Name an athlete who became an actor.

[ohiosmith]

Chuck Connors
Following his military discharge in 1946, he joined the newly formed Boston Celtics of the Basketball Association of America, but left the team for spring training with Major League Baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers. He played for numerous minor league teams before joining the Dodgers in 1949 for a few weeks. Later, in 1951 he also played for the Chicago Cubs. He was then sent to the minor leagues again, in 1952, to the Cubs' top farm team at the time, the Los Angeles Angels. Few people realize that he was also drafted by the Chicago Bears, but never actually suited-up for the team.

[terrya]

1. Johnny Weismuller

Olympic swimmer. And, of course, "Tarzan"

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Do I get to be the first person to mention OJ?

[Bake]

55. YES! And for your prize, you're going straight to hell!

Do not pass go! Do not collect $200.

Judges, can we have a ruling? Was OJ ever actually an "actor????"

Bake

[Pacifist Patriot]

56. Well you do have an excellent point there. A paycheck does not an actor make.

Unless...do court room performances count?

[Bake]

58. Yes! The whole "gloves don't fit" performance

was Oscar-worthy!

Bake

[dysfunctional press]

3. the Boz(o).

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0098372/

[Shell Beau]

4. Well, Brett Favre was in Something About Mary...

for like a second :rofl:

[underpants]

8. Burt Reynolds played football at Florida State

he and ESPN personality/analyst Lee Corso were roomates

[Shell Beau]

And Burt had/has a decent acting career!!

[terrya]

5. Also, Alex Karras

Detroit Lions, I believe. Went on to be in films such as "Blazing Saddles" and "Victor/Victoria"

[Gormy Cuss]

16. Mongo in "Blazing Saddles"

I loved his character in "Victor/Victoria"
See post 7 -- we're thinking alike.

[underpants]

6. Machel Warren and Ed Marinaro

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081873/

Both on "Hill Street Blues"

Warren played at UCLA with Kareem (then Lew Alcindor) and won two national title

Marinaro actively campaigned for the Heisman but didn't get it as he played at Cornell

In his three seasons as Cornell's tailback (1969-70-71), Marinaro set an NCAA season record of 1881 yards and a season per-game average of 209.0. His career average of 174.6 is also an NCAA record.

Marinaro also compiled a stellar college career at Cornell, where he rushed for an NCAA record 1,881 yards in 1971, was a three time All-American, and became the first player in college football history to gain over 4000 yards in a career (4,715) as well as set 16 other NCAA records.

Prior to acting, Marinaro played in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings (4 seasons), New York Jets (1 Season) and the Seattle Seahawks (1 season).

[Gormy Cuss]

7. Alex Karras

Alexander George Karras (born July 15, 1935 in Gary, Indiana), is a former football player, professional wrestler and actor who is best known for playing with the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1958-1962 and 1964-1971. In addition, he starred on the ABC sitcom Webster, alongside real-life wife Susan Clark, as the titular character's adoptive father.

[racaulk]

9. The Rock

That is, if you consider wrestling a sport. ;)

[taterguy]

24. He played college football too

[sniffa]

10. oj simpson

cLassic movies he made.

[Zavulon]

11. Fred Dryer

[u4ic]

12. Gary Stevens

(Seabiscuit)

Okay. ATTEMPTED to become an actor. :P

[racaulk]

13. Arnold Schwarzenegger

[terrya]

17. Lou Ferrigno

[edbermac]

14. Joe Namath

[Taverner]

15. Joe Namath was on an episode of the Brady Bunch

[sniffa]

18. he was aLso in the movie, "chatanooga choochoo"

[ohiosmith]

22. and CC and Company

[racaulk]

19. Dan Marino

He was in that first "Ace Ventura" movie...

[maveric]

20. Fred Williamson from the Blaxploitation flicks.

Jim Brown
Chuck Norris
Steven Seagal

[terrya]

21. Jim Brown

He's appeared in several movies

[MAGICBULLET]

23. Nick Nolte

was a college football player until he flunked out b/c of bad grades. He then pursued his film career.

[Joe Fields]

25. Ed Marinaro

[Jimbo S]

26. Michael Landon

javelin thrower.

possibly in college at UCLA or USC (?)

[Spirochete]

27. Jim Bouton

Had a TV show based on his book "Ball Four". Unfortunately, I blinked, so I missed it.

