Athletes and Olympians have become film and television stars

Go for gold – and this time it’s not medals! Several sports stars have Oscar or Emmy in their sights after appearing in the movies.

Some of the greatest athletes of all time aka GOATs like former NBA pro Michael jordan and tennis icon Serena williams, have tried their hand at cinema and television. Often times, these competitors play fictional versions of themselves.

James lebron played “LeBron James” on the big screen not once, but twice. In her theatrical debut in the 2015 film Rail accident, the Los Angeles Laker stood up to his hilarious costars Amy schumer and Saturday Night Live alum Bill hader, playing a frugal version of himself – and did so without a single acting lesson.

“[LeBron’s] been in front of the cameras since the age of 18, ”the business manager and childhood friend of James Maverick Carter Recount Hollywood journalist in July 2015. “He’s very comfortable in front of the camera. He didn’t need an acting trainer.

Since these sportsmen are used to spotlights, it seems quite natural that they can succeed in front of the camera without any problems.

Retired gymnast Mckayla maroney embarked on a career in television with an appearance on Dixie Hart in 2012. Rachel bilson gushed about the performance of the gold medalist, recounting Entertainment tonight At the time, “I thought McKayla did a great job. She’s natural.

Olympian companion and alpine skier Lindsey Vonn made her acting debut in 2010 on one of her favorite shows, Law and order, after creator Dick wolf found out she was a fan.

Vonn joked that his character “was a lot more fun to play than a corpse,” speaking to the New York Daily News that same year.

“When we were doing the takes, I kept smiling! She added. “Everyone else got a joke between takes and as soon as they called ‘Action!’ were serious, and I was still smiling and really excited. I don’t know if I did a good job.

Nearly a decade later, the most decorated skier in U.S. history revealed she consulted with a former wrestler turned box office star. Dwayne The Rock Johnson on her next move as a performer.

“He’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met,” Vonn said. Yahoo in 2019. “I feel really lucky that he took me under his wing… I’m learning. I want to learn as much as I can. Maybe playing is something I can do, maybe not. I just want to get all the information, and who better than The Rock to get that information? “

She added: “I don’t know if I would be really good at playing the part. [but] I’m a bit athletic so I feel like I could hit a guy. “

Keep scrolling to see the athletes who took the plunge: