These Stars Also Impressed As Professional Athletes
Athletes are admired by many people around the world for their achievements. Stars are no exception.
Many of them have a sporting past and were also successful in this profession before they made the leap to the screen or stage. Numerous actors and musicians first demonstrated their talent in sports.
From The Water To The Canvas
Many fans are not always aware of this, after all, the sporting career of one or the other was a long time ago. But the rise of successful athletes to film stars has a long tradition. One of the first great actors in film history was a five-time Olympic champion in swimming. The first Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmüller was the first person to swim 100 meters in under a minute. After the end of his sports career, he became world-famous as the actor of Tarzan. Carlo Pedersoli was not quite as successful.
He was the first Italian to swim the 100-meter freestyle under a minute and made it into the national water polo team. Under his stage name Bud Spencer, he started an impressive career alongside Terence Hill in countless adventure and western comedies. Action star Jason Statham also felt right at home in the element of water. After all, he made it to number twelve on the world diving list.
Strength And Martial Arts Are The Ideal Preparation
Action films have become a prolific genre in Hollywood. Numerous former professional athletes are responsible for this. The Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger has certainly mapped out the way there. He started his career as a bodybuilder and weightlifter. Before he became world-famous as “Conan the Barbarian” and “Terminator”, Schwarzenegger was the most successful bodybuilder in history.
The seven-time Mr. Olympia and four-time Mr. Universe conquered the film world and paved the way for numerous successors. One of them was the German Ralph Möller. The ex-bodybuilder
made his big appearance in Ridley Scott’s masterpiece “Gladiator”. There he proved that he also has acting talent.
Chuck Norris was a legend not just since his famous memes. The former karate world champion rose to a celebrated action star alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 1980s. Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock” was also the world champion in wrestling.
This sport is considered highly entertaining for a reason. Along with boxing, she was also responsible for moving Las Vegas to the entertainment hub. The hotel magnates brought the battles to the city to expand their sports betting and casino offers.
The concept worked for both sides. “The Rock” won a total of ten titles and is still one of the most successful in its field to this day. After his memorable appearance in the blockbuster “The Mummy Returns”, he started a film career. Today the muscleman does not only convince in action films but also in numerous comedies.
Another superstar of world wrestling entertainment is John Cena. The WWE record holder made it to number 15 on the US charts with his debut album “You Can’t See Me”. Then he was drawn to film. There he can be seen mainly in the action and comedy subject.
James Bond As A footballer?
In his youth, none other than the original actor from James Bond turned out to be a true all-rounder. Sean Connery had two successful athletic careers behind him at the beginning of his film career. The Scot was initially a colleague of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Because Connery also tried his hand at bodybuilding and became Scottish champion in 1950. As if that weren’t enough, the later superstar also showed great talent in football.
When he visited Manchester United with his club, their legendary coach was extremely impressed. Sir Matt Busby offered Sean Connery a professional contract, but the latter turned it down. He saw himself as too old at the age of 23 and realized that his professional career would be over by the age of 30. Therefore, the Scot focused on acting.
From Football Legend To Film Star
The Frenchman Eric Cantona followed a similar path. The gifted eccentric devoted himself to his second passion, acting, only after the end of his great football career. During his playing days, Cantona was considered an exceptional player who is still revered as a living legend at Manchester United.
His ability laid the foundation for the rise of the English top team. Meanwhile, Cantona has not only impressed in numerous action films, but also in the Netflix series “Dérapages – Loss of Control”.
The role of the life-battered ex-manager who seizes a unique opportunity seems tailor-made for him. Overall, the sport seems to be good preparation for a later career in film. Finally, George Clooney and Kurt Russell were convincing as baseball players, and Channing Tatum was an American football player.
Footballers Can Sing
The singer of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden proved that a successful athlete can also become a legend in the music industry. Bruce Dickinson was not only a radio host, historian, and pilot, but also a successful fencer in his long career. His bandmate Steve Harris first impressed as a footballer at the London club West Ham United. Rod Stewart is not only an avowed football fan but also played for a third-rate club in his youth.
One of the greatest Spanish singers of all time even proved his talent on the round leather with the legendary club Real Madrid. Julio Iglesias was the goalkeeper of the White Ballet from 1958 to 1962.
After a car accident, he was forced to give up his career and devoted himself to music. Even reggae legend Bob Marley is said to have been an excellent midfield director for his Jamaican team.
Fortunately for the music scene, he made a different decision. These numerous examples clearly show how fluid the course between a career in sports and in the entertainment industry can be. These stars have so many talents that they could easily launch careers in show business.
