From Caitlyn Jenner To Dwayne Johnson | Top 10 Athletes Who Turned Succesful Actors

Athletes Who Made It Big on the Silver Screen

Due to the nature of sports, many have to retire at a pretty young age as compared to other professions. When they retire they take a look at the different paths to walk on and some choose Tinseltown as their destination. While some of them have not really made it big on the big screen, there are some athletes who have successfully made this transition and are earning big bucks now. In these few cases, the individuals were respected in both lines, let's take a look.

1. Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson won the 1991 national championship with the University of Miami football team and then joined professional wrestling where he was known as "The Rock". He started out acting in the year 2001 when he appeared as the Scorpion King in "The Mummy Returns". Since then he has pulled in more than $12 billion at the global box office. Dwayne is best known for playing Federal agent and bounty hunter Luke Hobbs in the "Fast & Furious" franchise. As of 2023, Dwayne Johnson's net worth is around, $800 million. 

2. Arnold Schwarzenegger

There was a time when Arnold Schwarzenegger was known to dominate the bodybuilding world. However, he tried his hands on acting with the "Hercules in New York", where his acting was not positively received, and his accent was criticized. That's all in the past now, as he went on to cement his position in the action genre and is now an action film icon, giving us iconic moments in films like, "Conan the Barbarian", "The Terminator Series", "Commando" and more. As of 2023, Arnold Schwarzenegger's net worth is around $450 million.

3. Mark Harmon

Harmon was the UCLA starting quarterback for two seasons back in the '70s. He worked on small projects after UCLA, before landing the role of Fielding Carlyle on "Flamingo Road", a 1980 prime-time soap opera. Harmon went on to bag more roles like that of Dr. Robert Caldwell on the Emmy-winning show, "St. Elsewhere". He then landed perhaps his biggest role to date. He became special Agent Jethro Gibbs on the popular CBS drama "NCIS". As of 2023, his net worth is around $120 million.

4. John Cena

The WWE wrestler also turned his sporty career into a diverse acting career. He was featured in movies like the Transformers sequel "Bumblebee" and "F9". He also earned position recognition for his role as a fitness-obsessed boyfriend in the romantic comedy "Trainwreck" which came out in 2015. Cena has also voiced characters like the polar bear Yoshi in 2020's "Dolittle" and the famous flower-loving bull in the movie, "Ferdinand" which came out in 2017. He is best known for his role as Mitchel Mannes in the 2018 comedy "Blockers". As of 2023, John Cena's net worth is around $80 million. 

5. Jim Brown

The former football player who played for the Cleveland Browns entered the world of showbiz in the late 1960s. He was known to fit into any genre and has appeared in many 'neo-noir', 'espionage', 'blaxploitation', 'Spaghetti Western', and other movies. He is probably best known for the role of Robert Jefferson in the movie, "The Dirty Dozen" which came out in 1967. Jim Brown passed away earlier this year at the age of 87 and his net worth was around $50 million at the time. 

6. Esther Williams

MGM signed the female athlete Esther Williams who was a competitive swimmer until 1941. Soon the studio was releasing "aqua musicals" many of which would include her synchronized swimming routines. Some of the movies include "Bathing Beauty", "Million Dollar Mermaid", and "Easy to Love". She is best known for playing the role of an aquatic ballet dancer Eve Barrett in "Neptune's Daughter" in which she and Ricardo Montalban featured in the song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." At the time of her death in 2013, Esther Williams was worth $40 million. 

7. Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner won the 1976 Olympic Decathlon and turned into a national hero overnight. Jenner, at the time, was also selected in the 1977 NBA draft and she also finished second in the 1986 International Motor Sports Association season. After her time in the world of sports, she joined the reality show, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" after marrying Kris Jenner. As of 2023, Caitlyn Jenner is worth $25 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.

8. Terry Crews

Terry Crews, the linebacker has a great tenure in the NFL and played 32 games in his five-year, five-team career. He soon joined the world of showbiz with roles in "Friday After Next" which was released in 2002. He has also featured in sitcoms like, " Everybody Hates Chris" and also "Are We There Yet?". Terry Crews is best known for playing Terry Jeffords in the hit sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine". As of 2023, Terry Crew's estimated net worth is around $25 million.

9. Eric Cantona

The former Manchester United player pivoted towards acting in the 1990s. Since his retirement, he has made a new career for himself. He played himself in 2009's "Looking for Eric" a comedy that made him a huge star. He has limited himself to French Films since then. He has acted in several films and even served as the player-manager for the French national beach soccer team. As of 2023, Eric Cantona's net worth is around $25 million. 

10. Sonja Henie

With three Olympic gold medals under her belt, Sonja Henie who was a figure skater signed a film contract with Twentieth Century Fox. She quickly became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She was seen in movies like, "One in a Million,", "Thin Ice", "Happy Landing", and "Second Fiddle". She is best known for her role as Karen Benson in "Sun Valley Serenade", an Oscar-nominated musical that also featured Glenn Miller and Milton Berle. At the time of her death in 1969, she was worth $47 million.