Athletes Turned Actors

See who transitioned from sports to acting.

Terry Crews - Terry Crews played seven seasons in the NFL before retiring in 1997. Thanks to his great physique, Crews was able to break into Hollywood after a short stint on “Battle Dome.” After bouncing around from cameo to cameo, Crews landed the lead role on the TBS comedy Are We There Yet? (Photo: Ben Hider/PictureGroup)
Shaquille O’Neal - If Shaquille O’Neal weren’t one of the most dominant centers in NBA history, he would make a great full-time actor. O’Neal’s charismatic charm easily translated to the big screen in his first feature film, Blue Chips. Since then, O’Neal has dived into the reality world with Shaq’s Big Challenge and Shaq vs. (Photo: Tim Defrisco/ALLSPORT)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson - Like many pro wrestlers before him, Dwayne Johnson was able to parlay his career WWE star "The Rock" into an acting career. But unlike Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan, the former University of Miami football player transformed into a credible actor, landing in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the highest salary as an actor in his first starring role.(Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)Rick Fox - Former three-time NBA champion Rick Fox dabbled in the acting scene while playing for the Boston Celtics. Once Fox headed West to the Los Angeles Lakers, he landed a role on HBO’s Oz. Following his retirement in 2004, Fox continued to land roles on the small screen including Melrose Place and Dirt. (Photo: Tom Hauck /Allsport)

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Terry Crews - Terry Crews played seven seasons in the NFL before retiring in 1997. Thanks to his great physique, Crews was able to break into Hollywood after a short stint on “Battle Dome.” After bouncing around from cameo to cameo, Crews landed the lead role on the TBS comedy Are We There Yet? (Photo: Ben Hider/PictureGroup)

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