15 actors who you didn’t know were athletes

One of the big names who shine today in the marquees of theaters around the world, especially in action movies is that of Dwayne Johnson. “The Rock” as it is known, was once a football player and champion in the disciplines of wrestling, which returns from time to time in the famous Wrestlemania.

From the long list of sports ‘heroes’ of the US, the name of Bruce Jenner is among the most distinguished. He was an extraordinary athlete who shone on the tracks in the 70s of last century. It was at the 1976 Montreal Olympics where he achieved the greatest glory of winning the gold medal in the always complex and grueling decathlon. After his remarkable accomplishment in athletics, he dabbled in TV and film. He acted in several films and television series like CHiPs, as well as the focus on the Kardashian reality.

In her youth she used to be an outstanding swimmer. Her prowess in the water allowed her to win three national championships in crawl and freestyle, she was once considered one of the best swimmers of all time. Perhaps because of this success it has been convened by Metro Goldwyn Meyer to make the music of their competitive swim meets from the ’50s and’ 60s of the last century.

His films are usually romantic comedies on television and is remembered for the “My Name is Earl” series. Jason Lee is not especially known for acting, but his performances are averagely acceptable. While average in acting, he did excel in previous years as a professional skateboarder. He was one of the leading figures in the circuit of this extreme sport in the late 80s. He founded the company Stereo Skateboards in 1992.

The “superbrat” of tennis won everything in the sport, between the 70’s and 80’s. This exceptional lefty reached number 1 ranking and won seven Grand Slam titles before envision a career in acting. He entered the film world on several appearances for Adam Sandler comedies and series like Frasier and 30 Rock.

“Shaq Attack” as he was known in his time as high in the NBA in both Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. He was one of the best players in the 90s, if only he could have been a champion in the Lakers. His enormous popularity was not neglected in the great world of marketing, linked to the show. Thus he ended up participating in a dozen films, including “Kazaam” and “Steel “, among others.

It is not surprising that most movies starring Chuck Norris are action and have a distinctive martial arts component. It happens that between the 60’s and 70’s, this versatile actor excelled in karate. He was world champion between 1968 and 1974 in the field. He starred in the Walker Texas Ranger series and more than 30 films.

There is no doubt that the path of ‘Terminator’ over the past four decades is prolific. He has been successful in everything he attempted, even in politics, becoming governor of California. But before conquering the box office and politics, this man born in Austria stood out in the world of bodybuilding. His achievements include five time Mr. Universe and seven time Mr. Olympia.

He had a great career in football in the 70s, where he was noted for his speed. Thanks to his outstanding career he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the NFL. Then he ventured into film in the trilogy of “The Naked Gun” with Leslie Nielsen. It was not all roses in his life, in 1992 he was accused of murdering his wife Nicole Brown and her friend. In a controversial trial he was acquitted which was certainly one of the most media covered trials in the US.

Remembered for the films West, which he shared a poster with Italian Terence Hill, Bud Spencer had a prolific film career since he came back in 1950, during the filming of the movie “Quo Vadis”, and from there did not stop. But few, very few knew that the actor was an excellent swimmer; so good was that participated in the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Melbourne and Rome as part of the swim team.

He was an outstanding player of the Detroit Pistons in the US professional league. After retiring his routine he focused on acting. He participated in TV series such as ‘Malcolm’ and ‘Sabrina’ and also in the movie “Bad Boys” which starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

She was one of the last steps in the world of sport to the film. Ronda Rousey won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, and is a champion of the discipline that focuses on the attention of martial arts, which is Ultimate Fighting. With this resume she was on her way to being called for an action movie; and she debuted in “The Expendables 3″ and also had a share in the latest “Fast and Furious 7″.

He was a great professional swimmer and part of the US team that won five Olympic medals at the 1924 Paris Games and 1928 Amsterdam. He became very popular for this reason and his march to the cinema was a matter of time. The opportunity came and he became famous by playing Tarzan on the big screen, the most memorable in the history of cinema.

Source: sopitas.com / es.ign.com/