With yet another box office success, Black Adam, under his belt, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson demonstrates, once again, why he is a true movie star. His success is all the more extraordinary in that he began his career as a wrestler.
However, as the s of Reddit have pointed out, Johnson is far from alone in this regard. Indeed, it is quite extraordinary to consider just how many of today’s major draws–both on the big screen and the small–began their careers in another realm of entertainment entirely. Whether in front of wrestling fans or cinema audiences, Redditors feel these wrestlers have shown the most charisma.
John Cena
John Cena is, undeniably, a charismatic and charming actor. As he shows in the hit DCEU series Peacemaker, he knows his skills and how to use them most effectively, and he has undeniably good comic timing.
Redditor I_Am_Dynamite6317 agrees, and they write: “Cena has fantastic comedic timing and instincts.” Rather than trying to force himself into roles and genres that wouldn’t really sync with his own talents, Cena knows that he is most suited to comedy, and he is to be commended for consistently playing to his strengths as an actor.
The Rock
There are many great films starring the Rock, and he has shown that he is truly a bona fide movie star. His name alone is often enough to draw in an audience, and he has shown that he is comfortable in a number of genres, particularly comedy and action.
DaveInLondon89 puts it best when they state: “The Rock has massive charisma.” There is, indeed, something inherently potent about his on-screen presence, and in the Rock’s best roles he manages to be not only incredibly charming but he also brings out the hidden depths of the men that he plays. Even when he’s just providing the voice, as he does in Moana, he shows himself to be an actor of many depths.
Dave Bautista
Time and again, Dave Bautista has shown considerable acting talent, whether that’s as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy or Beast Rabban in Dune. In fact, he has shown a remarkable ability to appear in many of Hollywood’s most successful franchises.
Redditor DaveinLondon89 puts it simply, writing: “Bautista has genuine dramatic talent.” It is true that Bautista has a rather uncanny ability to mine his characters for true depth, and this is as true of Drax (who has, after all, suffered a great deal of trauma) as it is of Rabban (who is as brutal and blunt as his uncle, Vladimir, is cunning).
Andre The Giant
Though he was in several roles, Andre the Giant is best known for his appearance in The Princess Bride, one of the most beloved movies of the 1980s. Run_bike_run sums up his ability this way: “Andre was great in a pretty straightforward role in The Princess Bride.”
There is, indeed, a brilliance to Andre’s performance. He saw right away what kind of characters he would excel at creating and, rather than trying to be something he wasn’t, he leaned into his talents. Thus, though he died quite young, he left behind a cinematic legacy as rich as many more “legitimate actors.”
Roddy Piper
Like many other wrestlers-turned-actors, Roddy Piper had a certain intangible appeal that was undeniable. This is particularly evident in his film roles, most notably in best (if underrated) John Carpenter movies.
Reddit MoogtheMag writes of this film and Piper’s role in it: “A great story, with that crazy fight scene in the alley. That man couldn’t act, but his charisma was undeniable, and that beefy dad bod got my 20-year-old gay self into the theater 3 times in one week.” Piper took his talents and made the most of them, which makes his death in 2015 all the more tragic.
Hulk Hogan
Few wrestlers-turned-actors have achieved quite the level of cultural ubiquity of Hulk Hogan. With his signature mustache and his larger-than-life persona, he managed to be both a phenomenally successful wrestler and an actor (though his actual acting talents remain a subject of dispute).
Saw_Boss has this to say about Hogan’s on-screen persona: “he was Hulk Hogan in his films too. His mannerisms didn't change, his delivery didn't change, it was just Hulk Hogan in a movie.” Indeed, it was Hogan’s brilliance that he was able to use this consistency to his advantage so that one could rely on him to be himself no matter the venue.
Steve Austin
In some ways, Steve Austin seems like an unlikely person to make the transition to acting. After all, he is widely regarded as one of the truly great professional wrestlers.
Though he has done some of his most notable acting work in reality TV, going_mad rightly asks: “Austin was pretty good actually (did you see him in Nash bridges?)” Indeed, as would so often be the case during his career, Austin had an undeniable confidence in his role in that series, which helps to explain why he would be so popular among the s of Reddit.
Randy Savage
Randy Savage is one of those wrestlers who is instantly recognizable, even for those who aren’t always plugged into the world of the WWF. With his flamboyant costumes and his overwhelming intensity, there was no way he could be mistaken for anyone else.
He was also surprisingly skilled as an actor, which made his death at the relatively young age of 58 all the more tragic. As Redditor HatefulDan points out: “Savage would still be a sought after personality today, if he were still around.” In addition to his live-action projects, he was also known for providing the voice to several animated characters.
Kevin Nash
Though he might not have achieved quite the level of success in acting as some wrestlers, Kevin Nash has still been in several notable roles. Among other things, he played the mutated figure of Super Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II.
His most notable role, however, was the remake version of The Longest Yard. As d0nsocko writes: “I would include Kevin Nash in the Longest Yard remake, his deliveries were hilarious in that movie and IMHO every little scene he was in he stole it.” He has also shined in the Magic Mike franchise.
Kane
With his imposing physicality, it was probably inevitable that someone like Kane was going to be somewhat limited in of the types of movie roles that he was offered. JC-Ice puts it this way: “I don't think Kane was ever going to be suited for things other than Slasher and giant goon roles.”
However, it’s to Kane’s credit that he was able to leverage this to significant success. Like many other actors, he realized what his strengths were and played to them, rather than trying to be something that he wasn’t.
