouls, Bride of the Monster, and Beast of Yucca Flats)
Georgeous George (The Champ)
Verne Gagne (The Wrestler)
Adrian Street (Quest for Fire)

I think Gene LeBell also did some films.

And a whole bunch of wrestlers starred in "I LIKE TO HURT PEOPLE" from the 70's. I won't even list some of the ultra cheapies of the past 10 years.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Here are a couple more pro wrest;lers who were in films,
Andre the Giant: "Princess Bride"
Mike Mazurki: who was in more films then I can remember. And if one wants to see a good wrestling match in a film, then watch him and another pro wrestler Stanislaus Zybsko go at it in "Night and the City." Enjoy!

[Scott]

"Night in the City" sounds good. Maybe TCM or AMC will play it.

[Future Blob]

  What I don't understand is why there are not MORE  pro wrestlers in movies. I mean, they can do some of their own stunts, are used to acting and speaking in public (without re-takes), are already in pretty good shape and some can project a genuine bad-ass feel. Also they have a built -in fanbase. I'm not saying you'll find the next Kevin Spacey or Russell Crowe in the ring, but still...

 Roddy Piper was great in They Live, he made that move in my opinion.

[Future Blob]

  What I don't understand is why there are not MORE  pro wrestlers in movies. I mean, they can do some of their own stunts, are used to acting and speaking in public (without re-takes), are already in pretty good shape and some can project a genuine bad-ass feel. Also they have a built -in fanbase. I'm not saying you'll find the next Kevin Spacey or Russell Crowe in the ring, but still...think what a fun movie you could make with, say, the Big Show? And on a side note, why are most slasher villians usually big muscle guys? Is it to make them seem scarier?

 Roddy Piper was great in They Live, he made that move in my opinion.

[Lee]

I think the reason that you don't see more pro wrestlers in movies because most people in the audience won't even bother watching the movie. Which is to bad. Roddy Piper was awesome in They Live. I think Mick Foley would be awesome in a movie. Who knows maybe even Terry Funk would show up!

[The Honn]

I honestly believe Mick Foley is a gifted actor. I mean look at his early stuff up to 96, some of it was genuinly disturbing.

[Drezzy]

Foley needs to turn his first book, Have A Nice Day!, into a movie. In Foley Is Good, he talks about trying to write a script for it, and having the script suck horribly, but there's still a chance...

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was in both The Mummy Returns and the upcoming Scorpion King.
DDP, Goldberg, Sting, and a number of other WCW'ers (ah, how I miss ACTUAL WCW wrestling) were in Ready To Rumble...although that movie doesn't deserve mention.
Goldberg was also in Universal Soldier: The Return. Although THAT also doesn't deserve mentioning...

Hmm...GOOD movies with actual wrestlers in them? Umm...hmm...aside from the ones mentioned in the first post...er...

Terry Funk was in Road House. Road House was okay. Or...not...
Ex-wrestler Tyler Mane is in a whole bunch of movies...X-Men (Sabretooth), How To Make A Monster, and others.

Aw s**t...I'm out of ideas. Umm...oh yeah!
ROB VAN DAM was in Blood Moon, Superfights, and the upcoming Black Mask 2. RVD: THE WHOLE f**kIN' SHOW!

Hmm...this gave me an idea...

[Scott]

Mick Foley is truely great. I think your all right about him making a good movie. Especially his life story.

[Lee]

I hate Rob Van Damm!

[Scott]

Why do you not like RVD Lee?

[Lee]

He p**ses me off! He thinks the whole world revovles around him and thinks he's the best thing about this planet. He talks about how he's bigger than other wrestlers because he's done movies. The only movie he is in that I like is Blood Moon and I don't even remember him being in it. Everybody thinks he has the greatest moves around, but he doesn't. I've seen people do more in 5-10 minutes of action than this Carson Daly-look-alike does in a handful of matches. Who do I pay to have him hit by a car?

[Brian Ringler]

Mick Foley was in a short film titled deadbeats.  It's on the Troma best of Tromadance dvd as one of the main short.  It about 30 minutes long and Foley plays teh main role.

What about Freddie Blassie in the Troma movie When Nature Calls (not the ace ventura junk), but he doesn't play a major role in it.

[Future Blob]

  Did he say that in a "real" interview or a wrestling promo? I know his character is pretty cocky, but are you sure that he's really like that? If he was, you think that someone would have straightened him out pretty quick...

[Scott]

I didn't know about Freddie Blassie Brian. I know he was in some called BREAFAST WITH BLASSIE. (or something like that)

I forgot to mention LOU ALBANO.

Easy Lee your wrapped alittle to tight. That is his character. Future Blob is right he would last long if he really acted that way in the wrestling business. Were stars are made and not born.