Top Eight Athletes Turned Actors

Cashing in on celebrity from one industry in another is not a new concept, and athletes are no exception. But athletic ability does not always translate into acting talent, as some pro-athletes (and their fans) have learned. Of course, that hasn't stopped dozens of them from heading to Hollywood and giving it a shot.

That doesn't mean there haven't been a few shining stars among the locker room. Consider these athletes, my favorite top eight to have made a successful crossover to film.

1. Andre the Giant (1946-1993) - Pro-Wrestler turned lovable sidekick. He enjoyed a 3000-plus match winning streak, took on Hulk Hogan in Wrestlemania III, and then helped Cary Elwes get the girl. If you haven't seen him in The Princess Bride, you're missing out. Large and loyal, the role of Fezzik, opposite Mandy Patinkon's Inigo Montoya, is undoubtedly the best of his short career. Although Andre passed suddenly in 1993 of heart failure, he still reigns as an iconic character of the 1980's cinema.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947-present) - NBA player with the Milwaukee Bucks, six-time MVP winner. Although he has appeared in dozens of TV shows (like NBC's "Scrubs" in 2001), Kareem only filmed four movies: 1978's Game of Death, 1980's cult-classic Airplane!, 1988's Purple People Eater, and 2006's Whitepaddy. In my favorite of his roles, Kareem plays co-pilot Roger Murdock of the ill-fated flight.

3. Howie Long (1960-present) - NFL defensive end (Oakland Raiders), Fox NFL Sunday sportscaster, action film bad guy. Like what Howie has to say on Sundays? Just for fun, check out his evil turn in John Travolta's Broken Arrow (1996) as Emmitt Kelly, nuclear thief. Admittedly, the acting isn't exactly top notch, but he's fun to watch.

4. Lawrence Taylor (1959-present) - NFL 12-year veteran linebacker for the New York Giants. Before taking a bow on "Dancing with the Stars," good old LT was testing the waters in Hollywood. He played small roles in both 1999's Any Given Sunday and 2000's Shaft. LT is better served behind the sports desk, but he doesn't play a bad NFL player on film either.

5. Jesse "The Body" Ventura (1951-present) - Triple-threat: pro-wrestler, actor, politician. After retiring his WWF moniker "The Body," Jesse tried his hand at commentary for both the WCW and the XFL. After that, and before heading into the governor's office, Jesse appeared in eleven feature films, including three with fellow governor Arnold Swarzenegger. You can see him in cameo roles for 1997's Batman & Robin, 1993's Demolition Man, and 1987's Predator.

6. Hulk Hogan (1953-present) - Wrestler, reality TV star, hilarious Hollywood nanny. I know there's a lot of wrestlers here, and I suspect it may be because of all the helpful crossovers between fake wrestling and acting... In any case, Hulk Hogan was always one of my favorite wrestlers, so watching him in Muppets from Space, Three Ninjas, and Mr. Nanny were among the highlights of my adolescence. Want a good laugh? Rent one.

7. Mike Ditka (1939-present) - NFL tight end, nasty head coach, irritated neighbor. It's hard to remember Mike Ditka smiling, after all those years coaching the NFL as perhaps it's "yellingest" coach, but watch Kicking and Screaming to see if Ditka can make you smile. I absolutely love this movie, inexplicably, and I think it's mostly because of Ditka's tireless performance as himself, Robert Duvall's testy neighbor. So he's playing himself - so what? It's hilarious.

8. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (1972-present) - Pro-Wrestler, Scorpion King. Yet another wrestler, I know, but The Rock is perhaps one of the better athlete-actor crossovers there is. Mummy franchise and The Game Plan aside, Dwayne Johnson is entertaining to watch. Among the best of his appearances are his role as Elliot Wilhelm in Be Cool and his Agent 88 in Get Smart with Steve Carrell. Dramatist he is not, but it's funny all the same.

Of course, there are innumerable cameos and supporting roles filled by athletes out there, many of whom should've stayed on the field. And there's always Shaq, but somehow Kazaam just didn't feature in my Best Of list. These are just my favorites, the performances that have stuck out in my mind. I hope you enjoy watching them if you haven't seen them before.