[Oeditpus Rex]

33. Good thing, too

I wouldn't call what Bouton or anyone else in it did "acting."

[guitar man]

28. Merlin Olsen

[Broken_Hero]

63. Ha, you took mine....Little House on the Prarie, he didn't

do such a bad job.

[slj0101]

29. Ed O'Neill.

Tried out for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was cut.

[Sanity Claws]

30. Kevin Costner

He was in the minor leagues, never made it to the majors.

[Oeditpus Rex]

31. John Wayne, or so the legend goes

Truth is, he broke an ankle after his first year at USC and had to forfeit his football scholarship. He never played a down for the Trojans.

Johnny Roseboro, a pretty good Dodgers catcher in the '60s (mostly famous, I guess, for getting his head cracked open with a bat at the hands of Giants pitcher Juan Marichal in 1965), did a bit of acting. I remember him in an episode of "Dragnet" as a cop who was shot and his mind blanked it out.

Looks like he did a couple other things, too: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0741771/

[Bassic]

32. OJ

After a fashion.

[FredScuttle]

34. Marvelous Marvin Hagler

From middleweight champion to Italian movie star

[MonkeyFunk]

35. Sonja Henie!

[terrya]

36. Damn, I was going to say that! So, I'll have to go with Vera Hruba Ralston

Another ice skater turned actress. :-)

[cloudbase]

37. Roman Gabriel

Former L.A. Ram was in a movie with John Wayne.

[NewJeffCT]

38. Nobody has mentioned Bruce Lee yet?

[ohiosmith]

42. Good one.

[NewJeffCT]

39. Bernie Casey

has been in quite a few movies...

[CottonBear]

40. Former Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Bradshaw. n/t

[deucemagnet]

41. Dean Cain.

Well, he made it as far as the Buffalo Bills training camp before he blew out a knee, anyway.

[NV Whino]

43. Buster Crabbe

A swimmer (Olympic, I think). Played Tarzan and later became an actor in westerns.

[NewJeffCT]

51. good one

I think he was Buck Rogers as well, no?

[NV Whino]

65. Flash Gordon

Yeah, forgot about that one.

[Bombtrack]

44. Artie Lange : All county third Baseman, Union High School, Union New jersey

[Rosie1223]

45. Sasha Cohen

She was on last night's episode of CSI:NY and has been on a couple of soaps, too.

[azmouse]

46. Paul Gleason

He was signed to a minor league baseball contract by the Cleveland Indians, but never made it into the big leagues.

[KG]

47. mark harmon

[WeRQ4U]

48. Kareem Abdul Jabarr and Duane Johnson...

Kareem was in Airplane

Duane Johnson played for the University of Miami football team and later became wrestlings "The Rock".

[RubyDuby in GA]

49. Andre the Giant

Loved him in Princess Bride.
Sad life. Watched a biography on him the other day.

[NoGOPZone]

50. Reggie Jackson

[Sanity Claws]

52. Esther Williams

[Sanity Claws]

53. Johnny Weismuller

[ronnykmarshall]

54. OJ Simpson

:hide:

[Bombero1956]

57. would Johnny Mathis count?

He was a high jumper and hurdler, and on the basketball team, he earned four athletic letters. At San Francisco State College in 1954 he broke future basketball great Bill Russell's high jump record by jumping 6 ft 5 in. He was going to the Olympic tryouts when he got his recording contract.

[jpgray]

59. David Prowse. Nice turn in Clockwork Orange

:D

[cmkramer]

61. Star Wars

Wasn't he also the guy in the Darth Vader costume?

[cmkramer]

60. C. Aubrey Smith

He was a British actor who generally played military types or "peers of the realm" back in the 1930's. The very picture of the stiff upper lip Brit. Anyway, he was a professional cricket player before he became an actor.

Steve Reeves of Hercules fame was a former Mr. Universe.

[Strawman]

62. Dave Rozema

Star of the short-lived WDIV produced series "Hamtramck."

[Broken_Hero]

64. Ben Davidson,

from Conan the Barbarian...he was one of Thulsa Dooms' cronies...

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0203234/

And Gerry Lopez, who played Subotai in Conan the Barbarian...there...

In fairness, most of the main cast were professional athletes' of some sort....

[fishwax]

66. tony danza was a college wrestler and a professional boxer

[peekaloo]

67. Rosie Grier

[BuelahWitch]

68. Esther Williams

[PassingFair]

69. Sonja Henie

The Norwegian Doll.