Was watching a little late-night TV over the weekend, and stumbled across There’s Something About Mary, in which Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre shows up to do his doughy best as Mary’s ex-boyfriend. Given that he is not only better looking but also a better QB these days, perhaps that’s one cameo best left semi-forgotten somewhere on a shelf alongside Shaquille O’Neal in Kazaam and the entire cinematic career of O.J. Simpson.
But the athletes just keep acting, as evidenced by New York Ranger (and former Elisha Cuthbert flame) Sean Avery (pictured) who shows up in the hockey biopic The Rocket (just out on DVD) as–coincidence!–a New York Ranger named Bob Dill who gets the crap beaten out of him by the movie’s subject, legendary Montreal Canadien Maurice Richard. The movie’s half in French and half in English and all about hockey, yet I kept watching; Avery’s role, while small, is damn entertaining. Probably because he’s known as quite the aggressor in real life, and there’s always something fun about watching people like that get clocked, even if it’s fake–and especially when they’re in on the joke.
Assuming it’s not Avery, what athlete has given the best onscreen performance in Hollywood history? Johnny Damon in Fever Pitch? Michael Jordan in Space Jam? Ring in with your comments! Let’s force EW.com’s editors to spin a gallery from your numerous (and witty) responses!
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Rick Fox, former Laker and ex-Mr. Vanessa Williams. I loved him on both “Dirt” and “Ugly Betty”!
I’ve always thought of Joe Montana as a natural comedian. His performance as host of SNL is high up on my list of best ever.
Sam J Jones because he was the MAN as Flash Gordon. He was a minor league football player before he became “Flash Gordon, Quarterback, New York Jets”, before he was on the now forgotten HBO series “1st and 10″, before he was the Highwayman, and before his recent comeback with “Revamped” and the rehashed Flash Gordon tv series.
Gary Stevens as George Woolf in Seabiscuit. No joke! He held his own against Tobey and Chris Cooper, plus he actually rode the horse well, which I’m sure is more than Tobey can say.
Terry Bradshaw! Definitely not the best actor, but certainly amiable and enjoyable! Cannonball Run being my favorite!
Before he went bonkers and killed people, O.J. Simpson was carving out a second career as an actor. Jim Brown was in some pretty good movies too (The Dirty Dozen, anybody?)
Cam Neely in Dumb & Dumber. He nailed the part of Sea Bass.
Gotta go with Vinnie Jones. Former soccer player (or is it rugby) in England known for his rough play (there’s a famous picture of him, uh, twisting an opponent’s nether region), he’s now Hollywood’s go-to-British-thug, in movies like Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Gone in 60 Seconds, and X-Men 3 (as Juggernaut).
Dennis Rodman, hands down. His gripping performance in “Double Team” opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme is one for the ages.
My vote goes to Dean Cain, although his athletic career was mostly in college. I loved him on Lois and Clark and wish that we could see him in more than just cameos here and there.
Honorable mentions go to Johnny Weissmuller, the best Tarzan. As well as Arnold Schwartznegger for True Lies, still one of my favorite action movies of all time.
Dan Marino in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The scene with the gun where he and Ace are arguing over who should get shot is classic!
Despite our answers, I think we can all agree that Sean Avery is an incredibly annoying hockey player.
Jason Lee, hands down…skaters are athletes, too!
What about Scott Patterson (Luke on Gilmore Girls)? He had a pretty significant minor league baseball career before turning that baseball hat around as everyone’s favorite Stars Hallow diner owner.
Do commercials count? Because ubiquitous though he is, Peyton Manning is an absolute MASTER of comic timing!
His SNL was genius too.
How about the Rock, cause he… well, rocks.
I have to second Tony’s nomination of Jim Brown. “I’m Gonna Git U Sucka” is one of my all-time favorites, and the comedic duo of Brown and Isaac Hayes (!) rocks my socks off.
Andre the Giant! “Princess Bride” would never have been the same without his hilarious, heavy-handed absurdity. “Anybody want a peanut?”
How about athlete-turned-actor-turned-California-governor? Because then my vote would have to go to everyone’s favorite gun-toting, word-mangling, ass-kicking Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
How has no one mentioned Brett Favre in There’s Something About Mary or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Airplane?
DL: Maybe because Favre was mentioned in the article?
Ugh, Steve Avery. Bah humbug. The man is not a well-adjusted human being.
I liked Derek Jeter on SNL. Especially the Point/Counterpoint with the topic “Derek Jeter Sucks.” Jeets’ response: No, I don’t. And the very funny Yankees’ wives segment in which the female-dressed Jeter compliments Tino Martinez on his foxiness.
I second Terry Bradshaw, although I definitely could have done without his old-man-bottom in that awful movie with Matthew and Sarah Jessica…in trying to block out the image I have completely forgotten the name of the movie!
Watching Dan Marino, in Ace Ventura, spit after realizing that LT. Einhorn (Sean Young) is actually a guy is hysterical. And I second Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the co-pilot in Airplane!
Well Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson is the most bankable..of course. But how can we overlook the amazing performances of Hockey Goon Marty McSorley. He had a small part as an informant in “Bad Boys” as well as the doomed co-pilot in “Con Air”.
Mike Ditka in Kicking & Screaming? I’m half joking.
I’m having trouble with posts going through today. I vote for jockey Gary Stevens, too. But I want to add that the Wayne Gretzky episode of SNL is my absolute favorite.
I’m having trouble with posts too. Am glad to see a hockey post, just sad we have to look at Avery’s mug.
There are plenty more hockey players (though mostly college) you could list. Most of the cast of Miracle played hockey before acting, and even then they had to learn to play with different equipment.
Jim Brown in various roles
John Matuzak in North Dallas Forty
Ray Allen in He’s Got Game