Best movie starring a pro athlete is oddly enough...

[wendelbudwhite]

His boxing career was pretty limited pre acting wasnt it? so he'd be more an actor turned sportsman and then back to acting.

Yeah was thinking the same was just throwing it out there

 

[Cyrano200]

The Dirty Dozen and The Running Man with Jim Brown.

This is a great movie, and Jim Brown was significant, but not really starring. One of all time favorites.

Orenthal James Simpson - The Naked Gun

OJ seemed great at the prat falls, not so much the acting.

I'm not the greatest Guy Ritchie fan but perhaps Snatch with Vinny Jones if were talking significant roles rather than just minor ones?

I didn't think of him right away because his playing career was before I was able to follow the EPL here in the States, but he was an athlete at the highest levels for many years and has been in many decent movies, Snatch being probably his (and Ritchie's) best. He loses cred for being in X-men: Last Stand.

 

[sweetviolenturg]

My contribution to this list of elite athletes headlining films is Ken Norton in his starring roles in MANDINGO & DRUM.

 

[moreorless87]

Well, he had an amateur boxing career as a teen but he didn't turn pro until well into his acting career. It was, of course, a total vanity project as Rourke was matched with very safe opposition that would have a very slim chance of beating him. The vast majority of his opponents were fighters either making their pro debuts or often knocked out club fighters with losing records.

Believe it or not, I was offered a fight with him in Germany on two weeks' notice after I'd been inactive for two years. The money was good & I totally believed that I could beat him even though the fight was at light heavyweight which was 20 pounds above my natural weight class. So, I accepted the promoter's offer but unfortunately, I couldn't get my Visa straightened out in time. So, instead of me, they flew in an individual who was making his pro debut & Rourke knocked him out. I tried to get another fight scheduled with him in Miami a few months later but his people weren't interested.

I seem to remember Rouke himself admiting he knew he didnt have a real shot at sucess, viewing it more as an escape from his acting lifestyle.

 

[sleepwalk]

rocky balboa.

This is probably it.

Either version of The Longest Yard work well too.

 

[Pizza Werewolf]

 

[sweetviolenturg]

I seem to remember Rouke himself admiting he knew he didnt have a real shot at sucess, viewing it more as an escape from his acting lifestyle.

Exactly. Still, I would have loved to have had the chance to put the only blemish on his professional record. But they were only interested in fighting me if I was hampered by two-plus years of ring rust, no training & short notice. But I could have easily done four rounds off the couch back in those days. But it is what it is.

 

[Daveb]

He got game with Jesus shuttesworth is the correct answer

 

[Drain Bamage]

Uncut Gems - Kevin Garnett

That wasnt a starring role, more of a pumped up cameo

 

[Halifax]

... The A-Team starring Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Change my mind?

Good lord no. That movie fucking sucked.
Wilt Chamberlain in Conan the Destroyer. OJ in Naked Gun. Carl Weathers in the rocky Series.
Fucking Bubba Smith in the police Academy series.

 

[I'm Shawn Spencer]

Is bodybuilding a sport? If so then Predator

I was thinking about that. You could say Predator or T2.


But Arnold wasn't actively competing when he made those movies. Rampage was still an active fighter when he did A Team.

 

[Bargey]

My serious answer would be blue chips starring Shaq and Penny.

He got game I've heard was pretty good too. Starring Ray Allen

Blue Chips was really good. Nolte was boss and Shaq actually had the fundamental feature of his character changed and made it better.