From Jason Lee to Fred Williamson, Hollywood’s history is packed with excellent athletes who turned respectable acting careers. Alex Karras, Wilt, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the nearly-forgotten Paul Robeson did it. O.J. belongs on the list. Best-of lists about those guys have been done already.
Besides, none of them are on active rosters. So who’s the best actor-athlete still playing today? The pickings are slim.
After his role as a baseball player in Moneyball, Brad Pitt ‘s natural ability had a former pro saying, “He might have missed his calling.” That’s nice, and that doesn’t count. Pitt is an actor, after all. If the camera’s on, so is he. Do you see him hitting .200 against major leaguers? Didn’t think so.
Texas proudly presents Jion Rastegar, the youngest to ever reach kung fu’s black belt. He was chosen Most Outstanding Player out of a camp full of high school freshman–and he’s just 11. Jion also cut his acting teeth in Beat Down. Too early to tell, but the sky is the limit.
NBA sharpshooter Ray Allen is slowly giving way to the league’s youngsters. Plus, he’s heavy on the basketball side of this equation. His resume holds only two notable acting roles to date, including Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game. But being the all-time three-point shooter matters.
He’s one of the world’s most-hyphenated people, and Manny Pacquaio wouldn’t have it any other way. Considered one of the best boxers pound-for-pound, he is a family man, politician, singer, and actor. The thespian slice of Manny is the exact opposite of his boxing: Plenty of excess and filler, not much punch.
With all that, in 2011 the best actor-athlete must be Dwayne Johnson. That’s The Rock to you. He bests every other current athlete’s acting resume by several lengths. Johnson has appeared in films like Get Smart, hosted Saturday Night Live, and he was the title character in The Scorpion King. All of the promos he’s cut have sharpened his comic timing.
His current rival, John Cena, is already ready for their 2012 Wrestlemania match. A valid rebuttal would be to ask why Cena isn’t on this list. He is another wrestling star who has headlined films.
The difference is, Johnson played elite college football, which should satisfy the sports purist. The Rock is today’s best combination of box office draw, acting ability, and athletic prowess. Do you smell what’s cooking?